Mini-lathe inboard spider project

[Ian]

Perfect fit. I cut them just under the class 2A max pitch. Barely any slack at all on this commercial birdcage. Ordered more suppressor-mount brakes today, so fitting will have to wait.

Brad, when you get your mill, you can make a new spider support out of thick Al plate, bore it with the lathe chuck for a bearing, and make a spider hub. Or, since yout steady is larger, if you ever have the need to hold something irregular like an octagonal barrel, just make a cathead out of tubing and run it in the steady.

I must admit it's super nice to just let the barrel sit there and turn and not ever worry about oiling the steady fingers or the barrel walking out of the chuck.

 

[KeithB]

Very nice threading job.

 

[Pistolero]

There you go! Well done, sir. See that trick of keying on the rifling works
just fine. Your outboard ballbearing spider is a really sharp new addition,
too. That is one of the really cool things about having a lathe. You can make
your own tools to do even more.
If you save the pilot, you can reuse it on the same maker barrels, too. Like for
S&W revolvers of a particular caliber, they are usually the same over a wide
range of years. Of course, from maker to maker......no consistency. Just line
it back up to the rifling, tap it in, if the same maker.

Bill

 

[Ian]

I appreciate the idea, Bill, far simpler than what I was going to do originally. Another bonus is the the friction of the pilot, together with the bearing spider, precludes the need for a drawbar through the barrel (as long as you don't get too "enthusiastic" with tool pressure, or do most of the cutting by plunging in and working toward the chuck).

It sure is nice to thread AWAY from the shoulder for once, not a luxury you get unless running the tool upside down (no can do in a lantern toolpost) or are cutting left-hand threads.

 

[Pistolero]

Just passing on something I learned from a way more knowledgeable friend.
Good to pass on tricks that work for the benefit of all.

How many are aware that the new sleeved S&W revolver barrels are torqued in place with
a wrench/driver which is essentially the same as that pilot? Driven only by engaging the
rifling.

Bill

 

[freebullet]

Really nice job, Ian.

Full-size gunsmith lathe be damned!

 

[smokeywolf]

Both Ian and Brad are very resourceful machinists. Being able to get the job done with what you have right now in the shop is more valuable and necessary than the best tooling.