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I had this same idea a couple years ago about learning to be a smith. There's only 3 or 4 smiths in manitoba so I bought a lathe and many many books. I've been learning a little here and there by practicing on junk guns and barrels.

OP I will say that if you want to be a smith the biggest hurdle is buying tools. Be easy to drop 10k and still need more stuff for a real smith shop. I hope to get there some day but I won't work on anybody else's guns until I feel 100% sure I know my stuff.
 
I smithed M14/M1A rifles and a few or more enfields for 5 or 6 years , farming the machining work out to dlask arms.
It worked well as I was close by.
These days, I'm not smithing but the tools are certainly piling up LOL
I can't get over how much having a quality milling machine and lathe in the shop have changed virtually every project/hobby I have and I'm not even counting gun stuff LOL
 
grumpyold said:
Your right tools are the killer. Lathe and a mill are big bucks. Watch the auctions some great deals to be had.
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I started with a 1950's Colchester master 13x36" lathe which has been great and the price was right. But now that I know how to operate a lathe I'm on the hunt for something newer!

But yep there's more money in tools then profit for setting up to be a smith IMHO but that's not an issue for me cause I'm learning due to the fact that I'm in my early 30's and at the rate the good old timers are retiring/kicking the bucket i was worried that I will not be able to keep my oldies shooting for my lifetime.

So the journey began.
 
And OP, becoming a smith is a long process where you slowly add to your knowledge base.

I started by repairing broken guns that needed new springs or small parts replaced. Then I learned bedding /stock work.

Then I started doing crowning and counterboring and some barrel work on my lathe.

Basically if you want to learn you can buy books and lots of project guns. The more actions you work on the better off ypu are as it makes you more well rounded as a smith.

Sometimes you gotta just dive in and do a repair for yourself as that builds confidence. I've learned a lot from books but more often then not I've gotten more by just doing a project.

I remeber the first time I pulled a barrel from a rifle I was super nervous to test fire it. Now I have the technique down better and it's no biggie.

I'll finnish by saying it's also very usefull having a place in the country to set up shop as its always good to test fire guns after a repair and it's so much easier to step outside your shop and touch the gun off.
 
I have been a backyard gunsmith for decades. It is a hobby and very addictive at that. The only tools I don't have are, a lathe and a milling machine. Anything that would require these tools I take to friends that do have them. A friend of mine is a full time gunsmith so I take my barrel changes to him as he has a barrel vice and most of the action wrenches. If I need more than cold blueing, another friend has tanks set up for hot blueing and all I do is the prep and polish.
So, you can do a whole hell of a lot without the major tools.
On my bench right now, I have a Martini Henry that I am rebuilding the shattered forstock on. All woodwork, chisels, files and glue.
Amazing what you can do with just hand tools and the basic mechanics kit.
So don't shy away from the job if you don't have $20,000 worth of big tools.
 
Points, I can't agree more with your post. There's lots of stuff that can be done without the big hurdles of getting the big machine tools.

We tend to focus on the metal working and other jobs that require the big machine tools but in reality gunsmithing is at least half wood working. And a big part of that and the metal working is simple tools used well. As the old saying goes "The Devil is in the details" and that applies in spades to gun smithing.

I like your pragmatic approach to it all. Job out the parts of the work needing the big machines or hot dipping and do the rest yourself with the tools you have.

Gun smithing isn't something we just pick up overnight either. The hand skills needed come from lots of practice in actually doing. Often simple shop made hand jigs can serve us well and for some jobs replace the big mill or lathe. And the lowly metal file becomes a tool which can perform near miracles when used with skill, attention and a few of those shop made jigs.

I'd suggest that a lot of work can be done with little more than a good sturdy, heavy and well secured bench that has a good big and heavy bench vise on one end and a good quality wood working vise on the other end. The only stationary machine that I feel is almost a must is a medium size bench mount drill press. Other than these a few drawers full of hand tools and the willingness to learn to use them well with lots of time at the bench making dust and shavings and any budding gun smith is well on their way.

Training fodder in the form of old and abused guns is easily found for cheap at any of the regular gun swap shows. In particular there's scads of abused .22's out there. And old Cooey barrels seem to be in good abundance at the shows I've been to. Here again you may need to pay a regular smith to match up the end to a new action but you can get it fixed up and looking all shiny and new and then sell it to more than pay for your outlay and the out sourced work.
 
BCrider. We seem to come from the same school. On my first armourers course, we learned blacksmithing, woodwork and how to use all the hand tools. we had to make gun parts without the use of any machine tools. Machine tools just make it a whole hell of a lot faster.
We learned how to repair stocks without ever thinking of power sanders and such things. That is not to say I don't use them. There is nothing like the feel of a good wood file on a piece of walnut. But then remember,I am in it for the hobby. Not to make money.
My principal power tools are, a drill press, a bench grinder/ wire wheel/ buffer (for polishing and prep) and hand drills.
I have a whole hell of a lot of other power tools but these are my main instruments of destruction.
You can't have too much in the way of hand tools like files, rasps etc.
 
While I can do the wood working, carving was a huge hobby of mine earlier in life, I've instead gone the other route and added composites to my smithing skills. Designing and making the stocks , custom or reproductions from a donor stock.
Right now I'm learning the finer points of leather crafting and one that's funny to me and reminiscent of childhood, wood burning.
I have Tig welders, parkerizing tanks, blasting cabinet, spray booth, composite/paint curing oven, full size Beaver Mill and a 4 foot engine lathe and a full set of smithing tools..... And I don't think I'll ever go back to professional smithing again hehehe. I'm just having too much fun with my own projects LOL
 
You can't have too much in the way of hand tools like files, rasps etc.
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I certainly agree with that one. And in fact I treat my good files and rasps with the same care as any other fine edged cutting tools. The do not get set down or put in a place where they can rub against each other. I also circulate them with the older ones that did manage to kiss some hard metals from time to time used for any risky use and the good ones kept for working metals that I know are soft.

Mind you while I appreciate the use of hand tools and use mine a LOT I've also got all the big machines too.... :d
 
There are still a number of general gunsmiths around. What I've really noticed is specialty smiths are growing. Pistol, rifle, AR platform only services. In Canada I think someone could have a good home based service for stocks only, grips only, etc., pick one and slowly become the go to guy or gal. There are only a few specialty shops around and a large amount of certain items are U.S. based. Trying to set up a do all shop is expensive but a specialty shop needs only a portion of the equipment.
 
Grumpyold is bang on there.
While I was servicing the M305/M1A/LRB rifles I was turning as many folks away as I was booking in. It got frantically busy. I was also making custom composite rifle stocks at the same time. It was all just me, no employees, except for a brief time when my oldest son helped out for a while with stocks. I learned a crap load over a decade of that.
I will be returning to the making of custom composite rifle stocks again one day but I've had my fill of gunsmithing for money LOL
 
Gentlemen, just a little update. I am taking a short course of Milling Machine Operator at BCIT ( no time and no money for the 4 yrs programme), very excited and eager to learn . I may take the lathe course in the summer time (it is getting cold now at night and they don't close the door in the shop). Once again , thanks to you all to contribute to this thread. Good day. :)
 
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