Cheap and simple rifling bench?

[okawbow]

I'm trying to make a cheap and simple rifling bench. I may only do 1 or 2 barrels with it.

Today I made a 6 foot long 1/2" square steel bar, twisted to 1 turn in 60". 2 v-groove bearings will be bolted opposite each other to capture the twisted bar, and make it turn as it is pulled through them.

I'll make a conventional rod and hickory cutter holder, and use .100" thick power hacksaw blade pieces for a cutter.

The hard part will be indexing the cutter rod for 7 grooves. I'm thinking of making a 2" diameter collar that is attached to the end of the twisted bar, and is bored to accept a 1" plug that holds the cutter rod. I could drill 7 holes, evenly spaced around the 2" collar. The 1" plug would have an indent that would be turned for each groove.

Comments? Would a system that required loosening a set screw, then turning the rod plug, then tightening the set screw, be too much trouble? Is it possible to cut each groove to a finished depth before indexing?

[Angus]

You will find the opposing side of the hickory rod will wear if you continue in the same groove until finished. A solid brass head will also show wear opposing the cutter with enough strokes. By indexing as you cut rifling, you will keep the groove depth more even through all of the grooves. Don't always start in the same groove after making adjustments, this will also give you a more even depth.

Do you have Steve Bookout's rifling book? There are probably some tips that would apply to the rifling principle even if the rifler is of a different version.

[okawbow]

Thanks, Angus
Sounds like good advice. I think the operation of my rifler will be almost the same as the wooden ones.

[okawbow]

Getting ready to make the wooden guide that holds the cutter. I will use Osage orange. My cutter will be a piece of power hacksaw blade that is .100" thick, and has 4 teeth per inch.

What would be a good length for the cutter? Should I make it Long enough to get 2 or 3 teeth?

Looking at the twist in my 1/2" bar....should I set the cutter at the same angle as the twist in the bar? I assume the cutter blade should run down the groove in a straight line to the twist?
Here is what the twisted bar, and bearing set up will look like.
P2160651 by okawbow, on Flickr

[okieboy]

 Your project is interesting, but since "cheap and simple" are key words, I wonder why you didn't just use an already rifled barrel as a guide for a lead slug cast onto the rifling rod. 

[okawbow]

It sounds a little goofy; but I plan to make a very long chunk gun barrel, once I prove it can work. I don't know of any barrels long enough to work for a guide.

[flinchrocket]

If you have an octagon barrel just index the barrel and have 8 grooves. What caliber are you rifling?

[shifty]

   Okawbow,This is interesting can you post pics ,also do you have the means to twist a 3/4" squire rod, a 1/2" maybe hard for a guide to work right,i have done some of these for decorations on some blacksmithing work,but much faster twist have you twisted your square rod yet. Also Ed Rayl told me to use a cutter parrel with the rod not at a angle but that was for a single cut scraper not a multy tooth cutter,i think you would have to set the cutter at angle same as  the twist on a multy tooth cutter.

[okawbow]

I'll get more pictures when I get the bench made.

The 1/2" bar should work ok. I don't think I could twist a 3/4" rod cold. It took a 3 foot long cheater on a 24" pipe wrench to twist the rod. I twisted my smaller vise right off the bench, and had to mount a larger one. When I did the twisting; I slipped a piece of steel conduit over the 1/2" bar to keep it straight.

I'll pre load the v groove bearings when they are mounted to the bench, to eliminate any play. The indexing head will also ride in a piece of pipe cut in half, to help guide the cutter rod.

[shifty]

  Hey okawbow,I just saw something on you-tube you my like to see=cutting rifling on a small lathe  =by scottyvisco, he isn't running the lathe just useing it and a fixture, looks kinda like what you are doing,check it out.

[okawbow]

Thanks, Shifty
That looks like it works good, but the only advantage seems to be a good way to index the barrel.

I have made a steel collar that has a steel insert with 7 holes spaced around it. The collar has a screw that is turned to lock into the holes. The insert has a screw that locks the cutter rod in place.

As I pull the rifling cutter through the barrel; I am able to index the cutter rod after each cut, by loosening the screw, and turning the cutter rod insert to the next hole.

I plan on using a 12 foot 2 x 8 for a base. I'll be able to hang it on the shop wall when not in use. I'm making it long enough to rifle up to a 66" barrel, although I probably wouldn't ever do one that long except as a joke.

[shifty]

  okawbow, sound like you have it all figured out sounds good,when you get it all adjusted out maybe you could practice on one of my old barrels( pitted out 50 cal 1/48 twist) make me a 54 cal out of it. Keep me posted,and pm me about your longbows ok.

[Deutsch]

I used a rig like this for several years...the guide rod was 1/4 inch rather than half. The guide plate through which the rod passed was bolted with a pass through bolt system into a piece of angle iron that allowed the plate with the 7 holes drilled in it to rotate. The angle iron plate opposite "facing the muzzle" had a spring loaded pin that traveled through a hole and engaged the seven on the opposing plate facing the workman. The angle iron was mounted to 4x4 that also held the barrel.

The system worked extremely well and produced some very accurate barrels.

I hope this helps.


Alex O'Dell

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Here are two topics showing 19th c rifling benches used in Western Pa.  Both use a large iron rifle barrel as the guide.  Notice with these tools the gunsmith can rifle new barrels with 6 - 7 - 8 groove, not limited by the number of grooves in the guide.  Also, with this design you can rifle a barrel that is longer than the length of the original guide.  Yes, you can rifle a 48" barrel using a 40" guide.  The lead guide piece can slide a bit beyond the ends of the guide at the beginning or end of the stroke.

Jim


http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=20020.msg189265#msg189265

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=27878.msg265860#msg265860

[Mark Elliott]

If you don't care about making a traditional type rifling bench, wouldn't it be easier to build a sine bar rifling machine using off the self components?    This is just a question.   Personally,  I am going to build a more traditional reaming/rifling (I plan to combine them) bench; but that is only because,  I was given a really nice traditional rifling guide made of hickory.    Otherwise,   I think I would tend to favor some type of sine bar machine that could be adjusted for twist, furrows, etc....

[Spiridonov]