ramrod pipe rings/bands

[Meteorman]

When trying to file in the end bands, or rings, on homemade ramrod pipes, by hand, I am always wobbling off line and skittering out of the groove and generally making a mess of it.

Tired of that , I took my dremel tool mandrel, mounted two cut-off wheels with spacers between (2 old worn down cut-offs) and chucked in drill press.
Then slowly rotated the raw pipe against the spinning blades (very light pressure) to mark the rings.
Set the table at the right height and held bottom square and tight to the table and rotated slowly.
Seemed to work better for me than my "eyeball it by hand" method.
Again, I just marked and indented the rings with this set-up, finished to depth by hand with small round file.
Photo series below.
/mike millard






(I really used my right hand to hold pipe, away from the blades - had to switch here to take picture...)


(prior to filing)


(some filing done, more to go)

[David Rase]

Mike,
I hope I am not hijacking your post with the following.  I just want to show you another method to keep that file from going places that you don't want it to.  I think the jewelers saw kerf would keep your rat tailed file from skittering off.
I like to use my dial calipers to scribe the lines on the ends of my pipes.  This keeps the lines parallel with the ends of the pipes.  Then I use my jewelers  saw and cut guidelines.  The cuts from the jewelers saw keeps my needle files from going astray.
Dave

[Meteorman]

thanks David.  that works.
I've had a couple suggestions in reaction to my post, all very nice tips, so I think I'll
try them and (gladly) put my Dremel tool away again ! 
Any chance you'd divulge how you get your thumbnail detail in your entry pipe skirt ?
/mike

[Black Hand]

You could also start the rings with a triangular file then switch to a rat-tail file.

[Shovelbuck]

I file the grooves in while the brass is still flat. Much easier to keep straight for me anyway.

[flehto]

I just install the pipe on a tight fitting mandrel., chuck in the drill press and while rotatng by hand bring a sharp scriber to bear. The scribed lines are deep enough for a "V" shaped needle file to follow. The location of the grooves are scribed in one spot on the pipe dia. using a square from the pipe end. .....Fred