Thread: How to start gunsmithing

Teach yourself how to use the lathe.

There are several excellent YouTube resources. Abom79 is one I would recommend.

Start off by using the lathe to make some tools. A spring loaded tap follower is a good starter project. Then make a headstock spider to hold and center barrels at the outboard end.

Save up your pocket money and buy the best measuring tools you can afford. Accurate measuring is the basis for all prescision machining.

A nice cheap way to increase your skills is learning how to grind HSS tool bits. Buy several blanks and grind bits for a variety of materials and types of turning. It is a skill that will help you for the rest of your life.