.30-30 lee enfield
- Thread starter antiqueguy
- Start date
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
For a while I was looking at making a cross slide for the wood lathe(popular mechanics) just to turn things but I doubt I can get one accurate enough.
I suppose a compound vise could be clamped to the bed of a wood lathe to give controlled x and y axis movement. BUT most wood turning lathes simply do not have the mass or bearings to allow metal turning. Same as putting a compound vise on a drill press and trying to use it as a milling machine.
Speaking of wood lathes, years ago I saw a large lathe made from wood which was designed for machining metal. The beams forming the ways were capped with steel rails. Interesting machine, it had been used for real work. Apparently gun barrels had been drilled on it.
There are various plans out there for making machine tools.
If I remember correctly, I paid three hundred odd dollars for my little 618 Atlas. Small lathe, but it is useful for many jobs. Paid a lot more for my Standard Modern - but it is a capable machine.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
Yes I have seen plans for the multi machine made from a couple engine blocks that kinda makes sense because you can have them machined flat and the bores machined true to the head. Theirs also the concrete lathe plans floating around. But these while relatively cheap(multi machine being a lathe horizontal mill and surface grinder) are finicky to get dialed in.
These days theirs not any $300 lathes south bends are over $1000.
A South Bend Heavy 10 in decent condition would be a gift at $1000. A SB Heavy 10 is an outstanding gunsmithing lathe. I used one a fair bit, as well as a SB 10K. Its problem was the small spindle bore. One SB I did a lot of barrels on was a 16" with 8 foot bed. Serious machine, particularly considering we had to get it moved down a flight of stairs. These vintage SBs are basically antiques now, but if in good shape can do fine work.
But there are many others. You have to keep your eyes open and be ready to move if something decent comes available.
But there are many others. You have to keep your eyes open and be ready to move if something decent comes available.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Lee Enfield builds are quite fun fer sure.
I did one Lee Enfield No.4 up in .32-40 Win as a pest bomber & plinkin' rifle along with another one in .45 ACP and they be mine till I croak.
Me LE 32-40.
Me LE 45 ACP.
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Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Lee Enfield builds are quite fun fer sure.
I did one Lee Enfield No.4 up in .32-40 Win as a pest bomber & plinkin' rifle along with another one in .45 ACP and they be mine till I croak.
Me LE 32-40.
View attachment 725569
Me LE 45 ACP.
View attachment 725825
I wonder if the solution to OP's question would be to rechamber and rebore to 38-55. Lots of brass and bullets out there, and a nice caliber to work with.
Keep an eye out for an Atlas TH54, I got mine in unlabelled zip lock bags and a parts pile after a the previous owner gave up trying to put humpty dumpty back together again after disassembling. Think I payed 700 for the pile of parts including a ton of tooling and a 3 jaw and 4 jaw chuck. Took me a few weeks to figure everything out but I got it back together and made a lathe spider. I have used it for many rebarrel projects and even more shotgun ream and tap jobs for tru choke and rem choke. The through bore is smaller than I'd like but we all start somewhere and I have yet to find a milsurp barrel that won't fit (7/8" through bore if I remember correctly). They are also gear change on a banjo not quick change, which is a bit of a pain but allows you to do way more thread types. I did a cooey carcano 7.62x39 conversion using a lee enfield No1 mk3 barrel with roughly an inch taken off the barrel stub and threaded to 14tpi. The front portion of a 303 chamber is nearly identical to 7.62x39 so I didn't have to buy a chamber reamer. The Atlas is a 1944, it may be old but they can still be made to work. Best of luck, sounds like a fun rainy day project!
Whoever bought the lathe that sold in the last Switzers auction for $575 plus commission and tax did well. Came with a decent amount of tooling. Made 1988. I suspect that its size may have given some folks pause. It was not at Switzers - it was at the consignor's location, and removal was up to the buyer. Might or might not have been an ordeal.
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
oh I imagine that moving a +500Lb chunk of metal is going to be a ordeal regardless of where it is located.
but I always wanted to own a crane truck
for personal use but the wife keeps saying no 
