Draw filing prior to browning

[walter lynn]

Will be browning a TOW kit barrel. Any advise on whether to draw file or just use emory cloth prior to browning? I hear that the browning solution works best on a rougher surface. If it's draw filing, any tips on the correct procedure would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help.

 

[dek]

:winking: I have always draw filed octigan barrels before browning. If you are working with a round barrel then use emery cloth.

 

[Robert58]

In Machinist School I was tought to use an 8" flat single cut file. Fill in the teeth with white chalk to cut down on metal removal and work in one direction only.

Robert

 

[jmckenney]

I'll add to Robert58's post, clean the file often with a file card and refill with chalk or soap stone. I load the file with soap stone, both sides top to bottom. Start the draw filing process near my dominate hand, make a few cuts, flip he file make a few more, then move the file to expose a section of the unused loaded file. Continue flipping and moving until the entire file has been used, then clean and reload with filler.Be careful not to tip the file or apply greater pressure on one end or the other, as this will round the edges.Wipe the barrel with a clean cloth often to remove metal filings. When your finished drawfiling, degrease the barrel and don't handle it again with bare hands, wear clean cotton gloves or latex/rubber gloves.
For best results use a new file or at least one that doesn't have any rust or metal embedded in the cutting surfaces.

 

[walter lynn]

Do I have to draw file or can I use emory cloth and a straight edge? Thanks

 

[Zonie]

If you use an abrasive be sure to back it up with a hard, flat block so it doesn't round off the edges of the flats.

IMO, "Emery Cloth" makes for a slow process because emery is a rather soft natural stone.
Look for some of the black "wet/dry" sandpaper.
This is coated with Silicone Carbide, one of the hardest man made materials around.
I think it will work much better than emery.

For some information on filing you might want to check out this post:
FILING 101

 

[Darkhorse]

If this is a Colrain barrel then you are just about going to have to file it first. Look a the barrel real close and you will see fine little lines running the length of the barrel. Those are tooling marks and one reason the barrels are cheaper is that you don't pay to have those cleaned up.
Don't worry about the filing too much. If you don't have a file card you can run to Ace and buy a 10" bastard cut and just throw it away when you get done. The important thing is to try and keep the file level. You are trying to just file these lines off so that your sanding will actually polish the barrel and not the top of the lines.
It will be much better though if you can purchase a file card when you buy your file. A file card keeps the file clean.
I card them all, from the little swiss files right on up. I have some files that are really old and still cut good.