Machinist input on Gunsmith Lathe

Nice job Mikee. I wish to pick up some gunsmithing skills, but gunsmiths are a dying breed in Canada, sort of like swordmakers. Smiths are far and few between and when you do find one who you would entrust your prized firearm to... be prepared to wait a long time.

Who knows, there may be a resurgence of demand for gunsmiths in Canada although I don't hold out much hope.

Maybe I'll specialize in re-barreling prohib PPK's and Makarovs into restricted!
 
Becoming a good gunsmith, as opposed to a gun technician, is much like becoming a specialist in medicine. To become a specialist first you must become a general practitioner. Then you spend more years of learning the area of your chosen specialty.

Full service gunsmithing is much the same. The road to becoming a good fully capable gunsmith starts by becomeing a skilled and well rounded machinist and metal worker. THEN you go on to learn the specialty aspects of applying those skills to firearms.

The trouble is that few these days take up the challenge of learning the basics. Everyone wants to jump into CNC or just read a few books and then call themselves an "engineer". But CNC is not a process that lends itself to one off projects to a high degree. Nor does a couple of night school courses make one into a well rounded craftsman such as we created with the old apprentice/journeyman/master system of training.

Mikee, that last bit wasn't aimed at you in any specific way. And in fact as someone that has done a few of these things I suspect you'll agree that while you picked up some good skills and knowledge related to the special jobs you did it likely just shows you how little you really do know when you stop to consider metal working of this sort as a whole.
 
I totally understand what BRRider is saying.

Like everything else, it takes time to become good. I spent most of my first classes just cutting threads, grinding tools or trying to hit specific sizes on practise scraps.

My first rebarrel project turned out pretty decent (for my first time) but I'm trying to improve my skills as I go.

For my second rebarrel project I'm going to keep my tolerances tighter and make nicer/smoother cuts.

For now, I'm just focusing on the Rem 700 platform as it's actually pretty easy to work with.

I asked a lot of questions when working on my first project and now that I have one project down, I find I dont ask anywhere near as many questions. I just think through things and tackle them as I go.

I definately know my limits. I can turn and thread a barrel shank, cut a chamber, headspace and crown but I'm not at all comfortable trying to square-up actions or bolt lugs.

I have no intention of being a gunsmith. I do this just for fun and to challenge myself. Working with tools and machinery is so much different than sitting at my office desk during the day that I really enjoy and look forward to getting into the shop. I think almost everyone in the classes would agree that we're all way too slow to actually make money working on guns.
 
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