barrel channel

[jarrowood]

does anyone know where i can get a couple of endmill's ground into half octagon cutters?
thanks for the help.

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

No, but wouldn't or couldn't you use a router bit instead?
Jeff

 

[dlocke]

You can machine your own out of a router bit, or do what I'd do and have a skilled machinist friend do it for you. That being said, I've done finish carpentry work with similar router bits and have found that curly hardwood has a notorious tendency to chip out, so be very careful.
JL

 

[wszumera]

Here is another way.

My uncle (eph289) used two different router bits, a straight and one with a 45 degree profile along with a router guide the stock was clamped into.

Clutch

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Sweet! I like that set up. I've seen using a straight bit to route the channel, then a chisle to put in the 45's. This looks like it'll do the job.
Scott

 

[wulf]

Being this far down the list you may never read
this comment...About a year and a half I wrote a
article for MuzzleLoader Mag. discribing a very
easy to make 4 foot wooden vice to hold the stock
and a straight edge to guide the router..The half
octagon router bits I turned myself on a lathe.
They were made of anything I could get my hands
on...not carbide necessary. I have been using
these bits/cutters for over 30 years with only a
light clean up..The reason they can last so long
is I use a slow feed. I don't cut too deep each
time..I have worked with routers for 35 years and
have to admit that I know how to use them. Check
out muzzleLoader magazine...I was going to write
an article on how to inlay a swamped barrel but
got sick and that ended that..The suggestion of
using the two router bits works very well and I
use that on the swamped barrels where as I use
the half octagon on a straight barrel..

 

[hcook]

Wulf, when ever you feel up to it, I would love to see a tutorial on routing a swamped barrel channel.

 

[wulf]

Sorry I can't give you any details as I still
plan to finish the article but I can tell you that
I make a template of the swamped barrel and use
the two router bits to make the cut. This is very
accurate and clean leaving very little finish to
be done.CK issue #July/Aug 2005 MuzzleLoader Mag
The article on cutting a groove. Shows how to make
the vice to hold the stock and the sine bar to control the router..

 

[jarrowood]

thank you for the cool pic of how you cut a barrel channel with a router and all the other wonderful information. i will also be checking that back issue of muzzleloader mag. to read your article. i had to cut the barrel channel on my 1 1/2 octagon full stock bench gun. i used my mill with a 2 flute end mill cutting the sides and bottom and then cut the angles with a chisel. this way worked well and now i am doing all my guns this way and i was looking for something that was a little faster.

 

[wulf]

The pics above are not mine and those are not pics
of me.What I did was send in an article to M.L. discribing the fixture for cutting a barrel groove
Far less complicated than the one above but each of us has to make something we are using to solve
a problem.