Budget tuner

K

katokoch

Guest
With input from this previous thread, http://benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57349 , I finally got down to getting the design machined and finished. Well, it's not completely finished, but close enough.

The final product remains close to this initial design
fuglytuner.jpg

but with a couple changes.

Here's how it finished up.
DSCN1518.jpg


What you see there is a .920" cylinder barrel, a 4" long peice of 1 1/4" diameter fine threaded steel, a fine threaded 1 1/4" zinc-plated nut, four 1 1/4" I.D. steel washers, and a couple hose clamps. You may notice that the nut is one of the stupid "locking nut" types with a plastic insert, but to get it to easily move across the length of the tuner I simply ground out the plastic. to free up the ends of the threads.

Pretty simple. I decided that taking a couple 1 1/4" nuts and cutting them to different lengths (weights) would be a severe pain, so I decided on another way to adjust the weight. Washers. I plan on taking the single nut, weighing it to determine the density, and cutting it in two peices to have two peices that weight the same. If the situation arises where I need finer adjustment than one of the big washers, I can easily trim one down, or add stick-on lead weights to another. However, this won't happen for awhile because I have yet to finish a stock for this rifle and I am just having the bedding block machined now, so I can't safely determine whether or not the rifle will make 10.5 or 13.5 lbs. Obviously, if the rifle will be in the 13.5-lb. class (IR 50/50), I will have more weight to play with on the tuner.

Now, as far as attatching the tuner to the barrel, 1" of the rod is bored out to .925" so it is a tight slip fit over the barrel. I made two cuts in the .925" end of the tuner, one across and one down so I can slip the tuner over the muzzle and use a simple hose clamp to tighten it up. Believe me, when I get the hose clamp tight, the tuner isn't going anywhere. I have a second if one ends up not being enough. The rest of the tuner is bored out 3/4".

DSCN1524.jpg


I may end up just using the large nut to adjust the tuner, as it has over 3" of room to slide around, like this.

DSCN1527.jpg


With maximum weight on the tuner (which is more than I see listed for any add-on weights for tuners), here it is.

DSCN1526.jpg


I highly doubt I'll ever need this much weight to stop the muzzle, but I will be prepared. I don't have anything precisely weighed, but I do know the barrel is .920" cylinder, 20" long and fluted, so it's not the heaviest by any means.

The best part (for me at least), is that everything cost me $42 total. $30 from the machine shop and $12 from a Fastenal down the road for the nut, washers, and clamps. I had to spend some of my time and elbow grease on the thing as far as cutting and fitting, but I'll ignore that. Yes, it's not elegant by any means, but it will hopefully work and that's what matters most.

I've found a couple indoor ranges in my area so I've got some work to do, figuring this thing out. I guess it's time I stop ignoring threads and posts about tuners and tuner adjustment.
 
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It should work fine. I remember people using similar set ups 10-12 years ago. It worked for them, or at least they said it did.
 
Tuner

There was a fellow from Texas a few years ago that mad one out of PVC pipe. At the time he hung out over at www.rimfirecentral.com. I believe is handle was claybuster (but I could be wrong cause it is afternoon).
Larry
 
There was a fellow from Texas a few years ago that mad one out of PVC pipe. At the time he hung out over at www.rimfirecentral.com. I believe is handle was claybuster (but I could be wrong cause it is afternoon).
Larry

He still shoots in the online matches at RFC and generally owns them.

P.S. Fred J: I guess my local Fastenal and yours are different. Mine isn't too large of a store though.
 
lead head
One of the other Texas shooter was the one that made them. He and Claybuster are friends and usally shoot together 3 times a week. I made the ones from PVC. They worked, but the Hoehn ones are better. A tuner is nothing more than a movable weight attached to the crown of a barrel. I made them app. 6 years ago and have them on the shelf for memories now. Ones made of metal are better ,I think.
 
tuner

Jim,
I couldn't remember if it was claybuster or you that built the pvc tuner. Have You talked to Frank Tirrell lately. He called me about a month ago about his new air rifle.
Later
Larry
 
Larry
Yes I have talked to him about a week ago and he is still waiting--impatiently I might add. That is just the cream off the top of the story. Hit my name and drop me an e mail for the rest of the story. I am not sure if the Larry I have is you. Old farts failing memory!
have a great new year
Jim
 
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