Gavin, I've been watching your content for a number of years now, and you inspired me to do my own barrel work. I never thought it'd be a reality, but soon I'll have a lathe of my own. Making a rigid reamer holder will be one of the first projects I do once I get it. Thank you for all this great content.
It doesn't solve tailstock misalignment. It only solves misalignment if you dont extend/retract the tailstock. Also incredibly important that the hole you put in the holder has zero tolerance. If you can slip a reamer in, it's got play. Even if it's half a thou, that's how far out your chamber is going to be in addition to the tailstock deviation.
I agree. I had a 14x60 (Wilton) lathe for awhile. The tailstock was mis-aligned (.0015" nod) from the factory, and I couldn't ever get shimmed completely out. Extending the tailstock obviously made this error appear even worse. A rigid reamer, no matter how it was cut, would still make a junk chamber. Floating reamer allowed me to cut chambers good enough for the hunting rifles I was building at the time. I've got a different lathe now, but I'm still not sure I'd trust a rigid holder like this unless I had a better temperature controlled shop. Maybe if I had a $200k cnc machine and I was churning out barrels by the dozen then this kind of holder would make sense because I could verify the setup/taper and knock out handful of identical barrels. I'm guessing 99.9% of home gunsmiths would be better served with a traditional floating reamer, however.
Aaron Anderson is 100% correct. You would have to bore the tailstock casting and make a new quill to fit it. Also , you kids are using small NEW lathes with (probably) still straight ways. Carriage (and tailstock) movement over 20+ years will wear the ways in the area of use and change tailstock parallelism to headstock spindle. As Aaron said. As long as you don’t crank the tailstock quill in and out, Gavens method is ok. But, If the bore of the tailstock quill isn’t parallel to headstock bore (few are. That’s why lathes were used between centers), making a solid reamer holder is not best answer.
I picked up a couple blanks and I'm going to give this a try. Seems like the best route to me but what do i know. I've never done this before. Can't wait to try and chamber my first barrel.
The thing with a rigid reamer setup instead of a self aligning setup in the talestock is that you will have to put in the barrel 100% straight or you will get a chamber that is not straight to the bore or loose. From what ive read, not the way to go. What you said that this tailstock and morsetaper holders are 100% straight is true. But making a good barrel all depends on getting the bore to be aligned perfectly. It can be done, but there is always a tiny bit of error. I would use a floating reamer holder, and use a MARS reamer micrometer. I made one for large calibers like 50BMG and put it on GrabCAD. It was some work to draw it all in 3D, but im sure it would work. It sure would sell too, because the large caliber one is not being sold anywhere. Any way, very interesting project. Greetings, Jeff
Now a days they pre drill then pre bore the chamber undersized. Then verify the throat area is running perfectly with long reach indicator. Once that is done the reamer pilot is running on the indicated trued bore to finish the chamber. No one can make a barrel run completely true from end to end because the hole is never straight. So if you get both ends true the throat/freebore area could be out. It's the most important part 👍
I might give this a try. I made a little floating reamer driver that didn't work all too well, and I've been trying to hold the reamer in my hand while driving it with the tailstock lately. That's not working too well, sometimes I get a lot of chatter that is hard to deal with and I ringed my last two chambers. Things like six groove barrels not liking to work with six flute reamers when it's just your hand preventing reamer rotation are hard to get around. I need to learn how to be a better machinist and get my machine lined up better anyway. If I was a better machinist I probably would have figured this method out on my own, but I'm not so thanks.
Late to this party... But there are 2 slots already milled into your cross slide and you have a DRO. Why not bore out a holder out if a block that it mounted onto it? Theres no worrying about tailstock misalignment or nod with that method?
Great video. I have a cnc shop and going to try to chamber my first barrel soon. Other than feel and cost is there any reason to use a manual over a cnc?
Nice idea, my only concern would be if reamer shank and cutting edges are coaxial. If not, this method cannot be used. I have seen this runout in several reamers of different makes. I prefer turning in a cnc lathe my chamber body and shoulder to reamer diameter minus .004» prior to reaming with a floating holder.
Very weak not to leave a comment on this reply. Must be lack of of experience and insight in real world issues rather than simply copying someone who know what he’s doing and checking everything instead of having the proper control points yourself. Obviously a video by someone not familiar with all aspects of manufacturing and knowledge of measuring all critical aspects. Copycat.
I agree with most of your stuff. But this one I disagree with. The set screw pushing on the reamer will move it a minimum of a 1/2 Thousandth. Away from the screw hole location. .0005 on a lathe actually cuts a .001 larger hole because your cutting on both sides of the hole. I have played extensively with rigid reamer set ups. Using the tailstock it is basically impossible. You don’t have enough axis’s to adjust the reamer true to the bore of the spindle. Don’t believe me. Put a indicator on your reamer when your cutting your chamber you will see the run out. The best I could do was .0007 run out with your shown method. I now use the carriage to do my chambers, and rely on a JSG floating reamer to take up the .0005 run out. In this video I show the runout that is caused by the set screw pushing on the reamer. At 7minutes 34 seconds Custom Howa 1500 in 22 Creedmoor! Precision rifle build. Chambering A $650.00 rebarrel package! th-cam.com/video/8ztHUvPEbbE/w-d-xo.html Love your work! God Bless Dustin Drews Precision
I’ve been having issues with the floating reamer holder I purchased, I am having trouble finding Morse 3 blanks near $20 that have the tang. Where were you able to find them
Gavin, I've been watching your content for a number of years now, and you inspired me to do my own barrel work. I never thought it'd be a reality, but soon I'll have a lathe of my own. Making a rigid reamer holder will be one of the first projects I do once I get it. Thank you for all this great content.
Good deal, and good luck with your first projects, very exciting!
As always, a very interesting, technical intructions.
OMG I love this! My lathe has not arrived yet but I’m looking for these tools right now. Thanks Gavin!
This is all excellent information! I did not know they made Morse taper blanks! This is wonderful for not only gun Smith's but machinists too!
This is great!! I was just revisiting the idea of building a .50 BMG bolt action. I’ll be following along…
Keep up the great videos Gavin !! Thanks
It doesn't solve tailstock misalignment. It only solves misalignment if you dont extend/retract the tailstock. Also incredibly important that the hole you put in the holder has zero tolerance. If you can slip a reamer in, it's got play. Even if it's half a thou, that's how far out your chamber is going to be in addition to the tailstock deviation.
100% agreed. There is also thermal expansion to deal with. My shop is not temperature controlled, and I see diffences from hot days to cold ones.
I agree. I had a 14x60 (Wilton) lathe for awhile. The tailstock was mis-aligned (.0015" nod) from the factory, and I couldn't ever get shimmed completely out. Extending the tailstock obviously made this error appear even worse. A rigid reamer, no matter how it was cut, would still make a junk chamber. Floating reamer allowed me to cut chambers good enough for the hunting rifles I was building at the time.
I've got a different lathe now, but I'm still not sure I'd trust a rigid holder like this unless I had a better temperature controlled shop. Maybe if I had a $200k cnc machine and I was churning out barrels by the dozen then this kind of holder would make sense because I could verify the setup/taper and knock out handful of identical barrels. I'm guessing 99.9% of home gunsmiths would be better served with a traditional floating reamer, however.
Aaron Anderson is 100% correct. You would have to bore the tailstock casting and make a new quill to fit it. Also , you kids are using small NEW lathes with (probably) still straight ways. Carriage (and tailstock) movement over 20+ years will wear the ways in the area of use and change tailstock parallelism to headstock spindle. As Aaron said. As long as you don’t crank the tailstock quill in and out, Gavens method is ok. But, If the bore of the tailstock quill isn’t parallel to headstock bore (few are. That’s why lathes were used between centers), making a solid reamer holder is not best answer.
@@thatsthewayitgoes9 You'd also have to torque the tailstock the same every time. Even then... a little dust or crud under the tailstock...
I picked up a couple blanks and I'm going to give this a try. Seems like the best route to me but what do i know. I've never done this before. Can't wait to try and chamber my first barrel.
The thing with a rigid reamer setup instead of a self aligning setup in the talestock is that you will have to put in the barrel 100% straight or you will get a chamber that is not straight to the bore or loose. From what ive read, not the way to go. What you said that this tailstock and morsetaper holders are 100% straight is true. But making a good barrel all depends on getting the bore to be aligned perfectly. It can be done, but there is always a tiny bit of error.
I would use a floating reamer holder, and use a MARS reamer micrometer. I made one for large calibers like 50BMG and put it on GrabCAD. It was some work to draw it all in 3D, but im sure it would work. It sure would sell too, because the large caliber one is not being sold anywhere.
Any way, very interesting project.
Greetings,
Jeff
Now a days they pre drill then pre bore the chamber undersized. Then verify the throat area is running perfectly with long reach indicator. Once that is done the reamer pilot is running on the indicated trued bore to finish the chamber. No one can make a barrel run completely true from end to end because the hole is never straight. So if you get both ends true the throat/freebore area could be out. It's the most important part 👍
I might give this a try. I made a little floating reamer driver that didn't work all too well, and I've been trying to hold the reamer in my hand while driving it with the tailstock lately. That's not working too well, sometimes I get a lot of chatter that is hard to deal with and I ringed my last two chambers. Things like six groove barrels not liking to work with six flute reamers when it's just your hand preventing reamer rotation are hard to get around.
I need to learn how to be a better machinist and get my machine lined up better anyway. If I was a better machinist I probably would have figured this method out on my own, but I'm not so thanks.
Late to this party... But there are 2 slots already milled into your cross slide and you have a DRO. Why not bore out a holder out if a block that it mounted onto it? Theres no worrying about tailstock misalignment or nod with that method?
Great video
I will definitely be doing this!
Awesome technique !
Airtight seal with a "pop!" Cool.
Very cool.
Great video. I have a cnc shop and going to try to chamber my first barrel soon. Other than feel and cost is there any reason to use a manual over a cnc?
Nice idea, my only concern would be if reamer shank and cutting edges are coaxial. If not, this method cannot be used. I have seen this runout in several reamers of different makes.
I prefer turning in a cnc lathe my chamber body and shoulder to reamer diameter minus .004» prior to reaming with a floating holder.
Very weak not to leave a comment on this reply. Must be lack of of experience and insight in real world issues rather than simply copying someone who know what he’s doing and checking everything instead of having the proper control points yourself. Obviously a video by someone not familiar with all aspects of manufacturing and knowledge of measuring all critical aspects. Copycat.
I agree with most of your stuff. But this one I disagree with.
The set screw pushing on the reamer will move it a minimum of a 1/2 Thousandth. Away from the screw hole location.
.0005 on a lathe actually cuts a .001 larger hole because your cutting on both sides of the hole.
I have played extensively with rigid reamer set ups. Using the tailstock it is basically impossible. You don’t have enough axis’s to adjust the reamer true to the bore of the spindle.
Don’t believe me. Put a indicator on your reamer when your cutting your chamber you will see the run out.
The best I could do was .0007 run out with your shown method.
I now use the carriage to do my chambers, and rely on a JSG floating reamer to take up the .0005 run out.
In this video I show the runout that is caused by the set screw pushing on the reamer. At 7minutes 34 seconds
Custom Howa 1500 in 22 Creedmoor! Precision rifle build. Chambering A $650.00 rebarrel package!
th-cam.com/video/8ztHUvPEbbE/w-d-xo.html
Love your work!
God Bless
Dustin
Drews Precision
I’ve been having issues with the floating reamer holder I purchased, I am having trouble finding Morse 3 blanks near $20 that have the tang. Where were you able to find them
Something like this should work for you! amzn.to/3OkplD2
please link to the rigid mt adaptor blanks
Dork. #!!!
*"Make one on your lathe..." lol, like everyone has one* 😅
At this rate you’ll be making reamers and new cartridges in short order
Can you provide the link for the Morse blanks you used?
I would assume based on price he is buying Shars blanks.
❤️🔥🇺🇸🤙🏻
Yawn zzzzzzzz frrrp