As I tried to state in my first post, you cannot take that deep of a cut (or at least I can't - maybe you are special). I've had success on some barrels doing ~0.075" plunges, but that has also lead to problems with others (due to differences in material composition, I suspect) so I go half that far now and am much more rigorous about cleaning and lubrication.
Gunsmithing Chambering Without Forced Fluid
- Thread starter Turd in the Pool
- Start date
As I tried to state in my first post, you cannot take that deep of a cut (or at least I can't - maybe you are special). I've had success on some barrels doing ~0.075" plunges, but that has also lead to problems with others (due to differences in material composition, I suspect) so I go half that far now and am much more rigorous about cleaning and lubrication.
I take .200" cuts till the end of pre-bore. Then .020" - .040" for a couple of cuts. I am then withing about .010" of final headspace. Last few cuts are .005" each. This results in a very clean chamber finish that doesn't need any polishing, but I hit it still with a wooden dowel wrapped with either some worn 320 or 400 paper with WD-40 for that cross hatch pattern because I'm weird like that. Only a couple hundred RPM's and about 5 seconds is all it takes.
In between all passes the reamer is cleaned thoroughly, then submerged in cutting fluid (vipers venom cut with Moly-Dee) and a shot of cutting fluid is squirted up into the chamber area. Never any problems with chip weld.
I really don't think using a flush system is much faster in total time than my method and I know from seeing just about everybody's work that has come through the shop that the finish is no better than what I am getting. From the time I step up to the lathe with the blank, install, dial in and totally finished is around 2 hours. I am sure that could be cut down if one had a lathe that could be left totally set up for barrel work with a flush system at all times, but that is not my case.
In between all passes the reamer is cleaned thoroughly, then submerged in cutting fluid (vipers venom cut with Moly-Dee) and a shot of cutting fluid is squirted up into the chamber area. Never any problems with chip weld.
I really don't think using a flush system is much faster in total time than my method and I know from seeing just about everybody's work that has come through the shop that the finish is no better than what I am getting. From the time I step up to the lathe with the blank, install, dial in and totally finished is around 2 hours. I am sure that could be cut down if one had a lathe that could be left totally set up for barrel work with a flush system at all times, but that is not my case.
Good info guys. Thanks. Guess I'll keep fighting it until I get a flush system set up. I'm not going to make shorter cuts. Takes long enough as it is. Like I said, I'm pretty hard headed.
Don't let the flush system give you a false sense of security. Most of the guys I know using it still have to retract and flush the chamber. I like my method because I can swab the chamber out real quick in between passes and get a good look at how things are going, plus I don't have to set up the flush system and worry about the pressure. Set up, dialing in and threading eats up most of the time. The pre-drill, pre-bore and chambering part is the quickest part for me.
Both systems work great, but both still require a keen eye as it's being performed. My guess is most guys (not all) using the flush system are cutting the entire chamber with a roughing and finish reamer or just the finish reamer only.
Both systems work great, but both still require a keen eye as it's being performed. My guess is most guys (not all) using the flush system are cutting the entire chamber with a roughing and finish reamer or just the finish reamer only.
Lothar Weather uses a proprietary steel that is very close to 17-4 and the Blackstarr barrels are made by LW from 17-4.
Both of these materials are very hard to start with and it work hardens very very easy.
Chad hit the nail on the head with dealing with work hardening by using lower RPM and an aggressive feed rate. Both material making nice chips but once you dwell for a second and it makes a crust that is harder that woodpecker lips which forces you to make a fast aggressive bite to get past it.
I bought 7 Blackstarr barrels when Brownells discontinued carrying them.
I ended up running the lathe at 56 RPM making cuts .065" deep ,quickly then backing the reamer off very fast then cleaning completely. Trying to turn the lathe off then backing the reamer out like normal resulted in having to break through a "shell" each time I restarted.
Both of these materials are very hard to start with and it work hardens very very easy.
Chad hit the nail on the head with dealing with work hardening by using lower RPM and an aggressive feed rate. Both material making nice chips but once you dwell for a second and it makes a crust that is harder that woodpecker lips which forces you to make a fast aggressive bite to get past it.
I bought 7 Blackstarr barrels when Brownells discontinued carrying them.
I ended up running the lathe at 56 RPM making cuts .065" deep ,quickly then backing the reamer off very fast then cleaning completely. Trying to turn the lathe off then backing the reamer out like normal resulted in having to break through a "shell" each time I restarted.
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