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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Gunsmithing
Just finished a Lothar Walther barrel
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<blockquote data-quote="James Jones" data-source="post: 207002" data-attributes="member: 8843"><p>The Black Star barrels are great barrels , yes they are a bit more of a pain in the butt to machine but just as good of a job can be done with them as any other barrel.</p><p> </p><p>For chambering I personaly feel that a reamer with replacable bushings is the best idea due to the slightly oversized bore and they have to be sharp. Here is a cut and past from their web site. I followed their instructions and had very little trouble the first time and none their after.</p><p> </p><p>17-4PH is a FAR superior material for barrels and actions than 416 for strength but it has its down falls , its a bitch to machine compaired to 416 , it galls easly especialy if a 17-4 barrel is going to a 17-4 action. I personaly would like to see more action made from this stuff as its nearly twice as strong the action could be made a bit lighter</p><p> </p><p><strong><u><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="color: #ffffff">CHAMBERING OPERATIONS</span></span></u></strong></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="color: #ffffff"><strong>There are two very important requirements to successfully chambering a barrel made from BlackStar steel: a sharp, concentric reamer with interchangeable pilots and the right cutting fluids.</strong></span></span></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">The Reamer. Above all things, the chambering reamer must be very sharp. If there is even a small nick on one of the shoulder cutting edges, the reamer will feel as if it was dull. A build-up of material will occur at this point. In addition to being very sharp, the reamer must be concentric. An out of round reamer will cut as if it was dull, so check to see that one flute on the neck area is not doing most of the cutting. This is particularly true of the neck area. Last but not least, the reamer must have interchangeable pilots. Fixed-pilot reamers are not sufficient to machine this steel. Excessive space (>.0002") between the pilot and the bore will cause a very rough cut and will reduce tool life.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">Today's steel chamber reamers are crafted from several different tool steels, depending on the maker. Carbide reamers continue to gain in popularity, and are suitable for chambering BlackStar steel with the right set-up. They are not, however, required to do a first-class job. If you have any questions concerning your particular reamer, please contact the reamer maker. All of the major reamer makers have positive experience with BlackStar steel, and can help you with any minor problems you might have.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">Important Note. If you chamber using a fairly fast speed, you will build up heat on the edge of the reamer and prematurely dull it. Under these circumstances, the reamer may need a basic dressing every 5-10 chambers to maintain optimum performance. However, if you maintain a modest speed and feed, keep the barrel and reamer cool and well-lubed, your reamer should not wear significantly faster than it does cutting 416 stainless barrel steel.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">Set-Up. To chamber with high-speed steel reamers, lathe RPM should be 50-90 RPM. Use whatever speed you are more comfortable within this range. In some respects, slower is better, so feel free to run around 50-65 RPM if that feels best to you. If you are using a carbide finishing reamer, you need to be aware that the best surface finishes are achieved at 230-300 RPM, according to Pacific Precision and many of the other reamer makers. Obviously, if you are using a carbide rougher, you can chamber at a much slower speed and clean up the surface with a HSS finishing reamer.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">Regardless of the barrel steel type, chambering at low RPM with carbide reamers will not give you the same super-high-quality chamber surface that you can get with most high-speed steel reamers. Consequently, many of the reamer makers and gunsmiths that have worked with BlackStar barrels have stated that an ideal combination would be to use a carbide roughing reamer and a high-speed steel finishing reamer.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">Set-up the barrel as you normally would. The rigidity of your set-up is always very important, but even more so with BlackStar barrels. Hold the reamer in a rigid manner relatively close to the flutes. (Make sure that the tail-stock is lined up exactly with the head-stock) A floating holder can be used. We encourage the use of a high-pressure muzzle flush system, as it will enhance the chambering of all steels, including 416R and 4140 chrome moly. However, the use of a muzzle flush system is not required to produce a top-quality job.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">Reaming the Chamber. Apply a very liberal amount of lubricant to the reamer. Thinned high-pressure oil is an excellent option favored by many. Tap Magic for steel also will work or a thinned sulfurized cutting oil.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">Several reamer makers and gunsmiths have reported that a mix of Rustlick high pressure mineral oil, thinned with Tap Magic and a little Moly D delivers optimum results with no appreciable wear on high speed steel reamers. Still other gunsmiths report using pure, undiluted Moly D with absolutely fantastic results. (Moly D is a high-pressure additive. Cost is about $50.00 per gallon, but really worth it.) Others have used a water soluble fluids with equally fine results. Clearly, there are a variety of cutting fluids that work well with BlackStar barrels.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">When you begin, feed slowly and feel the reamer cut. Do not over-feed. If you are not using a muzzle flush system, consider the maximum tool advancement to be 0.100" between cleanings. For best results, advance only 0.025"-0.050" between cleanings. The degree of the advancement will vary from caliber to caliber. Above all, do not try to hurry the process.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">When the reamer is removed from the chamber being cut, clean it completely. Make sure that there are no chips remaining on the bottom. Also swab the chamber and about 3" of the barrel in front of the chamber to make sure that there are not any hidden chips remaining. The last two cuts will be best if less than 0.030" deep.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p><strong>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]<span style="color: #ffffff">If you are using a muzzle flush system with a high pressure pump, feed the reamer about 0.050" per minute, then wait 30 seconds for the reamer to cool and re-lube before proceeding with the next 0.050" of feed.</span>[/FONT]</strong></p><p> </p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="James Jones, post: 207002, member: 8843"] The Black Star barrels are great barrels , yes they are a bit more of a pain in the butt to machine but just as good of a job can be done with them as any other barrel. For chambering I personaly feel that a reamer with replacable bushings is the best idea due to the slightly oversized bore and they have to be sharp. Here is a cut and past from their web site. I followed their instructions and had very little trouble the first time and none their after. 17-4PH is a FAR superior material for barrels and actions than 416 for strength but it has its down falls , its a bitch to machine compaired to 416 , it galls easly especialy if a 17-4 barrel is going to a 17-4 action. I personaly would like to see more action made from this stuff as its nearly twice as strong the action could be made a bit lighter [B][U][FONT=Arial][COLOR=#ffffff]CHAMBERING OPERATIONS[/COLOR][/FONT][/U][/B] [FONT=Arial][COLOR=#ffffff][B]There are two very important requirements to successfully chambering a barrel made from BlackStar steel: a sharp, concentric reamer with interchangeable pilots and the right cutting fluids.[/B][/COLOR][/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]The Reamer. Above all things, the chambering reamer must be very sharp. If there is even a small nick on one of the shoulder cutting edges, the reamer will feel as if it was dull. A build-up of material will occur at this point. In addition to being very sharp, the reamer must be concentric. An out of round reamer will cut as if it was dull, so check to see that one flute on the neck area is not doing most of the cutting. This is particularly true of the neck area. Last but not least, the reamer must have interchangeable pilots. Fixed-pilot reamers are not sufficient to machine this steel. Excessive space (>.0002") between the pilot and the bore will cause a very rough cut and will reduce tool life.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]Today's steel chamber reamers are crafted from several different tool steels, depending on the maker. Carbide reamers continue to gain in popularity, and are suitable for chambering BlackStar steel with the right set-up. They are not, however, required to do a first-class job. If you have any questions concerning your particular reamer, please contact the reamer maker. All of the major reamer makers have positive experience with BlackStar steel, and can help you with any minor problems you might have.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]Important Note. If you chamber using a fairly fast speed, you will build up heat on the edge of the reamer and prematurely dull it. Under these circumstances, the reamer may need a basic dressing every 5-10 chambers to maintain optimum performance. However, if you maintain a modest speed and feed, keep the barrel and reamer cool and well-lubed, your reamer should not wear significantly faster than it does cutting 416 stainless barrel steel.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]Set-Up. To chamber with high-speed steel reamers, lathe RPM should be 50-90 RPM. Use whatever speed you are more comfortable within this range. In some respects, slower is better, so feel free to run around 50-65 RPM if that feels best to you. If you are using a carbide finishing reamer, you need to be aware that the best surface finishes are achieved at 230-300 RPM, according to Pacific Precision and many of the other reamer makers. Obviously, if you are using a carbide rougher, you can chamber at a much slower speed and clean up the surface with a HSS finishing reamer.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]Regardless of the barrel steel type, chambering at low RPM with carbide reamers will not give you the same super-high-quality chamber surface that you can get with most high-speed steel reamers. Consequently, many of the reamer makers and gunsmiths that have worked with BlackStar barrels have stated that an ideal combination would be to use a carbide roughing reamer and a high-speed steel finishing reamer.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]Set-up the barrel as you normally would. The rigidity of your set-up is always very important, but even more so with BlackStar barrels. Hold the reamer in a rigid manner relatively close to the flutes. (Make sure that the tail-stock is lined up exactly with the head-stock) A floating holder can be used. We encourage the use of a high-pressure muzzle flush system, as it will enhance the chambering of all steels, including 416R and 4140 chrome moly. However, the use of a muzzle flush system is not required to produce a top-quality job.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]Reaming the Chamber. Apply a very liberal amount of lubricant to the reamer. Thinned high-pressure oil is an excellent option favored by many. Tap Magic for steel also will work or a thinned sulfurized cutting oil.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]Several reamer makers and gunsmiths have reported that a mix of Rustlick high pressure mineral oil, thinned with Tap Magic and a little Moly D delivers optimum results with no appreciable wear on high speed steel reamers. Still other gunsmiths report using pure, undiluted Moly D with absolutely fantastic results. (Moly D is a high-pressure additive. Cost is about $50.00 per gallon, but really worth it.) Others have used a water soluble fluids with equally fine results. Clearly, there are a variety of cutting fluids that work well with BlackStar barrels.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]When you begin, feed slowly and feel the reamer cut. Do not over-feed. If you are not using a muzzle flush system, consider the maximum tool advancement to be 0.100" between cleanings. For best results, advance only 0.025"-0.050" between cleanings. The degree of the advancement will vary from caliber to caliber. Above all, do not try to hurry the process.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]When the reamer is removed from the chamber being cut, clean it completely. Make sure that there are no chips remaining on the bottom. Also swab the chamber and about 3" of the barrel in front of the chamber to make sure that there are not any hidden chips remaining. The last two cuts will be best if less than 0.030" deep.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][COLOR=#ffffff]If you are using a muzzle flush system with a high pressure pump, feed the reamer about 0.050" per minute, then wait 30 seconds for the reamer to cool and re-lube before proceeding with the next 0.050" of feed.[/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [B][FONT=Arial][/FONT][/B] [B][/B] [/QUOTE]
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Just finished a Lothar Walther barrel
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