Gunsmithing Finishing a carbon fiber barrel

[yote_slayer31]

I am looking to build a rifle with a Proof barrel but need to know how to polish the tooling marks out. Do I just sand it down like a regular steel barrel? Thanks in advance gents.

 

[mdesign]

Emory cloth goes a long ways but if you are careful, there is no need to have tooling marks when you are done. I just had one off so the end of the barrel could be threaded and no touch up was required.

 

[yote_slayer31]

I have a barrel blank that came with tooling marks.

 

[yote_slayer31]

Maybe someone who has built a rifle with a Proof barrel can shine some light on the subject?

 

[seanh]

are the tooling marks in the CF, just the metal or both?

It doesn't matter if it's a Proof barrel or any other carbon fiber next to metal item...process is identical.

 

[yote_slayer31]

The tooling marks appear to be more so in the metal, with real fine marks in the carbon fiber. I guess I could polish the metal on a barrel spinner once its ready to install then use scotch brite on the carbon fiber?

 

[seanh]

barrel spinner and clean up the metal with say, 180grit cloth back then possibly go to 250ish...probably don't need more than that. Once you get the metal where you like it, slowly bring the carbon down (all depends if you want a mat finish or gloss finish). Once you can feel no lip on the carbon to metal seam and you're good with the finish, you'll want to coat the barrel...hard clear coat or thinned epoxy or maybe clear duracoat.