Tailstock trouble.

[chuckorlando]

I honestly was not even thinking about a reamer. I was just thinking a live center.

 

[george wilson]

The Grizzly gunsmith lathes are made with their tailstocks .002" too high. But,they are equipped with a cam operated bolt down that you set with a torque wrench to pull the tailstock down to perfectly in line.

Have you checked the vertical alignment of the tailstock when it is levered down as much as possible? The are slightly flexible(squishable).

I will caution you though,to not overdo clamping the tailstock. We had a 13" Sharp lathe at the shop I bought used. The tailstock camming mechanism broke. Sharp could not manage to recognize their own product,so we just made the part(and improved it too!) I have never had this problem with any other Taiwan made lathe,however. The Sharp was used,so no telling what abuse it might have suffered.

 

[Rangemaster1]

Like everyone says, leave the tail stock alone. I've chambered hundreds of barrels and I've always used a floating reamer holder even though I dial in my bores to "0". I highly recommend Gordy Gritters' DVD on clambering competition barrels. He has a few tricks that are very effective and all the tools he uses can be purchased from Pacific Tool and Gauge. The DVD is available from Grizzly or Gritters gun shop. The setup you're using should be perfect as it is. Good luck.

Ron

 

[Stob]

I should have known better than open this can of worms. Talking about chambering is like talking about politics, it is bound to blow up and force strong opinionated comments that are very biased. I have my method, others have theirs. I too have chambered more barrels than I could ever count, and I chamber for Benchrest competition. I have been successful in my work. I have talked with many of the to benchrest smiths in the eastern US. I don't think any one of them do the exact same thing as one of the others. Is there criticism? No, the proof is on the paper. People can cut a great chamber on very meager lathes, while some use CNC machines that trip 6 figures. They don't shoot any better. Nice to brag about, but......One top shooter doesn't even use a tail stock to do anything but bore a rough hole with a drill bit. The rest is done by the carriage and by hand, yes by hand.

 

[chuckorlando]

Theres room for everyones method and the op is free to find what works best for them.

 

[CoopVA]

I've won 1000 yard F-Class matches with a rifle I chambered by hand with a PTG reamer...


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[Fitch]

Posting this here because I do gun work on my lathe. Am trying other ways to chamber, do it through the headstock now, and was aligning my tailstock. While I was at it decided to tear it apart and clean it up. American Turnmaster 13 X 40, 2 speed motor, Aloris toolpost, 2 axis Mitutoyo DRO. After reassembling it, much easier to adjust, laterally was a snap, heighth is .002 too high. Believe I will put it on the surface grinder and take 2 off. By the way I use a Torque wrench to torque the hold down bolt so that it is repeatable. It always turned a slight taper between centers, which is part of the reason I chamber through the headstock, with an outboard spider. Have a dial indicator rigged up on the tailstock quill for depth and believe I will make a plate to span across the bed and put an indicator on it to bring the tailstock back in position. Maybe just a stop. Any thoughts?

That height difference won't bother anything. I've never seen a new lathe that didn't have the tailstock spindle centerline a few thousandths high. The reason is so that the tailstock and bed can wear into and then slightly past perfect with out introducing measurable errors. My tailstock was 0.005" high when I bought my newest lathe and 25 years of HSM use it's still almost 0.005" high and that doesn't bother anything.

Chambering with a floating reamer pusher eliminates the need for perfect tailstock alignment. Working through the headstock, most barrel work, turning and threading the barrel tenon, crowning the muzzle, chambering, threading for muzzle breaks or suppressors, involves working close to the chuck over short distances taking relatively light cuts. It's only really demanding of the first foot of the bed and the spindle bearings. Everything else can be worked around.

Fitch

 

[rafe]

I've learned something here today , which I usually do . Until I read this last page I thought the height of the tailstock had a more profound effect on the work . Thanks for the insight