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bowkill

45 Cal.
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Oct 5, 2007
Messages
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Is it possible to swamp a straight barrel by hand on on a small mill? any body ever try it.
 
Roy did you just use hand tools? I figured it would be more work than i would save in money..
 
Used a disc/belt sander to do a good portion of work and then used files.. I did it just to prove to myself that I could :youcrazy: :idunno:
 
I didn't time it.. just did a couple flats at a time till it was done..
 
I did a couple of them...I made a fixture with
an index and draw filed using guides....worked
well...wrote and article for Muzzle Loader Mag.
Wulf
 
Just holding up my thumb for a estimate I'd say a good cut with a draw file stroke will remove maybe one half thousandth (.0005) of material.

If the swamp is 1/8" deep that's only 250 strokes.
Of course, that's only one flat and there are at least 5 of them exposed so, 1,250 strokes and four or five new files later the person will be able to crack walnuts with his fingers and crush unopened cans of beer with his grip.
He will also be ready to admit that, "NEVER AGAIN will I swamp a barrel with a draw file!"
 
I cut a pistol barrel from green mountain from octagon to 2" Oct fading into round the rest of the way. Well I can say that I won't do that again unless it is necessary. I locked out tho and managed to get some files that take about 1/32" off at a time! Old autobody files Haha!
 
In the 118th century they swamped them on a grindstone with a fixture. There is a photo of the machine in the book [ the age of firearms]
 
if i try it it will be with powder tools, or i might do a half round on the mini lathe. i have been playing with barrel pieces and should be easy i think....
 
Good luck. Whenever I think something is going to be easy, usually turns out to be the opposite. Especially with power tools. flinch
 
Hi,
A lot depends on the steel. Green Mountain barrels are pretty tough. That said I swamped a 29" long GM barrel to make an English sporting rifle. I've also done several pistol barrels that were not GM and the steel was much easier to work. The way I did the long barrel was to determine the diameters I wanted at different locations on the barrel. I then filed those spots to the required diameters with hand files. Then I used the round drum of a 6" edge sander to grind away metal between the filed portions. Then I draw filed the barrel to smooth the tapers. It was not hard but took me at least 8 solid hours distributed over 2 days. The pistol barrels were much easier and I intend to do many more because no one makes the profiles I will need for many of my future projects.

dave
 
Its not impossible. That said it sure as heck ain't going to be easy. Its going to take so many set ups and or moves on the table your going to wonder why you started this by the time you get half done. What is the "X" movement on you r mill?

The first three or four cuts will be easier because you have flat surfaces to mount the barrel on or to line it up. Now the final cuts will have to be lined up on swamped surfaces that will require shimming or any number of other ways to line the cutting surface up.

Oh yeah on a 42" or 48" barrel you could get some warp or twist that will make this even more challenging. Tip Curtis used to sell some seconds tossed in a barrel at Friendship. It was pretty obvious that even some barrel makers had some problems with twist and etc.

Fileing could be quicker.

Looks like your x movement is 7" plus inches. Even more challenging.
 
I may just do the octagonal to round thing on my mini lathe, would be allot easier...
 
I did it using a belt grinder attachment on an 8" grinder, for a 10" piece of GM .54 15/16" barrel.
Probably 8-12 hours work. I tend to look, measure and think a lot.
I made a swamping gage with crews into a piece of wood, heads ground to shank diameter. One end stop, one each at 1/3 and max depth. Use the screwdriver to set, then get all sides matching.
1-barrel-cut-marked-for-taper.jpg


2-Barrel-with-handle.jpg

7-four-flats%20swamped.jpg

8-Swamped%20flats.jpg

9-flared-muzzle.jpg
 
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