Antique Rifling machine

[Angus]

Shreck,
How soon will you start barrel production?
You have got to cut rifling in at least one and post a pictorial for all of us to follow.

[Shreckmeister]

Shreck,
How soon will you start barrel production?
You have got to cut rifling in at least one and post a pictorial for all of us to follow.

Not a bad idea.  A bit of a learning curve before that can happen.

[Mark Elliott]

Scheck,

I have a couple of questions for your about the head to your rifling machine.   I was given a rifling guide exactly the same as yours, but I couldn't figure out the rest of the machine because the guide wasn't like others I had seen.   

What I am wondering is are the round parts on either side of the head connected through the head or are they independent.    Do they rotate, and if so,  how are they locked?   Do the key ways in the round parts of the head line up exactly with the grooves in the guide?  In other words, how many slots for keys and how many grooves?    Is the arrangement the same on both round parts containing the key ways?   

Thanks,

Mark

[hammer]

Scheck, if you look under Shop Made Tools in this forum and page down you will see the Wooden Iowa Rifling Bench.  It will hopefully answer a lot of your questions. 
The roll is held between two parts that are joined by separate runners, a frame.  The roll can rotate freely between.   A separate piece, fixed to the bench, has a hole for the roll to pass through and pegs that correspond to the grooves in the roll.   When the frame is pushed in or withdrawn the fixed pegs cause the roll to rotate as it passes through.   The rifling cutter is fixed into the end of the roll, and rotates with the roll as it moves forward and backwards.
There are lots of good pics on the internet.   And You Tube is usually a good source of helpful videos.
Enjoy.

Peter.

[Shreckmeister]

Mark,  The indexing head is two pieces each half of the center cube and half of the round index that holds the keys.  The rounds parts are one piece with the cube and each half is banded together with a metal band around the round ends.  The block cube center part has long bolts through it that would mount it to a bench.  Imagine the entire indexing head as one piece cut in half on the same plane that the cylinder goes through it.  Hope that clarifies.
Hammer,  The learning curve is not about the basic process but is about how to create the cutters and mount them in the rod that attaches to the cylinder head.  I understand that they made several passes and then added  sheets of paper behind the cutter head and repeated the process.

[Mark Elliott]

Ok,  If I understand what you are saying, the whole head is made of two parts, the top and the bottom.    These parts are held together with the iron bands and the bolts.   Is that correct?   Is there any real reason to have keys for the grooves on both sides of the head?   It doesn't seem to me that there is.

Thanks,

Mark

[okieboy]

 A reason to have keys on both sides of the head is that if the piece that the keys are mounted into is actually two pieces, then the two pieces can be turned slightly in opposite directions to remove any slop between the keys and the grooves, improving the precision of the machine and providing an adjustment for eventual wear.

[Shreckmeister]

Ok,  If I understand what you are saying, the whole head is made of two parts, the top and the bottom.    These parts are held together with the iron bands and the bolts.   Is that correct?   Is there any real reason to have keys for the grooves on both sides of the head?   It doesn't seem to me that there is.

Thanks,

Mark

   Mark,  yes, you've described how it was made.  I will have to look at it closer and report back if I can see any reason why there are keys on both sides.  I had wondered if one set of keys was for one rate of twist and the other for another, but if that were the case the grooves in the cylinder would have to be at differing rates.  I never looked to see if that is the case or not.  I will study it closely and get back to you.  PM me for my email address and I can send you more photos.
Rob

[Shreckmeister]

OK  with the keys inserted, ALL the keyways line up with the grooves, so I wonder if the
double keyways were to prevent keywear or perhaps keep it from binding up when in use.

[Shreckmeister]

I was looking this over again today and both the indexing head and the cylinder are marked 44 to 35 G.
On the cylinder it is stamped into the brass collar.