Reamer chatter.........

Chino...I agree with you that it seems strange to think a reamer is too sharp..but not being a tool and die maker it is hard to say if one can be too sharp...I have 12-15 reamers and never had one that didn't cut (stainless steel) on the first try just like it was designed to...but this .204 Ruger reamer started to chatter as soon as it was fed into the barrel...if I had not spent the time or effort to dial in the barrel...or had a second lathe I might have cut some scrap chambers with it, but how do you know and who has the time to "jack around" with a new reamer to make sure it cuts properly...I fully expect a new reamer to work just as it was designed on the very first chamber...I do not like the idea of dulling a reamer...we all try to keep our reamers in top condition to get the most out of our investments...now all that being said I wonder if this .204 Ruger (Manson) reamer would have worked perfectly in a Chromoly barrel...?

Another lesson in learned...

Eddie in Texas
 
eww1350 said:
Chino...I agree with you that it seems strange to think a reamer is too sharp..Another lesson in learned...

Eddie in Texas
Click to expand...
A too sharp reamer, not unlike climb milling on a conventional milling machine that does not have backlash control, can grab and pull itself into the workpiece. 416 stainless, unlike chromemoly, has very free machining qualities.

Eddie, next time, on a new reamer, try what was mentioned above about rubbing a penny at 45 degrees along the cutting surfaces to instill some dullness. Using a wire brush like you mentioned can cause injury to you and damage the reamer.
 
I've used a BRASS brush on freshly sharpened cutting tools, but, never a stainless one. Applied just enough to remove any grinding 'burrs'.
 
Jerry,..I use my wire wheel to clean threads on screws/bolts it is fairly soft and will not remove skin...in fact I use my bare hands to hold the screws and it is quite gentle...I would never use a stiff wheel...I use the same wire wheel to give a nice brushed finish to stainless actions or hard chromed actions it actually will give a brushed finish to aluminum...also I did work the new reamer over with a copper penny before I tried it and it did not help at all... I then went to the wax paper and heavy grease with better results but messy as heck and I wanted to get a remedy that would let me use the reamer with cutting oil only..that is why I went to the wire wheel...
 
Their is no such thing as a Copper penny! Get some copper tube and only use it if you have a burr. Pennies are made of Zinc. Also how are you holding onto the reamer? Not with a cheep floating reamer holder....
 
I thought the Bald Eagle was known as a "pusher" and a "floating" holder was held in the tail stock and allows for axial/radial alinement of the reamer.
 
dialin' in said:
I thought the Bald Eagle was known as a "pusher" and a "floating" holder was held in the tail stock and allows for axial/radial alinement of the reamer.
Click to expand...

Its according to whether you are from Texas or Pennsylvania. One of the first to use a "floating pusher" was Mike Bryant of Texas. One of the "floating holders" came from Big Bird Gebhardt of Pennsylvania. Either way you get a better job than a rigidly held reamer in the tailstock.

MD Spencer, all pre 1982 pennies are copper with the exception of the 1943 thingy. Now all our money looks like Monpoly money!! Worth about as much too especially since the $16 Trillion TARP bailout.
 
Ya', I'm thinkining along the lines of the Erickson or Somma. Can't see holding any reamer, chucking of chambering, in a ridgid holder. Never have in the 37 yrs. I've been machining for a living. Not if you want the hole to be the right size. I've tried the Bald Eagle and don't care for it. Made my own the same way machine tool makers make tool holders (or used to,, when holders were serial numbered to the machine). It's dedicated to my lathe, may not work on another without adjustment. Cuts chambers the same size as the reamer. Ya' can't cut 'um smaller! I'm just right down the road aways, from Mike.
 
skeetlee said:
Anyone know why this is happening to begin with. Stopping it is one thing, but knowing why is huge. Lee
Click to expand...
Lee, I am convinced that chatter happens when the pilot is too small for the bore. I never use a solid piloted reamer and the only time we ever have a reamer to chatter is when we don't have a large enough bushing to use. Some bores run big and I believe they chatter worst. Waxed paper wrapped around the reamer will get rid of chatter but it's a slow process.

My partner in the shop swears that a spiral fluted reamer won't chatter.
 
Dialin In I sure would like to see some pictures of your reamer holder with maybe a walk through on how to accomplish making one. I am in the market for a reamer holder and would prefer to make my own if possible.

J.Louis
 
The floating pusher wasn't original with me. I got it from Dave Tooley. It's simple to make as its just basically a tube a little oversize of the reamer shank diameter. I still use a Sinclair case holder to hold the reamer and the tube pushes against the case holder letting the reamer float. The handle Jerry Sharrett made would probably be better. After cutting two chambers, one with a dead center pushing the reamer and the other with the pusher. I could tell no discernible movement of the reamer in either chamber. However, the proof was in the shooting. The chamber cut with the pusher cut a smaller chamber than the dead center. The chamber cut with the pusher would not accept brass shot from the other chamber as it had cut just a little oversize. A photo of the pusher that I use is shown below. It's very simple, but it works.

reamerholder.jpg
 
Last edited:
Jerry any chance you could post a picture of your reamer holder, it would be highly appreciated on my behalf.

J.Louis
 
OK, compared to these guys I'm a hacker with a cheapie chicom lathe BUT, I got set up specifically because I wanted my chambers and reloading dies AND SETTINGS to be as nearly identical as humanly possible. I do some custom reloading under 07 FFL license. I claim to be able to reload ammunition for rifles I haven't seen for years and mail it to a client with it fitting and shooting properly.

I could never offer this service were I to be chambering the way I learned in Gunsmithing Schoole.

Using a pusher similar to the one shown I can and have made interchangeable chambers from 6PPC/BR size to 308 to 30-06 to a variant of the 338 Lapua (5 chambers so far for this BigBoy) I haven't been tooled up very long but I'm comfortable matching chambers cut 2yrs ago knowing that my brass will interchange.

This is truly remarkable to me. Nearly unbelievable.
al
 
Louis.J said:
Jerry any chance you could post a picture of your reamer holder, it would be highly appreciated on my behalf.

J.Louis
Click to expand...


The pusher handle is simply a tap wrench I made in a 1950's Industrial Engineering course at Va Tech.
The original square hole made to fit a tap is bored to the diameter of the reamer body.
It was made of 5/16 X 5/16 keystock.
Notice that the bore, machined to fit the reamer body, is bored in the same setup the pusher face is.




Pusher handle and pusher engaging.



The pusher is simply a live center with the 60 degree center replaced by sleeve that is bored 0.015" larger than the reamer shank.
The face of the pusher has a wall thickness of 1/8" at the part where the reamer shank fits.

 
Mr Louis, you're probably best served with a floating pusher, like Mike showed. Mine is more along the lines of an older Ericson/Kennametal floating reamer/tap holder, albeit, It's not made to use split collets. It is quit complicated to make. But, it all begins with the very basics of machining/ machine tool & holder making, those that have their roots in the 'industrial revolution' that began more than 150 yrs. ago. As I've made my living as a job shop machinist/tool maker/machine tool repair man for 37 yrs.+ I find myself using the methods and techniques I learned from those experienced men I worked with when I first began "makin' chips". They don't change, regardless of whether you're in front of a manual mill or lathe, or a CNC. Like I said, I tried a pusher and it wasn't for me. A tutorial about how I made and set-up my holder and lathe just isn't in the cards. It'd take too long to post!
 
Jerry thank you very much for taking the time to share the tool and the process to make it, it is the one I have chosen to use.

Thanks Again
J.Louis
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top