I have a milled octagon barrel that needs to be finished by draw filing. Can somebody give me some pointers of how to do it.

Send it to someone with a long sander set up for Octagons is the best, draw filing is a PITA.

If you just have to do it yourself start with a flat single cut file. Start with your hands on both sides of the file and push in one direction only. Make sure that you keep the file flat at all times. After you've done the entire barrel with the fine file. Using a hardwood flat block wide enough to hold on both sides of the barrel. Hold the block at 45 degrees angle as you push it forwards and alternate which way you to the 45deg angle. Work your way up through progressively finer grades of emory paper. Emory works well because you don't have to replace it on the block as often. Before you reach the finest grades that you plan to polish to it is very helpfull to carefully bead blast the barrel as this really shows up scratches that are hard to see.
Good Luck, I'm sure I've forgotten something here - other than it's a lot of work to do right........DJ

find an abrasives supply house for the injection mold making industry. Get hones from 400 grit to 900 grit and have a ball. After you get complete with the 900 grit hones you go to balsa wood and pastes of diamond compound and all the way to "stardust" if you wish. It's the most fabulous finish ever. You can achieve a mirror if you wish. I personally would be happy stopping with a 900 grit finish

There are two people who post on here on occasion that have a lot of experience with this, neither of which is me. They are Roger Kehr, aka scrollcutter, and Mark Stratton who specializes in octagon barrels. Roger does it with a sanding belt and Mark with files, I believe. I took Mark's octagon class and I finished mine up with plumber's cloth backed with wood. I can not remember if that was Mark's preffered method or not. Hopefully they will pipe in here or I will email this thread to the two of them and you can have the best of both methods.

In crosby texas therer's a shop called cherokee rifles.... jack smith owns the place (no relation) and has a made octagon barrels his primary focus in gunsmithing.

I am certain jack could fix you right up

jeffe

Thanks for the replies. It looks like I have my work cut out. 900 grit is fine enough for me. This not a presentation rifle, but just an H&R Handi coverted from a 223 to 257 Roberts by reboring. It had a heavy 24" bull barel. I toke some fat off by milling it to octagon. The octagon turned out well. When I get it all done I show you some pictures.

I cut about 20 to 30 octagon barrels a year. I've been doing it for about 30 years so you can do the math on my experience level. Here's who I draw file an octagon.

The barrel in mounted in a vice by the muzzle, there is a support under the breech end. You need to approach the barrel from either end. Turn the barrel in the vice as needed. When you use a file, draw it toward you using your sence of balance to position the file. You can feel if the file is cutting all the way accross the flat. Look and see the file marks as you work. That will tell you if your doing it correctly.

The barrels I mill usually have a 1.500 inch radius into the cylinder section of the barrel. I start there with a Swiss Pattern file, use a half round. You're looking to remove the machine or cutter marks. For the flat of the octagon use a 12 or 14 inch Simmons Bastard cut. Hold the file by its end an feel the file make the cut. Us a file card often to remove the shavings. I only use Simmons or Nicholson files. This is the time to send the money for a good file.

What ever you do, don't approach the flat from the side. You will roll an edge. Funny thing about octagons, you use the top flat as a sighting plane, if you roll an edge it will show up like a sore thumb.

As for polishing, start with a 100 wet and dry and work your way up. Again approach the barrel from its end as in draw filling. Always back the paper with a solid block of some kind. For the radius section I made a block with a matching radius.

Mark, do you like to chalk your files when you are draw-filing?.........DJ

That's a picture of "push filing"-the file is being pushed away from your body. "Draw filing" pulls (draws) the file towards you. the file handle will be in your left hand.