F
frwillia
Guest
In an earlier thread I posted about the results of borescoping my Savage LRPV in .22-250 Rem/9" twist. My immediate goal is to recut the crown to get rid of the obvious burr, reassemble it, shoot it, and see what, if anything, that did to the group size. To do that, I wanted to to take the LRPV's barrel off the action.
To take the LRPV's barrel off the action, I needed to make "jaws" for the newely machined barrel vise bored to match the taper of the barrel. I didn't "really" need tapered jaws this time, but new barrels will have a shoulder, and nominally the same taper, so I figured to do this "right" the first time.
My 9" South Bend (a friend of 59 years) has a taper attachment, so the plan was to machine the vise insert in the South Bend. Besides, it is just plain fun to machine things on it. The South Bend had on it a new leather belt. I had glued it together twice, I inspected the joint, it looked good.
So I chucked and roughly trued the 1-1/2" piece of aluminum rod to drill and taper bore it. I was happily drilling away when just before I finished with the 1" silver and Demming bit (the plan is a tapered finish bore of 1.102 to 1.108") the spindle started to slow down. I glanced at the belt and saw the splice coming apart. I heard the drill finish the cut and shut the lathe down, but the belt was well and truly no longer a functional loop.
By the time I got it re-scarfed, it was too short. This was the third break at that joint so I wasn't regarding that belt as my friend. I went to the Practical Machinist SB forum, read all the good stuff about using serpentine belts, decided I'd do that. Tradition is fine but having something that works is even better. Even more important, I could get a serpentine belt like immediately. A leather belt was going to be order and wait at best.
Now, I'be been told I should be more patient. My stock reply is I have lots of patience. I have all the patience I was born with, I haven't used any yet. And I really wanted to get on with the vise jaw inserts.
I had a bit of an attitude about glued splices so I decided to lace the belt together with fishline. I consulted with my good friend in MN who is an ardent fisherman, he suggested Spectra fishing line with the caveat that I'd have to knot it, nothing much would stick to it.
I found a good clerk at the local autoparts store. It took him a while to realize I couldn't give him a make and model of car, but once that was established he took the tape measure and my dimensions, went to the back, and in a few minutes emerged holding a 56" long 6 rib belt just over 3/4" wide. It was $18.00 out the door in round numbers. I still needed to buy fishing line to lace it together.
I needed a box of subsonic .22 rimfire ammo for the Single Six to deal with feral cats at the barn, so I went to Gander and picked up some 65-lb test Spectra line. There are 20 threads of it holding the belt together - trust me on this, I could pick up the lathe and table with that belt.
I cut the belt to length using a 1" sharp as a razor wood chisel aligned using a machinist's square and a whack from my wooden chisel mallet. Worked great. Nice clean square cut. And it was about instantaneous. That I managed to avoid sacrifices involving blood loss in the process was a feature.
I drilled lacing holes in the belt about a 1/4" from the ends, made a jig to hold it in position with it around the lathe pulleys, and laced it up. It took about half an hour and a bit of a patience expenditure to figure out how to tie the thread using only two hands and teeth, but I got it done with out any bad words.
I took a light clean up cut at constant diameter, then engaged the taper attachment and turned taper in bore of barrel vise jaw insert, tried on barrel, they fit on the first try! Dang but I'm good. Oh, Ok, ok, awriteawreddy, so I'm lucky, now and then. I'll take it. Lucky is good. I remembered to label the large diameter end in two places before going any farther.
I clamped them in the mill vise, cut them apart on one side with 3/8" end mill and some kerosene, turned them over, cut them apart on the other side. Deburred the edges. The vise has a 3/8" gap because that is what was avilable to space them when they were bored to 1-1/2".
Bolted the barrel vise to the mill table, the mill weighs about 2,200 lbs, didn't figure I'd be able to turn it over, and I didn't. I slipped the Wheeler barrel nut wrench over the barrel nut, then slid the barrel and inserts into the vise, and torqued the vise bolts to gootentite.
I oriented the barrel nut wrench so I could tap it with the dead blow hammer, gave it about 4 moderate taps and the nut was loose. The barrel didn't shift at all in the vise but that wasn't much of a test.
I unscrewed the action, took off the recoil lug, unscrewed the barrel nut, and decided it was OK to check off step 1 of recrowning the barrel.
I like the Wheeler barrel nut wrench. I like the fact that one can use it to torque the barrel nut to 40 ft-lbs with a 1/2" drive torque wrench if that was desired - although some arithmetic is required if one is fussy about the accuracy - it has to be treated like a crow foot wrench. I like torque specifications.
I probably didn't have to take the action off, but I didn't want it spinning around out there where it might get damaged while I was fixing the crown. The action is worth more than the barrel.
While the action is off I'm going to polish the chamber lightly with some 1200 paper to see if I can reduce the tendancy of the brass to thin right above the base to side wall transition. I ordered a Go-Gage for reinstalling the receiver.
I measured the recoil lug on the surface plate, and between the jaws of a 1" micrometer. It is .2505" everyplace. Parallel sides, nice finish. No new lug needed, this one is just fine. I love it when that happens.
I looked at the recoil lugs, I'll take a picture of them so you can look at them too .... back in a few ... OK, got some pictures. This is what they look like, lower lug first, upper lug second:
I'm not real pleased with the lugs, but the rifle has fired groups in the teens with them looking like this. Counting these, I've looked at exactly 1 set of recoil lugs. Not much of an experience base. Ok, no experience base at all. I'm not going to do anything to them immediately. But I'd appreciate it if anybody could tell me if these are candidates for machining based on appearance.
The next step will be to recrown the barrel, reassemble the rifle, and see how it shoots with just that one change. One thing at a time. Seperation of variables purity will be compromised by having removed and replaced the receiver, but that shouldn't have much effect on group size.
The Go-Gage has shipped from Midway. PTG they said they would ship the #1 Grizzly rod with nominal .22 Center Fire and 6mm bushings last Friday.
I'm pretty pumped about getting this far.
Fitch
To take the LRPV's barrel off the action, I needed to make "jaws" for the newely machined barrel vise bored to match the taper of the barrel. I didn't "really" need tapered jaws this time, but new barrels will have a shoulder, and nominally the same taper, so I figured to do this "right" the first time.
My 9" South Bend (a friend of 59 years) has a taper attachment, so the plan was to machine the vise insert in the South Bend. Besides, it is just plain fun to machine things on it. The South Bend had on it a new leather belt. I had glued it together twice, I inspected the joint, it looked good.
So I chucked and roughly trued the 1-1/2" piece of aluminum rod to drill and taper bore it. I was happily drilling away when just before I finished with the 1" silver and Demming bit (the plan is a tapered finish bore of 1.102 to 1.108") the spindle started to slow down. I glanced at the belt and saw the splice coming apart. I heard the drill finish the cut and shut the lathe down, but the belt was well and truly no longer a functional loop.
By the time I got it re-scarfed, it was too short. This was the third break at that joint so I wasn't regarding that belt as my friend. I went to the Practical Machinist SB forum, read all the good stuff about using serpentine belts, decided I'd do that. Tradition is fine but having something that works is even better. Even more important, I could get a serpentine belt like immediately. A leather belt was going to be order and wait at best.
Now, I'be been told I should be more patient. My stock reply is I have lots of patience. I have all the patience I was born with, I haven't used any yet. And I really wanted to get on with the vise jaw inserts.
I had a bit of an attitude about glued splices so I decided to lace the belt together with fishline. I consulted with my good friend in MN who is an ardent fisherman, he suggested Spectra fishing line with the caveat that I'd have to knot it, nothing much would stick to it.
I found a good clerk at the local autoparts store. It took him a while to realize I couldn't give him a make and model of car, but once that was established he took the tape measure and my dimensions, went to the back, and in a few minutes emerged holding a 56" long 6 rib belt just over 3/4" wide. It was $18.00 out the door in round numbers. I still needed to buy fishing line to lace it together.
I needed a box of subsonic .22 rimfire ammo for the Single Six to deal with feral cats at the barn, so I went to Gander and picked up some 65-lb test Spectra line. There are 20 threads of it holding the belt together - trust me on this, I could pick up the lathe and table with that belt.
I cut the belt to length using a 1" sharp as a razor wood chisel aligned using a machinist's square and a whack from my wooden chisel mallet. Worked great. Nice clean square cut. And it was about instantaneous. That I managed to avoid sacrifices involving blood loss in the process was a feature.
I drilled lacing holes in the belt about a 1/4" from the ends, made a jig to hold it in position with it around the lathe pulleys, and laced it up. It took about half an hour and a bit of a patience expenditure to figure out how to tie the thread using only two hands and teeth, but I got it done with out any bad words.
I took a light clean up cut at constant diameter, then engaged the taper attachment and turned taper in bore of barrel vise jaw insert, tried on barrel, they fit on the first try! Dang but I'm good. Oh, Ok, ok, awriteawreddy, so I'm lucky, now and then. I'll take it. Lucky is good. I remembered to label the large diameter end in two places before going any farther.
I clamped them in the mill vise, cut them apart on one side with 3/8" end mill and some kerosene, turned them over, cut them apart on the other side. Deburred the edges. The vise has a 3/8" gap because that is what was avilable to space them when they were bored to 1-1/2".
Bolted the barrel vise to the mill table, the mill weighs about 2,200 lbs, didn't figure I'd be able to turn it over, and I didn't. I slipped the Wheeler barrel nut wrench over the barrel nut, then slid the barrel and inserts into the vise, and torqued the vise bolts to gootentite.
I oriented the barrel nut wrench so I could tap it with the dead blow hammer, gave it about 4 moderate taps and the nut was loose. The barrel didn't shift at all in the vise but that wasn't much of a test.
I unscrewed the action, took off the recoil lug, unscrewed the barrel nut, and decided it was OK to check off step 1 of recrowning the barrel.
I like the Wheeler barrel nut wrench. I like the fact that one can use it to torque the barrel nut to 40 ft-lbs with a 1/2" drive torque wrench if that was desired - although some arithmetic is required if one is fussy about the accuracy - it has to be treated like a crow foot wrench. I like torque specifications.
I probably didn't have to take the action off, but I didn't want it spinning around out there where it might get damaged while I was fixing the crown. The action is worth more than the barrel.
While the action is off I'm going to polish the chamber lightly with some 1200 paper to see if I can reduce the tendancy of the brass to thin right above the base to side wall transition. I ordered a Go-Gage for reinstalling the receiver.
I measured the recoil lug on the surface plate, and between the jaws of a 1" micrometer. It is .2505" everyplace. Parallel sides, nice finish. No new lug needed, this one is just fine. I love it when that happens.
I looked at the recoil lugs, I'll take a picture of them so you can look at them too .... back in a few ... OK, got some pictures. This is what they look like, lower lug first, upper lug second:
I'm not real pleased with the lugs, but the rifle has fired groups in the teens with them looking like this. Counting these, I've looked at exactly 1 set of recoil lugs. Not much of an experience base. Ok, no experience base at all. I'm not going to do anything to them immediately. But I'd appreciate it if anybody could tell me if these are candidates for machining based on appearance.
The next step will be to recrown the barrel, reassemble the rifle, and see how it shoots with just that one change. One thing at a time. Seperation of variables purity will be compromised by having removed and replaced the receiver, but that shouldn't have much effect on group size.
The Go-Gage has shipped from Midway. PTG they said they would ship the #1 Grizzly rod with nominal .22 Center Fire and 6mm bushings last Friday.
I'm pretty pumped about getting this far.
Fitch
