Draw filing

[Beau]

My barrel has been stored away for several years and as a result of my neglect, some rust has accumulated on the barrel.  No pitting but even with the
rust removed, there are small dark areas on the barrel surface.

I had watched a video of draw filing the flats of the barrel.  The method used with file was to grasp each end of the file at a 90 deg. angle, start at one
end and draw the file to the other end.

I tried this and found it was difficult to keep the file perfectly on the flat.  I decided to lay the file on the flat parallel to the barrel and file this way.  For me
its a lot better  way to control the file and removal was much quicker.

I used a 10 in. Nicholson Mill Bastard file, and the way I worked it was to start at one end and file and move continually  to  the other end of barrel.

How do you clean up your nicks and scratches and dark spots.

[stubshaft]

I think that the problem you had with draw filing was in your selection of file types.  Draw filing requires a mill file to do properly.  To remove rust and dark spots I draw file but grasp the file close to the sides of the barrel.  I can usually let my fingers run along side the barrel and get better control of the angle I am filing.

[Beau]

I just found out  that the proper file to use in draw filing would be a 10 inch fine cut long angle lathe file.  I used what I had.  Holding the file closely  to the
barrel is a good idea.

[Blacksmoke]

Beau:  If you use a new mill bastard that is single cut and lay it flat on the barrel ay 90 degrees - grab it close to barrel with a fair amount of pressure down wards , with short strokes , you should be able to take a lot of metal off with each stroke.  I have actually swamped straight barrels using that method!  Don't give up,    Hugh Toenjes

[jerrywh]

 I agree with Hugh except I hold the file at about a 30° angle to the barrel so that it slices.  You need to set your light at a low angle to the work so that you can see where your file is cutting.  When I was young and tough I could draw file and sand a barrel down to 1000 grit in about an hour.  Don't use too much pressure or the file will load up.

[Bill Raby]

Draw filing starts at about 13:00. Maybe this will help.

   

[G_T]

There used to be a jig setup used a long time ago to make files that I think would work very well for draw filing barrel flats. I'm going by memory here so please forgive...

The idea is that you want to file something very flat (originally, the piece of metal from which you wanted to make a new file). You held the working file in hand and did the usual draw filing. But, the part being filed was allowed to freely pivot on axis.

With a barrel, one could make a cone that stuck in the muzzle and had a bearing so that the cone could freely rotate. The back of the barrel would require something a little different unless the breach plug was removed. But now the barrel can spin fairly freely. So when filing on the top, if the file is tilted even slightly, the barrel just rotates to stay flat against the file. At least, as long as there is at least a little pressure between the file and the barrel.

This should allow a person to go faster as one doesn't have to be careful to stay flat on the barrel, while doing an even better job. And when you want to change flats, just rotate the barrel instead of unclamping it. Actually there seems to be a lot of unclamping and reclamping when draw filing, at least how I've done it so far.

After my mill is finished being relocated and my heavy gunstocking bench is finished, and perhaps a couple rifles completed, a jig like I've described goes on my to-do list. Sounds like not this decade

Gerald

PS - My recollection is the technique predates longrifles by at least a thousand years, and if I'm recalling correctly more like two, so probably some gunmaker somewhere did it. Unless it was a guild secret of the file makers or some such group.

[Huntschool]

 jerrywh does it like me.  I put a bit of an angle (not a lot) on the file off 90 Deg.  I find with my stroke it cuts better and I can feel it better.  The low angle light helps a lot as my eyes get older....

I just got done filing a 30 some year old Getz Golden age full octagon barrel that had some rust issues.  I cleaned it up pretty good with Navel Jelly and then went to work.  I intended to leave some marking to add to its "aged patina" after I use the chemicals on it.  The mill bastard file did a great job however, like jerrywth, I cant do as much at a time as I once did.......

As Hugh said I also get a tight grip alongside the barrel.  Helps keep things lined up.