Advise on barrel contouring

[rogee07]

The side forces generated by the cutting tool, when contouring a barrel blank, can be reduced by the shape of the cutting tool and the angle the tool is presented to the work. What would be the optimum cutting tool shape, and cutting angle? I have tapper contoured a number of short barrels with no problems. However, I'm wanting to tapper a 26" barrel blank, to a light weight sporter configuration, and am a little concerned about about barrel flex during the process. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Ringo]

buy it from a good barrel maker.
if you gonna buy a blank, they will contour it for something like $40.
not worth your time to fiddle with it

[rogee07]

That's good advise, I could sell off the lathes and milling machine and just pick my nose in my old age!

[rws]

My understanding the lathes have a tracing capability but also hydraulic follow rest that maintain a constant pressure to oppose the cutting tool. A straight taper is one thing, a sporter contour is another animal, and smaller.

I have bought 1.250 blanks and turned them down to suit my weight needs, but I do it in steps, like the old Mausers. I have also used the compound 3" at a time to turn a taper, never again.

[Tim The Grim]

Adjustable tension, spring loaded, dual bearing follower rest with high durometer urethane shells on the bearing ODs. Wire brush wipers to keep chips from building up on the wheels.
I saw this in a drive shaft, custom axle shop turning bar stock into products. Worked great. No hydraulics and no rocket science. They made it themselves.

[rogee07]

I am thinking in terms of a straight tapper. The barrel would be first reduced to 1" in diameter, from the original diameter of 1.250" with a .812 barrel shank and starting the tapper about 1" ahead of the action down to about .600" or less at the muzzle. This might require a step at the 1" tapper starting point, so as to end up with pleasing looking tapper.

[Bob La Londe]

Sounds like a good reason to make a taper attachment, and maybe some custom guide bars for a pneumatic assisted cross slide. That should keep you from picking your nose for a while. I make no claims about tearing your hair out or rending of fabric. .

[gzig5]

How about just offsetting the tail stock? That method has been used for decades to turn a straight taper. You can use a boring head adapted to the tail stock to have a somewhat repeatable setting. If the offset is big enough you may want to use a ball on the support instead of a pointed center. You'll need some sort of traveling support that is self adjusting.