Gunsmithing Questions On Lathes

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digadv

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Hi all,

Brand new here and a beginner machinist. My question is what size of a lathe should I be considering for personal gunsmithing work? Uses would range from small reloading parts to threading barrels and truing actions. Also, what features should I be considering?

I've looked at both the Grizzly and PM lines and my head is spinning.

Thanks,
Gary
 
Gary,

Here is a good discussion on various options for lathes. The Eisen posted by MKSJ is real nice one with its options.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...athe-should-i-buy-question.49329/#post-415789


I have an ACER 1236 with a MT5 spindle taper and D1-4 camlock. It serves me well doing barrels and making jigs and stuff. So far with pre-turned barrels that you can get with just about in any contour I do not see the need for a longer center to center since taper contouring barrels is not something I plan on doing.

However, I am in the process in installing an older belt drive Jet 1024, a very stout little guy. With its very short spindle it will be a dedicated machine for chambering AR barrels in the headstock with an outboard spider.

Features?

For me, short spindle for chambering in the headstock. You can chambere between centers as others do, which way is what you are comfortable with.

Variable speed drive. I am spoiled with the VFD. With the VFD I thread with the half nuts engaged the whole time, again just my preference.

DRO. I do not have one on the ACER, but the dated analog TravADial I have on the lathe has been great. I think I prefer to follow the revolving hands of the TravADial over the fast spinning slot machine like numbers on the DRO when turning to a shoulder. There are times when I wish I have a DRO on the cross slide, but with the 2 inch dial indicator feeler on the tool post I can make fine adjustments. TS DRO or dial indicator when chambering as verification, but I rely mostly on the Dave Kiff/Nat Lambeth MARS, micro adjustable reamer stop.

I do not use coolant, a feature I may not use even if my lathes were equipped with one. Just don't want to deal with the coolant mess.

Belt drive over gear drive, I hear from people that the belt driven machines tend to put out better looking threadat over the other. I will soon find out when the Jet 1024 is operational.

Caveat, I am not a gunsmith nor a machinist, I am just responding with the little I know and learned when I ventured into doing barrels for my competition rifles.
 
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I've got a G4003G. Already built a rifle on it. A smokeless muzzle loader. Came out great. Shoots MOA. Instead of DRO's I use a 1" dial indicator mounted on the x-slide & a 2" dial indicator for the long feed. I like mechanical DI's as the sweep of the pointer allows me to anticipate stop points.
 
I have the G4003G. Awesome machine for your purpose. The spider is a necessity whether it comes equipped or you make one.
 
Thank you all for the replies. Since you all have 12" lathes, do you feel that's a requirement? Would a 10" or 11" suffice?
 
It's important to have a spindle bore that will fit a barrel blank. Blanks come in 1.5 and 1.25 inches. A swing smaller than 12 would be fine if the spindle bore is 1.5 inches but I haven't seen that in smaller machines.
 
Rigidity could be an issue with some small lathes. 12 inches is where many brands of today seem to get features that are nice to have. I think 1.5 bore should be the minimum.
 
digadv said:
Thank you all for the replies. Since you all have 12" lathes, do you feel that's a requirement? Would a 10" or 11" suffice?
Click to expand...

I had a 1024 and replaced it with newer Jet 1024. Both are Taiwan made. I chambered a few AR barrels with the first 1024 with no problem. The spindle bore is close to 1 1/8, but the factory turned blanks are 1.025, so no problem on chambering through the headstock. The Jet 1024 will be dedicated for AR barrels and that would free up the 1236 for other projects.
 
Look at the width of the head stock shorter the better. On my old Sheldon 20" is about the minimum.
 
Thanks EB - would you mind explaining the rationale of wanting a narrower head stock? I'm still drinking from a firehouse in learning lathes. I'm assuming the spindle width is not included in the measurement?
 
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