I had already posted about the kiln I restored but a few weeks back I picked up my first lathe.



Gratuitous shot of my mill and kiln.





I took the pics when the garage was messy.

But at any rate here's my question to you good folks. I'm tooling up and wanted to thread, profile, and chamber barrels.

Now I've been talking to the one friend I can trust on these matters but after talking to him for a while I realized that there wasn't just one way to skin a cat.

So I ask you guys, what are you set up with for barrel work? I may be able to glean some info off of you guys to get started.

Nice little shop..

I am interested in your DIY kiln thread..  I seek but not find..

anyone have it handy?

I ran a lathe like that many years ago..... is it a Polish model or a LeBlonde?

If I remember right, it was an accurate enough lathe.

Not really diy. Got it for free But I spent 250 fixing it up
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1740032_Need_some_unique_ideas_for_a_kiln_I_just_built_up_.html

Clausing Colchester 13
if I'm not mistaken it's a British Lathe

Thanx for the link..  I have a similar situation, furnace temp control damaged in transit..

DING!DING!DING!DING! Correct. I learned machining using one of those in school. I thought it was a very nice lathe. Held tolerances quite well.

I thread a ton of barrels, it is the bulk of my business. There is only one way to correctly thread a barrel, what is variable is the work holding methods.
Some barrels you can pass through the spindle, some you have to spin between centers and yet others you need to run through a cathead/steadyrest setup.
If you run through the spindle, make a spider for the outboard end of the spindle.
I ran a Clausing like yours years ago, if memory serves me correct the headstock is pretty wide to work through for shorter barrels. It's even worse when you add the 5+ inches of the chuck depth. I turned a chuck adapter down and drilled/ tapped it for set screws like a spider, it netted me 4+ inches of working length.
My lathe is an Atrump 1340 and I can work a 18" barrel through the headstock.
You want to work as close to the headstock as possible, rigidity in your set up is key. The further out from the headstock vibration becomes more of a factor.
If you spin between centers get in the habit of making a "spud" of aluminum or brass for the muzzle end, that way your live center is not bearing directly on the crown.
Metric threads remember- leave the half nut engaged!
Concentricity and axial alignment of your threads is critical. NEVER trust the OD of a barrel to be concentric with the bore.
Invest in a four jaw chuck, leave the three jaw for turning non critical items.
Lose the casters the lathe is on, you want the lathe sitting solid and dead level in all directions.

+1

to everything he said...

if I make the spud for the muzzle end, will I have to get a tailstock chuck to have the spud spin freely or could I oil the spud and mount it into my albreicht chuck.

I threaded a piece of cold rolled scrap yesterday just to see if I still remembered what I was doing. The threads came out pretty gnarly.
It looks like I need to use coolant.

I got a 6 jaw set try that I need to get an adapter plate for. Hopefully that and the spider will have it running fairly true. But that would be to outside OD.  If I wanted truly concentric I'd use a 4 jaw and measure off of a spud I machine to the bore and adjust both the chuck and the spider.

but then why would anyone want to do it the fast way if concentricity was a concern?

Plus it doesn't seem like much of a money maker if I'm dialing in every single barrel that comes in for a quick thread and crown.

i do want barrel concentricity. But I'd also like a fast setup.

holy shit, get all the tape off the sealtite and elsewhere

make a tip that will fit in the center...once it wears out make another one...like 5 min with brass to make

With a albrecht or a free spinning?

Dupe, sorry

1-Invest in a quality ball bearing live center for the tailstock. You dont want a dead center to seize on the spud and wipe out a crown.

2- Lots of reasons for rough threads, compound set at incorrect angle (29.5/59.5 depending on how you look at it) tool geometry, too deep of cuts(I usually go about.003 a pass) etc.
Pick up a copy of Southbends "How to Run a Lathe" some great pointers. There was a great thread in here on causes of rough barrel threads, look it up, there were some great points in it.
3- You NEED truely concentric, anything less and your gonna pay dearly one of these days (pay for somebody elses suppressor if you think dialing in every barrel costs you money). Ask me how I know
I dial in EVERY barrel I thread, I shoot for ZERO needle movement on my indicators which are .001 graduations.
Dont measure off of the barrel spud, if you are turning between centers you are centered on the muzzle end anyway but dial in the breech end, most breech OD's are pretty true to the bore.
Invest in "Range Rods" from PTG, they are about 6" long and ground with a 1.5 degree taper. they have interchangable bushings for the bore size. Insert the range rod in the bore and dial in on it, I use 2 indicators-one right at the muzzle and the other as far out from the muzzle as the rod will allow. This tells you concentricity as well as axial alignment.

You are correct that the 6 jaw indexes on the OD, so it will be no more accurate than the 3 jaw now will it?
Stick with the 4 jaw. With practice you can dial in a barrel in just a few minutes.

Fast setup?
Speed costs money....get in a hurry it will cost you.
If you cant find the time to do it right the first time, how are you going to find the time to do it again?

We have no room for error in our industry.

This is great info so far guys thank you.

I like free spinning

(not saying it is the best)

Nice lathe.  A friend has the exact one.

Clausing made good stuff.  

im trying to find a used one on ebay now. does a Jacobs chuck rotate?

If it does, it is worthless.

Live center
Live center
Live center