Tip Number.....

[Powder keg]

I was finishing up a couple of barrles today and thought some would be interested. When you are chucking on a machined surface, to help keep from maring the surface you can use some cardboard shims under the jaws. This particular barrel also gets one on the breech end to keep from getting a ring in the end from the bore of the chuck.

[Cat Whisperer]

Cool idea!  I've never used cardboard but I do use aluminum.

How do you compare the cardboard to thin aluminum?

[Powder keg]

Never used aluminum? Guess I'll have to try it sometime.

[Cat Whisperer]

It started a bunch of years ago when I used the Skil saw to cut a 50' roll of aluminum flashing to 2" narrower than what it started out as - and ended up with a 50' roll of 2" wide aluminum that I just couldn't throw away.  So for the important pieces I cut a new shim, otherwise I'll reuse one if it's not too beat up.

In use:
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Started with:
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[GGaskill]

Beer cans are a good source of thin aluminum.  Sometimes thicker material is useful if you have to clamp really tight so the jaw serrations don't squeeze through.

[Cat Whisperer]

Beer cans are a good source of thin aluminum.  Sometimes thicker material is useful if you have to clamp really tight so the jaw serrations don't squeeze through.

The problem is being able to cut them to the right size after 'preparing' the full cans to the ready-to-cut state.

[gary michie]

In the tool and die trade we use brass shim stock there is allways a messed up piece laying a round and for heavy jobs I use stainless steel heat treating rap.
  gary

[CU_Cannon]

A thickness or two of paper works pretty well.  It works the best on pieces where the clamping force is well distributed.