? How to dial in a barrel with a steady rest?

C

Clark

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I have a lathe I am not using, and could give to a friend for barrelling rifles, but the through hole is only 0.78"".

It is a 1/5 the horsepower 400 pound 1938 Atlas Craftsman lathe 101.07402 12x36 deluxe with Timken tapered roller bearings 1939 tailstock.

n_a



Is there some tube with 8 locking bolts I could use as tooling to get the bore dialed in when the barrel in is the steady rest?
TIA
 
Clark

What you are refering to is commonly called a Spider. And yes, you can use it to adjust the OD of a barrel, while supported in a steady rest, so that the ID runs true. Or, at least, one point in the ID.

Most craftsmen make their own.

Some 'smiths just put the barrel on a center and claim a true spot on the straight part of the barrel shank to run the steady rest on. Of course, once again you are stuck with that spot.

There have been many matches, and championships, won with barrels that were chambered in a steady rest. But, there are certain limitations that you have to work around due to gthe fact that you are working with an ID that is, more times than not, very straight.

By the way, lacking a quick change, I assume you have the 'change gears' to vary the tpi it will cut ......jackie
 
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Another common way to start a barrel using a steadyrest is to buy a piloted center reamer available at the reamer grinder folks, This will give you a truer start than just using the center that comes in the barrel.

Like Jackie says, you are still stuck with a spot for the steadyrest to run that probably is not exactly true with the to-be-finished chamber neck. To help solve this problem make a rolling spider that runs in the steadyrest and has alignment screws in each end.

If you will search the archives for the word spider and steadyrest, someone has posted pictures of this rolling spider.

But, it doesn't look like the lathe you have may have enough center distance to do a barrel over about 16" long since you have to chuck on the muzzle end in the headstock and then the compound for the lathe must be outside the steadyrest. It takes about a 48" lathe to do and about 24" barrel by the steadyrest method.
 
This thread has a couple of photos but not a good shot of the rolling spider.Using a headstock spider instead of a chuck will save a couple of inches. Scroll down to Fitches pictures.
http://www.benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58763&highlight=steadyrest

Something else to look at-Thanks Butch-
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showthread.php/chambering-pics-164205.html?t=164205

Here are some of the pictures I was looking for-
http://www.benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59779&highlight=steadyrest
 
Although I hate using a steady, I have used a spider as an adjustable sleeve when doing short XP barrels. Let the steady ride the sleeve, and dial in using the spider.
 
JerrySharrett said:
This thread has a couple of photos but not a good shot of the rolling spider.Using a headstock spider instead of a chuck will save a couple of inches. Scroll down to Fitches pictures.
http://www.benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58763&highlight=steadyrest

Something else to look at-Thanks Butch-
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showthread.php/chambering-pics-164205.html?t=164205

Here are some of the pictures I was looking for-
http://www.benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59779&highlight=steadyrest
Click to expand...

WOW...that first thread made my head hurt... :eek:
 
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