Red neck lathe work...

[saltydecimator 482]

Building a plug to weld a saiga barrel for shorter gas system... Got it close one day on a real lathe, using no tool post so wasn't ready to use... Needed to be s.aller in diameter, so decided to use the sander and a screen roller tool...fits good n ow!

 

Any other redneck lathe/mill improvisation tips or tricks?

Edited September 22, 2016 by saltydecimator

[evlblkwpnz 3,418]

Vaguely, I remember where someone used a drill press and a drill motor with a grinding wheel to do some barrel work. The final result actually looked ok considering how it was done.

[Vance665 225]

You do what you gotta do. I just threaded the barrel my Saiga 223 by ratchet strapping it down to the kitchen counter. I did all my Saiga conversions and bullet guides with a hand drill too.

[G O B 3,516]

I have done some "wombat" repairs over the years - welding with a nail and 4car batteries (fixed a Pinto wiper motor held up for years) - bench top drill press has been a lathe AND a milling machine - an escalator roller with a frozen bearing, with the shaft chucked in a drill has turned many a rotor or brake drum to keep it spinning while resurfacing it with a disc grinder. I don't know why, but I frequently get called 'McGuiver"!

[HB of CJ 1,263]

120-220-400-600 grit crocus cloth strips hand spun around hard steel rounds also works to slightly reduce barrel lug or pin diameters.  Takes lots of time.  Gloves needed as the cloth also does a good job of removing fingertip skin.  Also a mic gage measurement thing is needed to constantly check for even removal.  That and a tall glass of decaf iced tea with brown sugar and squeezed lemon strips.  Also seems to work in a hot humid shop.  Expect the shop-barn cats to come around demanding attention.  Much fun. 

[gunfun 3,931]

Vaguely, I remember where someone used a drill press and a drill motor with a grinding wheel to do some barrel work. The final result actually looked ok considering how it was done.

 

I've done that. I prefer using a file. It is easier to keep things 'square'. I've also seen people do complex shapes on proper metal lathes by mounting dremel grinders to the tool holder. It let them do cuts in shapes their normal tools wouldn't reach for.

 

I've also put metal on a wood lathe and used the tool rest to hold a file, a chunk of carbide, and a grinder. They all work if you go slowly.

*Not on a barrel, just on metal stuff generally.

 

Another tip. You can clamp your file or grinder to something on the drill press table for more precise control.

[Mullet Man 2,114]

I had to cut the output shaft on the transmission of an old Jeep Cherokee I had, when I was fitting a DIY slip yoke eliminator and double cardon driveshaft. With driveshaft removed, i just threw it in reverse and held a hacksaw to the output shaft. Cut through like butter. I did the same thing again, when I had to drill the now shortened portion of the output shaft, so I could tap it for the bolt to hold the new Corvette slip yoke in place for the new setup. 

Edited September 24, 2016 by Mullet Man

[saltydecimator 482]

I digit... More than one way to skin a cat!

 

I need a drill press, someone postulated that drill presses are not made fur side loads.... Maybe you can just do bunch of plunge cuts?

[gunfun 3,931]

Drill presses aren't made for side loads, but you can get away with it from time to time. If you have a couple small projects, it's no biggie.

[G O B 3,516]

I digit... More than one way to skin a cat!

 

I need a drill press, someone postulated that drill presses are not made fur side loads.... Maybe you can just do bunch of plunge cuts?

Plunge cuts with an end mill, that's how I made a new throttle shaft for an old carburetor. Milled the flats for the butterfly.

[Mullet Man 2,114]

I'd do plunge cuts too.

Your drill press is already gonna have run out (side to side play/wobble) in the bearings, no reason to make it worse by side loading it.

 

Make sure you get an end mill specifically designed for plunge cuts.

 

Buy a mini mill. They can be had for the same price as a good drill Press and they can withstand limited side loading.

Edited September 29, 2016 by Mullet Man

[gunfun 3,931]

But not for the same price as a cheap drill press. This thread exists because of limited resources, after all.

[patriot 7,197]

Lots of plunge cuts followed by a light full-depth cleanout pass and you're good to go. Minimal side-loading, and accuracy ain't bad if you're careful.

[Mullet Man 2,114]

But not for the same price as a cheap drill press. This thread exists because of limited resources, after all.

Yeah, as in, "I didn't have the right tool".

[gunfun 3,931]

Exactly. But you can get it done with the tool you have. For many that's the difference between not getting it done at all. It has been for me from time to time.

 

And if a snob told me not to fix my thing until I could afford a lathe or a mill, I would know that they were a tool, and were not the right one. Imrovise. Adapt. Overcome. What matter in the end is whether the part you make is in spec and works. However you get there is just a story.

[netpackrat 566]

Exactly. But you can get it done with the tool you have. For many that's the difference between not getting it done at all. It has been for me from time to time.

 

And if a snob told me not to fix my thing until I could afford a lathe or a mill, I would know that they were a tool, and were not the right one. Imrovise. Adapt. Overcome. What matter in the end is whether the part you make is in spec and works. However you get there is just a story.

 

And with the new ITAR interpretation, a lot of part time gunsmiths who had reasonable rates, are going to get out of the business.  Those that remain will have to charge more, and there will be fewer choices.  It will be harder to find a smith who specializes in the particular work you want done, it will cost more, and you'll probably have to wait longer for it.  So, doing what you can with what you've got is going to be even more of a thing, if the new "rule" stands.

 

Edit:  Thinking further, it seems like the law of unintended consequences will come into play...  The government's goal is to reduce the number of active gunsmiths.  There's probably a political motive to that, and it's a certainty that the people who run ITAR are looking to reduce their administrative load by running small time players out of the business.  But their end result is likely to be causing a lot of average Joe gun owners to gear up to do a lot of their own gunsmithing work.  Those among them with visions of firearms confiscation probably haven't really thought through the implications of having a 3 in 1 machine in every gun enthusiast's garage. 

Edited September 30, 2016 by Netpackrat

[Mullet Man 2,114]

Exactly. But you can get it done with the tool you have. For many that's the difference between not getting it done at all. It has been for me from time to time.

 

And if a snob told me not to fix my thing until I could afford a lathe or a mill, I would know that they were a tool, and were not the right one. Imrovise. Adapt. Overcome. What matter in the end is whether the part you make is in spec and works. However you get there is just a story.

You're preaching to the choir dude.

 

Whether I'm a snob or not, has nothing to do with recommending the right tool for the job. I wouldn't risk fucking the head of my press up by side loading it and I've improvised on a lot of DIY jobs using various tools and ideas. It doesn't take much pressure to heat up and overload the main bearing and cause excessive run out. Plus the cheaper the press, the lower the quality the bearings and parts it's made with, which equates to even less abuse tolerance.

[G O B 3,516]

I bought my bench top drill press NEW for less than $80, and a 7MM end mill for $12.   They have saved MANY $$ that were NOT in the budget. 2 virgin barrels milled for barrel stiffs, and a carburetor throttle shaft that was NOT available anywhere. I would LOVE a small lathe/mill, but with other MORE IMPORTANT budget busting priorities - I make what I NEED with what I HAVE!

[gunfun 3,931]

GOB basically covered my response to your last post MM. It might not be worth ruining a quality drill press, but if the game is run what you got, go easy at it, and go slow. You can also mitigate side load by backing the part with support from the opposite side. If you are using a grinder or file, the side load is very small. I expect there is more violent side load cutting with a 1" drill bit into steel than I would make with a file.

[saltydecimator 482]

 

Exactly. But you can get it done with the tool you have. For many that's the difference between not getting it done at all. It has been for me from time to time.

 

And if a snob told me not to fix my thing until I could afford a lathe or a mill, I would know that they were a tool, and were not the right one. Imrovise. Adapt. Overcome. What matter in the end is whether the part you make is in spec and works. However you get there is just a story.

You're preaching to the choir dude.

 

Whether I'm a snob or not, has nothing to do with recommending the right tool for the job. I wouldn't risk fucking the head of my press up by side loading it and I've improvised on a lot of DIY jobs using various tools and ideas. It doesn't take much pressure to heat up and overload the main bearing and cause excessive run out. Plus the cheaper the press, the lower the quality the bearings and parts it's made with, which equates to even less abuse tolerance.

Hells ya! Hate those snobs... Replaced my smart phone glass and the lower right corner is not always responsive, so I asked a phone fixit guy at a freakin flea market what he thought, and he guffawed and is like, what, YOU tried to fix it yourself?! Hate those guys! Or hate the simple minded who act like they have the monopoly on removing small screws and using a hairdryer...

 

For me, its just I dont wanna deal with folks, it adds another layer of shenanigans, they could screw it up, etc. And you get what you pay for, just had folks lots of times sit on my projects for almost years with no progress etc

[patriot 7,197]

 

 

Exactly. But you can get it done with the tool you have. For many that's the difference between not getting it done at all. It has been for me from time to time.

 

And if a snob told me not to fix my thing until I could afford a lathe or a mill, I would know that they were a tool, and were not the right one. Imrovise. Adapt. Overcome. What matter in the end is whether the part you make is in spec and works. However you get there is just a story.

You're preaching to the choir dude.

 

Whether I'm a snob or not, has nothing to do with recommending the right tool for the job. I wouldn't risk fucking the head of my press up by side loading it and I've improvised on a lot of DIY jobs using various tools and ideas. It doesn't take much pressure to heat up and overload the main bearing and cause excessive run out. Plus the cheaper the press, the lower the quality the bearings and parts it's made with, which equates to even less abuse tolerance.

Hells ya! Hate those snobs... Replaced my smart phone glass and the lower right corner is not always responsive, so I asked a phone fixit guy at a freakin flea market what he thought, and he guffawed and is like, what, YOU tried to fix it yourself?! Hate those guys! Or hate the simple minded who act like they have the monopoly on removing small screws and using a hairdryer...

 

For me, its just I dont wanna deal with folks, it adds another layer of shenanigans, they could screw it up, etc. And you get what you pay for, just had folks lots of times sit on my projects for almost years with no progress etc

 

I hope you told that asshole to go fuck himself. His skills are equal to any child locked up in Foxconn assembling iphones. Dickhead.

[james lambert 3,059]

As a youngster I had to improvise, had to compromise .

I rebuilt my own starters, generators and alternators with files and drills pretending to do the job of a lathe.

But over the years I have acquired  about every tool known to man, hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

 

Now I can make anything that I can imagine...

 

But it all starts with humble beginnings, and a desire  to find a way to get the job done.

[netpackrat 566]

On a classic car forum I made a thread about rebuilding an old starter, and the associated saga.  Some people questioned why I would bother when I could get a new one for about a hundred bucks, especially since the one I have isn't the one the car left the factory with.  Told them I wanted the one my dad bolted onto it in 1960-whatever.  Didn't turn the commutator myself...  Actually took it to my gunsmith buddy and had him do it on his lathe.

Edited October 4, 2016 by Netpackrat