Author Topic: Blanks for stubbing cheap (Read 1770 times)

trotterlg · « **on:** January 10, 2011, 01:16:23 PM »

I wish one of you young guys would get a little lathe and get in the business, I just ran across some real deals on GM barrels just perfect for H&R Stub jobs. GM barrels are really nice and shoot extremely well, best thing now is raw blanks are really cheap. Larry

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/catalog.aspx?catid=17.5"%20round%20rifle%20barrel%20blanks

gendoc · « **Reply #1 on:** January 10, 2011, 01:27:15 PM »

Quote from: trotterlg on January 10, 2011, 01:16:23 PM

I wish one of you young guys would get a little lathe and get in the business, I just ran across some real deals on GM barrels just perfect for H&R Stub jobs. GM barrels are really nice and shoot extremely well, best thing now is raw blanks are really cheap. Larry

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/catalog.aspx?catid=17.5"%20round%20rifle%20barrel%20blanks

your right larry, gm barrels are great.. i have a bunch on rugers that always perform great.
wish i had the time to do such.... but it ain't likely...even tha boy got too much work on usmc tacticle
weapons right now. there shut'n down on overheat !!!

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 10, 2011, 01:44:33 PM »

I got the skills & space , just don't have the $$s for a lathe right now = bummer

stimpy

gendoc · « **Reply #3 on:** January 10, 2011, 01:54:26 PM »

aawhell, i jus noticed you said young guys....... i missed that by bout 45 years.

26-t · « **Reply #4 on:** January 10, 2011, 04:25:55 PM »

I ordered 4 ea. 1- 45.acp ,1- 38 spc. ,1- 22 lr. and a 44-40. We will see how they are. Thanks for the heads up !

26-t

Dinny · « **Reply #5 on:** January 10, 2011, 05:43:19 PM »

Larry,
Are you taking orders yet?

Thanks, Dinny

jlwilliams · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2011, 02:15:04 AM »

Those are good prices.

twhrider2 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2011, 07:00:23 AM »

Larry,
Out of curiosity what size/make of lathe do you use or suggest for someone?
Ken

trotterlg · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2011, 12:17:38 PM »

I have an Atlas 6 inch lathe with a bed extension so it can turn about 30 inches between centers. If I were to do it again I would get one of the 10 or 12 inch Atlas lathes with the longer beds. The 10 and 12 inch use all the same parts and gears and would be a much better choice. Even one of the Harbour Freight lathes would work fine, but you really need the distance between centers to make it useful. Larry

26-t · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2011, 12:24:53 PM »

Mine is a Jet (import) 13"x36" with a 1 5/8 inch spindle bore. I have used it for 20 years as a hobby lathe. It will not make a heavy cut but it is tight and not worn out like most of the used ones that I looked at back then. 26-t

trotterlg · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2011, 01:10:16 PM »

What you have is probably what I would go with if I were to start out knowing what I know now. Larry

gcrank1 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 11, 2011, 02:26:41 PM »

+1 on that; the ability to put a barrel into that spindle bore (and the 'tail end' hanging out the spindle does need to be supported in a 'spider'; DO NOT depend on the chuck holding it all square) is so much handier. The Atlas 10 &12" have a relatively small spindle bore for the size machine they are, and it can often be just that 'bit too small'. Jet is one of the better retailers of Pacific Rim machines, and Grizzly isnt bad either. Theirs are better fit & finished than some other companies. Ive worked and re-worked old worn out machinery that needed more coaxing that the imports would have. A good machinist compensates for the machine and can work to closer tolerances than the machine might indicate, but you have to work at it.
But, there still are some 'cream puff' used American made dandies out there........if you stumble on one google up info on it and do a thorough inspection before spending your money. If they dont come with the right tooling you WILL pay dearly to get it, often more than what that Jet may have cost with a pretty complete tooling package.
If you are new to this machining game consider this: A big machine can do little work just fine, but a little machine can only work just so big.

twhrider2 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 11, 2011, 05:36:38 PM »

Recently passed up an Atlas 10x36 with a spindle bore of around 7/8''. It was a fairly nice old machine and the price was good but I felt like a slightly larger lathe w/larger thru hole would be more useful for most barrel work.

trotterlg · « **Reply #13 on:** January 11, 2011, 06:23:49 PM »

Next time you see one buy it. Larry

manatee1947 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2011, 04:51:21 AM »

Why has no one just designed a system that uses a stub platform with interchangeable barrels? The sights/ scope mounts could be mounted on the barrel in front of the stub and would therefore not be affected by miniscule variances in the alignment , like some of the "scout" versions. The sights/scope mount could be used to orient the barrel in the stub and lock it in place. You could also use an extension of the lower side of the stub to attach the forend thereby free floating the barrel. Or is this so difficult as to be a practical impossibility?

gcrank1 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 12, 2011, 05:22:26 AM »

Limited only by imagination, time, money, or all three.
It is a good idea, though I could see the scope mount on the stub c/w the 'free float' forearm. A properly fit interchangable barrel should still be verified for -0- after a swap.
I was thinking along the lines of a benchrest setup using a USH 12ga. as the 'housing' for swap barrels fit to its chamber and bore with a compression nut at the muzzle.
Darn heavy but it would be a great test platform.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #16 on:** January 12, 2011, 09:49:26 AM »

I'd have to dig for the link, but there is a small shop selling stubs for the Contenders. All you have to do is thread the barrel and screw it in then final fitting. Not too bad of a price, but I don't recall and would rather not guess. It did come out to less to buy his stub and a blank than it was to buy a custom barrel. It would be nice if someone was offering a similar stub for the Handi. The Handi is bigger in the brach so you would have more 'meat' to work with.

Found the link for the TC stub guy. http://www.5mmcraig.com/stub-features.htm

26-t · « **Reply #17 on:** January 15, 2011, 09:48:51 AM »

I got the 4 blanks in today from Green Mnt. Rifle Barrel Co.,The look like they will be real fine and they got them out to me quick,4 day turn around. Hope to get on with a project soon. 26-t

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 16, 2011, 02:27:24 AM »

I got a South Bend 10K with a 4 1/2 foot bed last fall. According to the serial number it was produced in 1972 and seems to be in good shape. It is plenty big enough, but has a 3/4" through hole. I wish it was 1 1/4" or so. It came with a South Bend steady rest, the "fingers" are brass. It also had a regular tail stock, a turret tail stock, taper attachment and a quick change tool post, a collet set and some misc. other stuff. I really have not done much with it. I have made some small tools for the lathe. I was planning on reaming my 30-30 to AI, but have not got around to it yet. Getting a few barrels to work on seems like a good idea. GM barrels are of good quality too.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 16, 2011, 03:40:16 AM »

Nice find!, and good set of tooling too.
One of the best ways to get to know your machine is to make the special fixtures and tooling you need for the projects you want to do. All good practice and each will be well worth the time.
Is that between centers, not the total bed length?

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 16, 2011, 05:54:37 AM »

It has a total bed length of 4 1/2 feet. If I put a center in the head stock and one in the tail stock, I have 31" between the points. I could easily work with 30" barrels, BTW I paid $400 for it. It came out of a maintenance shop at a local factory. They bought it, used it for a while. Then it sat idle for years. It had a lot of crud on it. It took alot of elbow grease and mineral spirits to clean it up. There was some white over spray from some previous job they did in it's vicinity. It looks like it has the measles, but that is just skin deep

I wish the steady rest had rollers, instead of using a lubricate on it. That is how they did things then.

trotterlg · « **Reply #21 on:** January 16, 2011, 06:00:51 AM »

You have a lathe with a lot more abilities then mine and I have done dozens of stub jobs. You will have no problem at all. Larry

Troyboy · « **Reply #22 on:** January 16, 2011, 08:00:19 AM »

What is the smallest lathe that will work for stubbing a barrel. HF has those tabletop jobs but I would think that would be a pistol only. What about those Mill, lathe combo units?

Airsporter · « **Reply #23 on:** January 16, 2011, 09:46:41 AM »

Quote from: Troyboy on January 16, 2011, 08:00:19 AM

What about those Mill, lathe combo units?

DO NOT get a mill/lathe combo! They are the worst of both.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 16, 2011, 10:05:54 AM »

Lathe stuff:
Swing- the total dia. of work that can spin; ie, center to bed X 2 (you absolutely gotta clear the bed!) You rarely will run stuff that big, probably never in gun work.
Distance between centers- just that; sort of indicates the max length of work, but not much is really done just between centers. With a chuck on it takes up space, though the smaller dia. muzzle can often extend into the spindle bore. With the breech end supported by the steady rest you have to have room to run the carriage and/or the tailstock with tooling mounted, all which takes up space. So, you usually want to get as much barrel into the spindle as possible to maximize the length of bed to work in. It is real awkward to be hanging way off the tail end trying to work something that is just on the edge of too long. With the breech too close to the chuck to use the steady you need to have a spindle 'spider' off the far left end to center and support the muzzle end of the barrel.
BTW, you can make ball bearing 'fingers' for the steady or a 'spider' collar to center around the barrel to run the brass fingers upon. You might as well figure you will mar a barrel running either fingers on it directly.
Most of your work will take place in no more than 4" off the chuck, usually less.

Airsporter · « **Reply #25 on:** January 16, 2011, 12:22:43 PM »

Been looking for a reasonable .45 ACP blank for a long time. Best price, prior to this, was $65. Thanks Larry - I think.

At this price, I ordered a couple.

trotterlg · « **Reply #26 on:** January 16, 2011, 03:38:13 PM »

They are excellent prices on the blanks. As for the lathe stuff, if you run any steady rest (roller or not) on a barrel you will mark it up. If I am just crowning a barrel, I put two layers of paper masking tape on the barrel taking care to have it start and end exactly so ther is not a lump in the wrap. Then when it is oiled up, the brass fingers will likely not get down to the barrel, this works most of the time, only the paper type tape works, plastic tape doesn't. As for working up close to the chuck, with Handi barrels you probably can't do it because of the forearm lug, so you end up working at the tail stock end and holding the barrel in a steady rest for chambering or crowning. You do need a nice bed length for any handi work. Larry