AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: n stephenson on March 15, 2018, 06:07:44 PM
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One of my favorite parts of this forum is seeing tools that people have made themselves. In the last few weeks we have seen a few neat ones, David Price`s " Bivens carving knife" for example. After seeing it I modified a tool I had , to match it as close as I could, and I already have started using it. There are a number of reasons for making your own tools , money savings, availability , special purpose, personal satisfaction, etc. I have made a few tools that I have seen on here , and after using them , wonder how I got by so long without them. I would recommend to anyone starting out , try making some tools , it is good experience , and you can save some money "to spend on more parts ;D" . I do appreciate everyone sharing their homemade tools , LOTS of really good ideas on here. I also believe that it is very HC to make the tools that you can. This is an important aspect of building that sometimes gets overlooked in my opinion. Nate
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Nate,
I agree. I enjoy the tool making aspect just as much as gun making. I find it very rewarding to build a tool to solve a specific problem. I am assuming that the intent of your post is to get members to post photos of the various tools we have made. I will jump in first and show a photo of a simple tool I made for holding ramrod pipes and thimbles for filing.
David
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FmMwX9c%2FIMG_3000.jpg&hash=856ef4d13a9a85bd59cee4753f14a4f8708e1db4) (http://ibb.co/ePGX9c)
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David, very nice idea. I will make one for my workbench.
Can't wait for more tool ideas.
Ken
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Maybe it's just me but all of my homemade tools are really, REALLY ugly. I see a lot of the things people post here and end up feeling extremely inferior. No kidding. I make up a lot of my own tools for specific tasks, probably like everyone else to save money or to speed up the process of some aspect of construction, but I never seem to have the time to make them look pretty. I think when I finally croak, my poor wife is going to be stuck with a building full of $#@* of which nobody on earth is going to be able to effectively interpret function and it will all just get trashed! I truly take my hat off to some of the tooling I see you folks make because much of it seems to be a work of art in and of itself!
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I spend a lot of time making tools....many of them I don't even need. They are just simple "fill in a little time" projects.......
(https://preview.ibb.co/fF0RkH/Marking_Gauge_2.jpg) (http://ibb.co/ehQsQH)
(https://preview.ibb.co/c3te5H/Hammers3.jpg) (http://ibb.co/iq6z5H)
(https://preview.ibb.co/iczxsx/RR_Clamp_4.jpg) (http://ibb.co/bZLgKc)
(https://preview.ibb.co/bRqRkH/143_4385.jpg) (http://ibb.co/d69xsx)
(https://preview.ibb.co/ewJCQH/IMG_2331.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fUumkH)
(https://preview.ibb.co/bCx6kH/Press_1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/nOFsQH)
(https://preview.ibb.co/jwgACx/Depth_Gage_Engraved_2.jpg) (http://ibb.co/eABXQH)
(https://preview.ibb.co/nvYqCx/Barrel_Collet_2.jpg) (http://ibb.co/mup8zc)
(https://preview.ibb.co/jsuK5H/Barrel_Collet_1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/eaYqCx)
(https://preview.ibb.co/mBZxsx/Breech_tool_3.jpg) (http://ibb.co/d5SHsx)
(https://preview.ibb.co/jHbozc/Barrel_Channel_Cutter_2.jpg) (http://ibb.co/cgMz5H)
(https://preview.ibb.co/mygcsx/Coningreamer1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/nNYCQH)
(https://preview.ibb.co/ciuaec/Muzzle_Tool_3.jpg) (http://ibb.co/ffNiXx)
(https://preview.ibb.co/nn4aec/GM_1_Low_res.jpg) (http://ibb.co/gFGACx)
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Like most of you, I have made tools for specific jobs. One that has seen a lot of use is a cutter I made from a 5/16" twist drill bit to re-cut the nose cavity in percussion hammers. As cast, those cavities are too shallow, at the wrong angle, in short, wrong. So I ground the tip off the bit, ground a taper to the tip, and then some relief to allow it to cut. I have re-cut literally hundreds of hammers with this same tool, without having to sharpen it. The photo shows an example.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FdgC62x%2F100_6093.jpg&hash=2dff8cd17c161da92e1bc5dcd6818630ad0c8ca5) (http://ibb.co/ixZavH)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FeqsTFH%2F100_6095.jpg&hash=e00508f53fc80cc770dc0537cef785aa0fbaad8f) (http://ibb.co/fNT2aH)
The second is a mandrel I made to lap rifle barrels as small as .40 cal. It is made out of a section of bridge spike (mild steel). One end is threaded 8 x 32 for a cleaning rod, and the other, 10 x 32 with a nut and washer, for forcing the lead lap up the taper to increase it's diameter. The rod is inserted into the centre of the barrel's breech, with a rag plug to stop the cast in the bore. Several inches of the rod protrude from the barrel. The lead is cast over the rod, and it is marked for index with the sight. Then it is removed, attached to the swivel handled rod, the nut given a turn, the lap charged with oil and abrasive, and reinserted into the bore. After ten trips down the bore, the lap is pulled out, tightened, and recharged, and the process repeated. After 8 hours of this you have a slick bore with a slight taper, if you stop before exiting the muzzle.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FgOnW2x%2F100_4432.jpg&hash=fc176ac2f7fd2e0a04cece102c23808f28188546) (http://ibb.co/fqCyhx)
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Taylor sincere thanks for sharing your Lap and teaching how to use it.
Dave2C those have to be the most beautiful reamers ever ground by man!
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These are lovely, I'm jealous. My problem is that I make a "prototype" tool which I modify several times to perfect intending to make a new one copying the prototype, and never get around to it.
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Hello Taylor,
That is a great idea for a controlled lap.
I will copy it, to ready for my next build.
How long of a lead cylinder do you recommend ?
I would guess, so many time the bore?
Fred
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Simple and cheap. The flat scraper is from a $1.00 saw at the flea market. It provides many scrapers that can be ground to a variety of shapes to make a variety of contours, even makes ram rods, and arrow shafting if you are of that bend. The other is from an old leaf spring and I use it for scraping round barrel channels as well as rough shaping some contours.
Robby
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FfDsVVH%2FIMG_0066.jpg&hash=56102f5b8d1488f45bfe0c91c7b07f71a36528c0) (http://ibb.co/jxdR4c)
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Maybe it's just me but all of my homemade tools are really, REALLY ugly. I see a lot of the things people post here and end up feeling extremely inferior. No kidding. I make up a lot of my own tools for specific tasks, probably like everyone else to save money or to speed up the process of some aspect of construction, but I never seem to have the time to make them look pretty. I think when I finally croak, my poor wife is going to be stuck with a building full of $#@* of which nobody on earth is going to be able to effectively interpret function and it will all just get trashed! I truly take my hat off to some of the tooling I see you folks make because much of it seems to be a work of art in and of itself!
Eric, You must have read my mind! Most of my homemade tools are not pretty either. I don`t really have any thing special , most of what I have is stuff I`ve seen other people make before. David Rase , Davec and Taylor , are all light years ahead of me , with their designs and, craftsmanship, NICE tools!
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I just do everything the hard way.
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I just do everything the hard way.
Except for barrel inletting. ::)
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I just do everything the hard way.
Except for barrel inletting. ::)
And filing trigger guards. ;D
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Fred: this lap plug came right out of Ned Robert's fine book, "The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle". He explains its use far better than I did. I cast a lap about half the length of the plug. You'll end up casting several over the course of a lapping job as they wear significantly.
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I just do everything the hard way.
Except for barrel inletting. ::)
And filing trigger guards. ;D
Here is a picture of the triggerguard filling fixture I use. I threw it together a couple of years ago.
David
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2Fh8M7AH%2FDSCF5168.jpg&hash=fffb71311daf6045fe250e534e518017f1c23572) (http://ibb.co/jCoXcx)
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Here is a trigger guard filing fixture that I made.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.ibb.co%2FmhpxAH%2FDSC03494_640x480_488x389.jpg&hash=b308988845c36e5a6543b29d1d96e42f4d53ec39) (http://imgbb.com/)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.ibb.co%2FdZjm4c%2FDSC03496_467x640.jpg&hash=5424b6c1e65708e0ac09d4f2695e9889127dc9ef) (http://ibb.co/cmhHAH)
Mark
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They say tool making is a sign if higher intelligence ;)
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Put this little jig together the other day to put a small dome on an early Dickert patchbox lid. Not only did it do the dome, but then used it as a guide to bring the lid to final width with files. After that it was pretty handy to hold the assembly for final filing and finishing as well.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FfFNZsx%2FIMG_3196.jpg&hash=5243de7359b473db93bcbaf7c0a9bb43ca45e59f) (http://ibb.co/ein0Xx)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2Fe5EEsx%2FIMG_3201.jpg&hash=afda3750628404a1446b6d630651461f633472c5) (http://ibb.co/cYefXx)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FmOpsec%2FIMG_3204.jpg&hash=2209519c98c8b79debdbb0879e2bc23e8635074b) (http://ibb.co/eJRusx)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2Fc3UfXx%2FIMG_3203.jpg&hash=2f5c5bd034b4aed177de454e72fc7374c7aa5918) (http://ibb.co/mfSCec)
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They say tool making is a sign if higher intelligence ;)
Well, that pretty well explains my inability to make tools I guess. ::)
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Mike me too...! So I get mine from Rase...!
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I must be of low intelligence to. Mine are pretty cavemanish compared to the nice looking stuff shown here.
Robin
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I made a nice little 6 oz curly maple mallet today, but apparently I have too little intelligence, and/or patience, to figure out how to post pics here.
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I made a nice little 6 oz curly maple mallet today, but apparently I have too little intelligence, and/or patience, to figure out how to post pics here.
Well lets see if we can fix that problem: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=43575.0
If you do not see " • Add image to post " just under the lower left corner of the text box you are set for a template that does not support image upload and we can fix that for you real quick.
Dennis
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Here's a lock drilling plate that I just made to work on a wheellock. I copied the design from Ben Quearry that he showed in Jan. 2017, the link is here: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=42742.msg416820#msg416820
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2Fn7rS5S%2F2018_03_23_15_36_09.jpg&hash=e5815b243cfdd05fddb066c7645ebbcb7efe5872) (http://ibb.co/kRYwzn)
The block at the bottom of the plate with the long machine screw sticking out of it is for compressing the mainspring on the wheellock. I'm making a new bridle and tumbler shaft for the wheellock, the cast parts were not square, out of round & undersized. Mike
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I'm sure I've made various odd doo dads to fulfill a task here and there, but the only real tool of consequence I've made is a plane to cut out barrel channels. It is NOT pretty, and is, in fact, rather crude. Originally, I had it make an octagon channel, but it was troublesome, and I decided a better way was to cut basically just the bottom flat... a single "tooth". It does well to quickly get some of the bulk of wood out of the way, I can cut it to the depth of the narrowest part of the barrel (and deepen the rest as necessary with a chisel), and chisel out the rest.
I'm sure I used to have a picture, but you know... Photobucket.
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Chris, if you still have a phot in your computer files, simply drag it to your desktop, and then drop it into the screen produced by clicking "Add Image to Post". The URL will pop up in your post. It's way easier than the old Photobucket system.