# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  Making a Rolling block rifle on my lathe.

## homebrew.357

Hi guys, I`ve had this large round lump of 1045 steel and keep stubbing my toes on the dam thing, I`ve been chewing at it like a beaver on and off. As I have the plans for a roller I thought bugger , its going to be the flaming roller action bit, the problem is it`s round and I need too make it square. Have to machine off heaps to get it the shape I want so I can start making the action, well I've plenty of time and gives me something to do. The start.  :Thumbsup: 
, It will be square one day.

----------


## akaroa1

There is no dignity in haste !

----------


## akaroa1

You obviously need a metal shaper for that job

----------


## stevodog

Supercool project. Do you have blueprint plans for this?
Decent lathe you have. Looks like you need a mate with a milling machine

----------


## homebrew.357

I know want I need but will have wait till I win lotto, and need a bigger shed, in the mean time I`m making heaps of swarf  and yes have 14 sheets of plans for this Remington rolling block rifle with grove improvements. That means lever breech opening, set triggers, pistol grip, I sold a guy a 45-70 barrel who  had made the action and he said do you want the plans, I thought rolled up printed plans so yer , sent me a P D F file with all the plans. So had them all printed out now have something to do.  :Zomg:  , as well as making barrels, it`s all go.

----------


## Danny

I have a solid as Shaper up here that would be a good match for that chunk of solid...

----------


## takbok

@homebrew.357 good work! I know where you're coming from. I've been turning some 130mm dia EN19T into a De Haas falling block action with my lathe and a small milling attachment.

----------


## stevodog

Do you put an attachment on the toolbed and the cutter in the chuck for millinh

----------


## takbok

I put 2x tapped holes on my compound slide, and attach my milling slide to this via an angle block. I have an ER40 collet chuck that I use to hold various end mills. Always takes ages to set up!

----------


## stevodog

Obviously beyond my grasp but very interesting

----------


## stevodog

Yes, presuming you don't need to flat the whole round you could part off a piece and flat it as mimms descibed

----------


## DavidGunn

> Obviously beyond my grasp but very interesting


Me too...obviously these guys don't have 4" grinders

----------


## Tentman

> I know want I need but will have wait till I win lotto, and need a bigger shed, in the mean time I`m making heaps of swarf  and yes have 14 sheets of plans for this Remington rolling block rifle with grove improvements. That means lever breech opening, set triggers, pistol grip, I sold a guy a 45-70 barrel who  had made the action and he said do you want the plans, I thought rolled up printed plans so yer , sent me a P D F file with all the plans. So had them all printed out now have something to do.  , as well as making barrels, it`s all go.


Gidday - are you going to do the Gove lever - I've never seen one in the flesh, any chance you could post up a drawing of the finished result??

----------


## Friwi

I can see that you have already cut two flats out of that round piece . You are halfway there !;-)

----------


## stevodog

I think it was a 'farm engineers' joke bro

----------


## homebrew.357

I don`t know if I will build all the extra bits, have to see how hard it is or how lazy I am. The round bit is 3.900"dia, and yes I have fly cut a flat on one side, it was going to be the action for the Sharps but changed to a block of 4140, so its been sitting. Now it`s getting the hurry up . Tentman, I could post a pic of a drawing of the rolling block with all the goodies if you like , hang on I`ll get it sorted. 
, I love machining.
, The under lever. 
, The guts of it with set triggers.

----------


## northdude

i admire your skills  :Thumbsup:

----------


## csmiffy

> Would ruin any heat treat in the thing. Also encourages warpage, and is an order of magnitude less precise.


Using a 1mm cut off wheel and nursing it through would be very doable. I've had to machine things that have had a useable end and a butchered mounted case cut end.
The only way out was to snip the big lumpy slabby slagy encrusted part back closer to the needed part

----------


## homebrew.357

It`s very pleasing when the guy I sold the .45-70 barrel to sent me a link to utube of him test firing his action with one of my barrels on it, I think he fired six shots of black powder loads with a pull string. The camera was right buy the gun and he was around a corner out of harms way, it works perfectly, great stuff. All I`ve done to improve my rifling is put a 5% back rake on the T/C cutter so it scrapes off the steel rather than cutting the steel with a forward angle that leaves scratches in the bore, yet to find out if it will work on 4140 steel. I have two lengths on order but will have to wait till it`s all clear for delivery, then will see how it goes and may be a new barrel for the Sharps. It`s all go.

----------


## homebrew.357

So the lump is losing a lot of weight, more than I can say about me as my homebrew fridge is in the workshop and I`m good at making tasty loafs of bread. Have setup the lump for what I call fly cutting , milling on the round to machine a flat on the other side, so slowly weaning it down.
, In the four jaw chuck.
,  I like the K I S S  way.
, Doing the job.

----------


## akaroa1

Can you please set up a timer in shot to keep a track of how long its taken to knock this into shape ?

Now you have an insight into why greenstone objects were so valuable to maori

----------


## Tentman

Hey thanks for the pic, for some reason the Gove lever has always fascinated me, and I could never figure out how it might have worked - now I know.

The "other" underlever rolling blocks, the Starr and the Nagant are beauties too.

----------


## homebrew.357

Other fulling blocks, no never heard of them, Starr, Nagant, new to me. Have you heard of Walter B Mueller`s falling block rifle, that's new to me to.

----------


## Tentman

PM me your email address and I'll send you copies of the De Haas articles on them (the Starr and Nagant),  They are true rolling blocks even though they have an under-lever . . .

----------


## homebrew.357

I`m slowly, and I mean slowly cutting out the action assembly, so no time clock, it would probably die of old age or I could before this gets finished . The block is now slab sided to 1.230" thick, that's the size of the action and now setup for fly cutting the angle face of the action front. A lot more to do but it`s keeping me busy, specially cleaning up large amounts of swarf .,
, Starting to look different.  .AAA hell, ignore the boots !

----------


## canross

> I`m slowly, and I mean slowly cutting out the action assembly, so no time clock, it would probably die of old age or I could before this gets finished . The block is now slab sided to 1.230" thick, that's the size of the action and now setup for fly cutting the angle face of the action front. A lot more to do but it`s keeping me busy, specially cleaning up large amounts of swarf .Attachment 137484, Starting to look different .


Looks a lot different to me - you may be the first machinist to turn a block of steel into a pair of leather boots  :Wink: 

Quite enjoying the build-along. Cool to see a unique type of receiver getting built!

----------


## akaroa1

> I`m slowly, and I mean slowly cutting out the action assembly, so no time clock, it would probably die of old age or I could before this gets finished . The block is now slab sided to 1.230" thick, that's the size of the action and now setup for fly cutting the angle face of the action front. A lot more to do but it`s keeping me busy, specially cleaning up large amounts of swarf .Attachment 137484, Starting to look different .


Almost *unrecognizable*[/B]

----------


## akaroa1

I'm going to send him a big round bale of hay and see if he can turn it into gold

----------


## akaroa1

Friday night drinks ah !

----------


## homebrew.357

Yer, just had a brew thanks, so with a bit of teko drawing I marked out the spots for top of the action, the two breech and hammer holes. Gives me a line on where to hack saw a lump off, saves a lot of milling time and then set up to fine fly cut the top of the action, well something like that.
 Here you go Cancross,  , Had to drill a hole through it to holed it in place.

----------


## ebf

Like the depth gauge on your tailstock, very clever  :Thumbsup: 

I have something similar on my mill quill, but should do the same for my lathe.

----------


## homebrew.357

What, that flaming thing, I`ve never used it ,had one for the lathe slide as well and would have been more accurate using a rubber band, once oil gets in it`s stuffed. I like my rubber Vernier, you can stretch things a bit if they are short..

----------


## homebrew.357

It`s always hard to figure out what to do next, but as I had marked and pined the two roller pin holes I thought mite as well drill them out. So fished out the face plate and setup the lump of steel on datum for number one hole, this is for the breech block and will finish it to the right size of .454" . 
, First hole.

----------


## akaroa1

@homebrew.357 just a though 
But wouldn't it be interesting to have weighed the block of steel when you started and weigh the bare action when you are finished and see what percentage you ended up with

----------


## akaroa1

I did some serious stock reduction today to knock a 32mm diameter round bar into a 15mm square bar.
Relatively easy with the power feed.
I was able to run the mill in the feed and be working on the lathe at the same time.
Swarf everywhere

----------


## homebrew.357

Could be, but a bit late now and maybe it would be better if I weighed myself and see how much more has been added . Your rubbing it in with that humugus flaming milling machine, I`m getting a lotto ticket,  :Omg: . Anyway I just realised my .45 barrel reamer comes out at .4505", so will be good to ream out the holes and just leave a bit to bore out to size, getting there.

----------


## northdude

probably a dumb question but why do you drill it in the lathe and not in a drill press

----------


## akaroa1

> Your rubbing it in with that humugus flaming milling machine, I`m getting a lotto ticket, .


It's only 2200 kg
Certainly not going anywhere fast
It can make swarf at an astonishing rate

----------


## homebrew.357

I like using the lathe for everything, it`s just more accurate than the drill press which can wander out of line and the pin holes need to be true and smooth so the last bit was a boring bar for final cut. The pin holes are the same size as the breech and hammer pins on the plans, are they a press fit in the action, I thought a sliding fit for removal to clean the rifle. My idea was to rough up the pins, then grind to final size for a fine finish and slip fit in the action. 
, T/C tipped boring bar for final sizing of the two holes.

----------


## homebrew.357

No I`m wrong, the pins are press fit in the action, watched a Midway bit on stripping down a roller and the pins are taped out. So pins to action are size for size .454" and the holes in the breech and hammer are .455". Had to cut a lump off my lump so I used the swiss chees technique, that means a row of holes along where you want to cut, makes cutting a lot easer but still had to setup for milling it my scratch line come datum point, it`s getting there. 
, You wont see this very often .

----------


## homebrew.357

Well looks like you are seeing it again but its the other side, this is the under side of the tang. Nothdude you will be happy to know I used the drill press for all the holes this time, It`s just that the action holes had to be spot on and square to the action, so use the lathe . Gremlins getting in, just about finished the milling that first bit when bang the milling bit snapped, bugger, but had a spare one so job done . Had a talk to Tub@steel as to where my two bits of 4140 was going to come, lost my order sort of stuff but it`s on the way, so may be looking at making a barrel to see if I can improve on them.  :Thumbsup: 
, Fly cutting it true.

----------


## northdude

cool stuff ive never thought of using the lathe how you do i might have another look at the lathe at work and have an experiment

----------


## Cordite

This is why the lathe is called "the universal tool", if you have the time you can make almost anything on it.

----------


## gundoc

> This is why the lathe is called "the universal tool", if you have the time you can make almost anything on it.


Darn tootin,!  Back in the '60's a good mate of mine made an excellent copy of a .22 Colt Woodsman from an exploded view parts diagram and the entire job was done on a Myford ML7 with a milling slide accessory.  He is a highly skilled toolmaker but he was still in his apprenticeship then. A basic machine combined with skill and patience can make just about anything.

----------


## stevodog

Very cool. Do you need any special license to make these? What pressures will it run at/to?
My dad is a soon to be retiring fitter/turner who makes can't find vintage car parts in his spare time. I could put him and his mates onto one of these.

----------


## northdude

If you have a picture on your back you dont need a license to do anything and they seem fine with it

----------


## stevodog

What does that mean?

----------


## Cordite

> What does that mean?

----------


## Cordite

> Very cool. Do you need any special license to make these? What pressures will it run at/to?
> My dad is a soon to be retiring fitter/turner who makes can't find vintage car parts in his spare time. I could put him and his mates onto one of these.


You can make a firearm for yourself provided it is legal to have with your FAL.  Like, don't make a pistol if you don't have B-cat license.

You can later pass this firearm to someone else, but you can't manufacture a firearm for someone else or with the intent of selling it, I think you need some sort of ticket for that, maybe  @gundoc can fill in more details.

Of course with new arms regulations, my mate would not able to help me even put a scope on my rifle unless he is a licensed gunsmith...


EDIT:   adding beginning of section 5 of the current arms act, my emphases in bold:

"5. Dealers to be licensed
(1)  No person may, unless they hold a dealers licence under this Act issued by a commissioned officer of the Police,
(a) *in the way of business* sell any firearm, prohibited magazine, prohibited part, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon; or
(b) *manufacture for sale* any firearm, prohibited magazine, prohibited part, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon."

----------


## homebrew.357

Now that's it, a barrel is a tube with splines cut in the bore, what you do with it is up to you, good for watering the garden. If you asked me to make a action for you ,"NO WAY", I only make rifles for my own use and are proof tested, I gave my Sharps rifle a good test shooting with a hot load that would make a Ruger #1 sit up and take notice!!. So there`s no numbers or stamps on it. It`s ok to mill on a lathe, BUT, only light cuts, not like someone with a 2.200kg monster .

----------


## gundoc

> Very cool. Do you need any special license to make these? What pressures will it run at/to?
> My dad is a soon to be retiring fitter/turner who makes can't find vintage car parts in his spare time. I could put him and his mates onto one of these.


Yes, you do need special permit/licence to make such things these days.  Back in the 60's it was a highly illegal activity but a fascinating technical challenge.  Proof that laws only work with those who choose to obey them.  The pistol worked well on both standard velocity and high velocity ammo and, with the exception of pins and springs, was made from mild steel.

----------


## stevodog

> Attachment 138214


ok where did you guys get my picture from arrrugh

----------


## S.E.G

> Darn tootin,!  Back in the '60's a good mate of mine made an excellent copy of a .22 Colt Woodsman from an exploded view parts diagram and the entire job was done on a Myford ML7 with a milling slide accessory.  He is a highly skilled toolmaker but he was still in his apprenticeship then. A basic machine combined with skill and patience can make just about anything.


 @gundoc 

Yes and if Im not mistaken the same talented individual, once freehand cut on a milling machine the Jaguar script on the set of knock offs for his E Type Jag.

----------


## gundoc

> @gundoc 
> 
> Yes and if I’m not mistaken the same talented individual, once freehand cut on a milling machine the Jaguar script on the set of knock offs for his E Type Jag.


No, a different (though very talented) person.

----------


## SixtyTen

Im interested to see how you go about cutting the internal recesses. Its that operation that has stopped me from attempting a rolling block so far.

----------


## kotuku

brew me old china wheres me sporran mounted 25pounder comin off the production line .
It wll give a hole new meaning to the words "gettin a shot away"-specially on mallards!!
now given both of us have a penchant for home brewed ale -i always found i did better work and thought a lot more outta the box ,if I raided the fridge  1st and gazed intently at what i was working on whilst emptying a bottle or two!!
bloody amazing "rough as guts" manufacture but very effective .My warehouse jandals recoil pads was a love child of this approach.
gadgetman recently used the approach -though it looked prettier -lack of ale Id suspect!!
Keep up the good work!!

----------


## homebrew.357

Hi you old bugger, lucky your brew`s not like mine, have to don the full antivirus suit AND wear a recoil pad before I open one of my 25lder bottles of brew, the gases explosion can be heard in wellington.  Now the gas has cleared it I setup to mill a slot in the under side of the action so I could fly cut most of it off. The end bit is slightly curved so will do that last. And yes Tensixty that's some thing I have to work out. It`s getting there.
, Milling the slot so I can cut the rest.
 Fly cutting the rest.

----------


## RUMPY

Awesome, I'm learning a lot of new tricks by looking at the way you achieve different things. I have a small mill at work but some of your techniques are inspiring.

----------


## gundoc

> And how do you keep your chucks so clean?? mine are all basically blued... by surface rust then a dosing of oil, rinse and repeat


Preventative maintenance!  It was usually impressed into the 'old school' apprentices with the toe of a steel cap boot! A tradesman looks after his tools!

----------


## homebrew.357

My top slide has a bit of slop in it to, trying to think how you cut a acme thread to makeup a new worm nut. Always try a mill with the cutting force downwards and my lathe is always covered in swarf, cooling fluid, cutting oil and T68 lude oil, also some gun drilling oil when I get a leak at 400psi, the celling's not rusty ether. The lathe is sitting on carpet, in a steel tray, don`t want to stuff up the carpet.  :Zomg:

----------


## gundoc

> My top slide has a bit of slop in it to, trying to think how you cut a acme thread to makeup a new worm nut. Always try a mill with the cutting force downwards and my lathe is always covered in swarf, cooling fluid, cutting oil and T68 lude oil, also some gun drilling oil when I get a leak at 400psi, the celling's not rusty ether. The lathe is sitting on carpet, in a steel tray, don`t want to stuff up the carpet.


You will have to grind up a piece of HSS to the Acme thread shape (taking the dimensions off your top slide screw) making sure the depth of the tool will allow enough depth of cut.  Make sure the tool is a few thou narrower than the crest of the screw thread.  Because the Acme thread is tapered equally on both sides it is just a question of making cuts until your screw shaft is a snug fit.  This will leave a small recess in the crest of the thread for crap to accumulate.  You could lap the thread with the screw shaft and some Brasso for a perfect fit.  When assembled adjust the gib strip to give a fairly firm fit which will help prevent sudden movement of the slide.

----------


## Micky Duck

well that instruction Gundoc is like me reading zulu.....but its plurry heartening to see you knowledgeable chaps shareing you lifetimes hard earned knowledge with each other so freely.

----------


## homebrew.357

Yer, just had a deko on UTUBE about it, looks doable and you cut the thread on a angle so cutters only cutting one side. Have finished the under milling and just needs the lug cut off then a radius that's just under the front of the action. It looks like to me that most of the inside is gutted out and only small sections left, under the barrel and back of the hammer, it`s getting there, have look at what I`ve got now from when I started, wish I could loss weight like that. 
, Starting to look the part.

----------


## homebrew.357

So just moving along there the lumpy bit has got the chop and have machined a sexy curve at the front so the bottom bits basically finished. So here`s some more learning bit`s  Rumpy of how to make sexy curves on the lathe.
, the curvy bit.
, Fly cutter in the chuck, easy peasy . :Thumbsup:

----------


## MSL

Crack up system there, whatever works aye


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## homebrew.357

Yer, you've got to think a bit and I`m always saying I haven't got a mill, all I need to do is turn the lathe up on it`s end and bingo I`ve got a mill.

----------


## 2post

I’m enjoying this @homebrew.357 thanks for the regular updates.  :Thumbsup:

----------


## homebrew.357

Still witling it down and I love swiss chees and will keep you posted on progress, but it`s going to take a while. In the mean time I have just got my lengths of 4140 steel 1-1/4" round for barre making, so may have a rest of the roller for a bit, I`ve got lots to do. 
, bit of cleaning up should see it right, now setting it up for milling the breech face, got to be spot on.

----------


## Micky Duck

ok so...you using your lathe...a bit like a router????but fixed......taken me awhile to twig what you doing...THINK Ive got it now.

----------


## homebrew.357

It`s hard to see there, but the action is packed away from the angle bracket and the fly cutter prescribes the ark of the curve I want to cut. It`s clamped on the cross slide so first cut is .010' on the infeed of the cross slide, with the saddle on feed towards the chuck and chuck turning it shaves of a bit till its gone in the full thickness of the action. the back up, in .015" and in again and keep doing this  till the cut is where you want it.   :Oh Noes:   , Zulu.

----------


## Micky Duck

zulu in brail........lol

----------


## homebrew.357

Now look here Micky you are going to stop watching Shortland street for a bit, and get your head around the mechanical bits, a can opener is for tins, not removing primers. Look at this, setup to cut the face of action where the breach block is, it flicks up and holds the case in. This is were the barrel will eventually screw in to the action.
, The back of the setup.
, front bit , you can see the milling cutter doing it`s bit.
, this is where it`s at. See, just like putting on a gumboot.  :Thumbsup:

----------


## Martin358

whish i could put on gummies like you do

----------


## homebrew.357

Had our first bit of hail a shower so getting nipper, had to stoke up the fire, so on with the gummies for a load of fire wood. So while I had them on fired up the lathe to fly cut the tang top. When this is finished you will see a roller action coming out of that humongous lump of steel, mined, don`t do it with gummies on, hot bits of swarf in them with bare feet you learn a new quick step dance,  :Ouch...it Hurts: .
, need I say more. Aaa, yes, no Micky ,it`s not cutting those round holes.

----------


## Micky Duck

nah I think I can see how you doing it from that photo....your cuttter is "flyin around" and your piece of steel is moved into its orbit very carefully in controlled manner to remove metal.

----------


## Micky Duck

dont know if Ive mentioned it before...but you are a clever bugga.......very clever indeed.

----------


## homebrew.357

Got it, good lad, it`s clamped on the cross slide and it moves form left to right, in front of the chuck, move in 0.015" fly cutter spinning slowly and cross slide in feed and it slowly cuts off very hot bits of steel that seam to like my blood gun boots.

----------


## Martin358

inspirational

----------


## madjon_

Hope your hearing aids are turned off Doug.
Slimming nicely.

----------


## homebrew.357

AAaa, what did you say,

----------


## homebrew.357

Hi here`s a bigger pic of some clever bugger stuff, I forgot to mention it`s the saddle that's moved in .015" and clamped up, them the chuck`s turned on, cross slide is on infeed and cutter then slices of .015" of bits of steel. This is coming along fast so better have think about barrels as I have the steel ready first job will be to give the gun drill a sharpen up, yes I do it on my lathe, yep , I`ll show you. 
, the big look at it.
, two barrels to be.

----------


## erniec

I find this very interesting keep it coming.

----------


## canross

I love the four jaw as a fly cutter but it still gives me the creeps for some reason. I know it shouldn't, but it does  :Psmiley:  Loving the build updates!

----------


## homebrew.357

Well you just make sure it`s all clamped up nice and tight, then just small cuts nice and slowly. They say in machining you make hast slowly and now you can see the transformation from  round lump of steel to a thing of beauty, a roller action block, it`s getting there. But will be having a change of projects at this stage, but don`t worry ,I`ll be back to it. I`m just hanging out to see if I can make a better barrel, so just gave the gun drill a tickle up with the diamond grind wheel, just .002" to refresh the edge so it`s nice and sharp for the 4140 steel. The drill is 48" long, has a grove running down it for the chips to flush out as you are drilling and that plastic bit of pluming is my chip box. diverts the oil and chips back to the chip catcher and oil tank.
, Very nice.
, Grind wheel ready and T/C tipped drill lined up to sharpen. 
, it`s 48" long and it saves me $50 if I do it myself. 
, You may just see the shiny bit that's been ground on the face, it`s ready to go.

----------


## canross

I take it the chip box rides up against the muzzle (or muzzle projects into the chip box a bit) and as the swarf pushes out of the barrel it drops free?

I like seeing your lathe based solutions to problems. Being flexible in problem solving is an excellent skill.

----------


## homebrew.357

No, The angle bracket is clamped in place holding the gun drill guide that is set at lathe centre line and barrel stock in four jaw chuck is pressing on the front of it with Oring seal. The body of drill guide extends through bracket and chip pluming is pressed over this with a seal. Shiny steel is barrel stock, then drill guide holding chip box. All has come to a halt  , water contamination in my oil has stuff up one of my oil pumps, have a spear one so cooking oil to get rid of the water and check if new pump works. 
, This is how it works.

----------


## homebrew.357

Ok, Got the barrel making bit sorted so back to the roller action, it now has two holes drilled for milling clearance and after careful setting up have started milling out the guts where the breach block and hammer goes. I have also rebuild a deck as I could see a bit of rot getting into the old one, so that`s why things are a bit slow, but then what`s the rush . Put in a order for a T/Carbide .450" pull through reamer from the U S, so one run through should see the bore ready for rifling, that`s when I get it, well no rush,  :XD: 
, Two holes.
, Milling started.
, Nice new deck.






,

----------


## gundoc

I have to admire your tenacity!  That is lot of work without a milling slide, buggerizing around with packers and a dial gauge before you can make a cut!  It just goes to show what can be done on a lathe when liberally mixed with stubbornness and ingenuity.  The pollys will never win!!

----------


## Friwi

What is the spring for on top? To stop backlash?

----------


## rambo-6mmrem

Comeing along nicely Doug

----------


## homebrew.357

The first mill cut out .650" slot and I needed .735" per the plans, so after a reset up to get it lined up on centre I mounted a broken mill cutter with only one cutting flute. Set in the four jaw chuck I can offset it to fly cut out to the right size, just adjust the jaws a bit to set the cutter out a bit more till the slot is at the right size, stopped at .734" so I can give it a bit of a polish. Yes there is a bit of slop in the cross slide, so spring helps and small cuts, one off my coming up projects, a new nut, have some torbin bronze and ali bronze for it and as I need the cross slide to do this will have to do some careful measuring to thread the nut. May make it like a clasp nut so I can adjust it for wear. 
, I didn't break it, bought a box of used one`s on TRD/me, some are good and very handy.

----------


## homebrew.357

Still in milling mode, have changed the cutter for a rounded tip one so puts a corner Radis to help stop cracking. This is now milled out to size ready for the hammer and breach block so may have look at carving them out from a lump of 4140 I had left over from the Sharps build. Still a lot of work on the action yet, watch this space,  :Have A Nice Day: , could be a few years before it goes bang.
, Coming on slowly.

----------


## homebrew.357

So with that part milled out it`s really starting to look like it will do the job. Fear bit of work to do yet but it`s coming a long, here`s what it looks like so far and the pins are a snug fit so I`m happy with that. 
, What can I say.
, Pins are a tap out fit,  :Thumbsup:

----------


## Micky Duck

lovely work...

----------


## homebrew.357

OK, so having milled out all the centre it needs to be square in the round corners, this was achieved by using a T/C tipped cutter from a saw blade first and then a small HSS square one to finish. Mounted in the four jaw chuck and set at the right height the lathe saddle is moved back and forward like a shaper, with small infeed on cross slide got the job done. 
, T/C tipped blade cutter first.

, square one to finish.

----------


## SixtyTen

Jeez your a clever bugger. Its amazing what you can get that lathe to do. Nice simple solutions too.

----------


## homebrew.357

Yes I can get it to do most things, here`s one, It helps with my beer supplies, :Have A Nice Day:  as I use shims to pack things up I have found that ali beer cans cut into strips are the best for this. Different brands of beer come in cans of different wall thickness and have let my wife know that I must have them for my hobby, but you will have to empty them first she said, I know, its a hard job but I know I "CAN" do it.

----------


## RUMPY

> OK, so having milled out all the centre it needs to be square in the round corners, this was achieved by using a T/C tipped cutter from a saw blade first and then a small HSS square one to finish. Mounted in the four jaw chuck and set at the right height the lathe saddle is moved back and forward like a shaper, with small infeed on cross slide got the job done. 
> Attachment 145656, T/C tipped blade cutter first.
> Attachment 145657
> Attachment 145658, square one to finish.
> Attachment 145659


So how are you getting the square vertical edge at the far away side from this angle? Do you flip the whole action vertical and slot drill across the lower edge? Or shim action up and down with current setup?

----------


## RUMPY

http://www.youtube.com/shorts/Aag-GvhxEwA

Just saw this and thought a few would find it interesting.

----------


## homebrew.357

Well guys this bloody lock down bit is a bugger wearing out my shoes walking the dog , getting wood to keep the fire going. My lathe has packed a sad, broken gear in gear box so using it by hand. Yep still working on my project and a few others to keep busy , so its coming along with my back yard way. I have made a barrel for it , just have to chamber it. Pic`s so far.

----------


## homebrew.357

The first mill cut out .650" slot and I needed .735" per the plans, so after a reset up to get it lined up on centre I mounted a broken mill cutter with only one cutting flute. Set in the four jaw chuck I can offset it to fly cut out to the right size, just adjust the jaws a bit to set the cutter out a bit more till the slot is at the right size, stopped at .734" so I can give it a bit of a polish. Yes there is a bit of slop in the cross slide, so spring helps and small cuts, one off my coming up projects, a new nut, have some torbin bronze and ali bronze for it and as I need the cross slide to do this will have to do some careful measuring to thread the nut. May make it like a clasp nut so I can adjust it for wear. 
, I didn't break it, bought a box of used one`s on TRD/me, some are good and very handy.

----------


## homebrew.357

Still in milling mode, have changed the cutter for a rounded tip one so puts a corner Radis to help stop cracking. This is now milled out to size ready for the hammer and breach block so may have look at carving them out from a lump of 4140 I had left over from the Sharps build. Still a lot of work on the action yet, watch this space,  :Have A Nice Day: , could be a few years before it goes bang.
, Coming on slowly.

----------


## homebrew.357

So with that part milled out it`s really starting to look like it will do the job. Fear bit of work to do yet but it`s coming a long, here`s what it looks like so far and the pins are a snug fit so I`m happy with that. 
, What can I say.
, Pins are a tap out fit,  :Thumbsup:

----------


## Micky Duck

lovely work...

----------


## homebrew.357

OK, so having milled out all the centre it needs to be square in the round corners, this was achieved by using a T/C tipped cutter from a saw blade first and then a small HSS square one to finish. Mounted in the four jaw chuck and set at the right height the lathe saddle is moved back and forward like a shaper, with small infeed on cross slide got the job done. 
, T/C tipped blade cutter first.

, square one to finish.

----------


## SixtyTen

Jeez your a clever bugger. Its amazing what you can get that lathe to do. Nice simple solutions too.

----------


## homebrew.357

Yes I can get it to do most things, here`s one, It helps with my beer supplies, :Have A Nice Day:  as I use shims to pack things up I have found that ali beer cans cut into strips are the best for this. Different brands of beer come in cans of different wall thickness and have let my wife know that I must have them for my hobby, but you will have to empty them first she said, I know, its a hard job but I know I "CAN" do it.

----------


## RUMPY

> OK, so having milled out all the centre it needs to be square in the round corners, this was achieved by using a T/C tipped cutter from a saw blade first and then a small HSS square one to finish. Mounted in the four jaw chuck and set at the right height the lathe saddle is moved back and forward like a shaper, with small infeed on cross slide got the job done. 
> Attachment 145656, T/C tipped blade cutter first.
> Attachment 145657
> Attachment 145658, square one to finish.
> Attachment 145659


So how are you getting the square vertical edge at the far away side from this angle? Do you flip the whole action vertical and slot drill across the lower edge? Or shim action up and down with current setup?

----------


## RUMPY

http://www.youtube.com/shorts/Aag-GvhxEwA

Just saw this and thought a few would find it interesting.

----------


## homebrew.357

Well guys this bloody lock down bit is a bugger wearing out my shoes walking the dog , getting wood to keep the fire going. My lathe has packed a sad, broken gear in gear box so using it by hand. Yep still working on my project and a few others to keep busy , so its coming along with my back yard way. I have made a barrel for it , just have to chamber it. Pic`s so far.

----------

