Help in London UK

Hi
very new to the forum but I need real help real fast. I have a business that needs threads fitting to very fine tolerances and very accurately indexed. I have never used a lathe in my life but I've lost my engineer and need someone to tutor me to do it myself. I'll need advice on how to do the job I need and I'm very happy to pay to be taught but I just don't know where to start. I'm a willing pupil and will need to buy a machine and mill afterwards.
Any help greatefully received!!!
Ta
Fraggle

Hi and welcome...

When you say you've lost your engineer, was this someone you used who had their own lathe etc. or someone who worked for you on your own equipment (I suspect the former as you mention buying your own).

There are many engineering companies around who can do small jobs, but they may not be cost effective as the main cost is in the setup time.

What exactly do you want done?

Sorry can't help as I'm not near London but you mention tight tolerance threads and accurately indexed.

Now don't get me wrong but something like this requires experience that's been hard won and not 'training '

Training has to be done, but experience only comes with time, do you have this time at present that's the question you have to ask yourself before you make a current decision.

It may be easier to subcontract the work out to an engineering company.

Is that Gavin? :beer:

Robin! Hello chap. Yes exactly. I've parted ways with our engineer and so need help fitting actions. Bit of a struggle to be honest.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by irving2008

Hi and welcome...

When you say you've lost your engineer, was this someone you used who had their own lathe etc. or someone who worked for you on your own equipment (I suspect the former as you mention buying your own).

There are many engineering companies around who can do small jobs, but they may not be cost effective as the main cost is in the setup time.

What exactly do you want done?

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I need something very specific but have been told just to learn how to do it myself. I need a 2" stainless rifle barrel threaded and fitted to a pre-threaded rifle action (all totally above board please don't panic) and then chambered to a very exact depth with a chamber reamer, the chamber is then polished, job done.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by littlefraggle

I need something very specific but have been told just to learn how to do it myself. I need a 2" stainless rifle barrel threaded and fitted to a pre-threaded rifle action (all totally above board please don't panic) and then chambered to a very exact depth with a chamber reamer, the chamber is then polished, job done.

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large diameter and stainless... not something I'd have a go at, stainless steel isnt easy stuff to work with I understand (having never tried it myself). Definitely a job for the bigger toys.

May not be any help, but had some good precision grinding work done for me by the guys at Multigrind out at Rickmansworth. Did it for me as an out of hours activity for a lot less than it would have been otherwise. They have all the toys you need...

2"? Anti-tank? :naughty:

Threading is probably between centres, chambering will require an independant chuck, self centreing isn't accurate enough.

The big unknown is the hardness of the steel and you probably want to thread up to a shoulder which is an extra complication especially if you want barrel furniture to line up. You'd probably have to adjust the shoulder after cutting the thread unless you were very good.

Some steels are a toad to thread cleanly, the metal tending to tear and gall if you aren't grinding. OTOH it must be possible but you need to talk to someone who's actually doing it. Google it and find some helpful American prepared to spill the beans. It's probably all comes down to the tooling.

For an accurate thread I'd usually screw cut it on the lathe, slightly shy of the final thread size to get the pitch right, then run a die to finish it with buckets of anti-gall lube. OTOH, if they can button rifle this stuff maybe they can roll the thread, not something I have ever done :beer:

Robin