I'm trying to hand ream a short-chambered A&B barrel with a finish reamer. I've turned it for around twenty minutes with no change in depth measurement off the back of the go gauge. I've swept out very few filings. I've put little to, later, quite a bit of downward force while turning the reamer. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,

Steve

please don't feel insulted by this but I don't know your skills at all...ok?

Are you sure you're turning it the right direction?

Are you sure the reamer is sharp?

Are you using a little cutting oil on it?

Vapo,

No insult taken. I'm twisting in a clockwise direction, pushing the sharp edge into the steel. It "feels" sharp, and it's brand new. I am using cutting oil.

steve

Then I suspect that you have work hardened the steel in the chamber. This can be a very difficult thing to fix if it's the case.

I suggest you take your reamer and barrel to a smith with a lathe and see if he can make it cut.

Sorry....that's the best I can do at this time.

Could the reamer be not sharpened and still "feel" sharp?

if the reamer is new and feels sharp then I suspect that it's as sharp as necessary.

The only thing I can think of is work hardening. If the reamer don't cut right away it can actually burnish the chamber and work harden it...this causes immense difficulty in cutting. This can happen to stainless steels and medium carbon steels too.

I'm merely guessing here but you said the reamer is new.....who made it...is it clymer?

It's PTG.

But it didn't cut at all to start with, with medium pressure and very slow turning.

Steve

Sorry friend....it's difficult to say....there might be something wrong with the reamer...that's a new reamer to me...I've used Manson and Clymer and Pacific but that one don't ring any bells....no clue there.

Best you take it to a smith and let him look at it.

PTG is Pacific unless I'm confused,(Pacific Tool and Guage). I was leaning towards work hardening as well, but if you've been turning as long as you say on a work hardened surface it shouldn't still feel sharp. At least not at the shoulder end where it should be cutting. Could It be that your pilot is too large and not allowing the cutting edge to reach anything to cut?

Shane Thompson

quote:

PTG is Pacific unless I'm confused,(Pacific Tool and Guage).

Yes...sorry, I should have recognised that....and it's unlikely that the reamer is bad.

Shane,

I measured using the depth of the go gauge as a reference, and the reamer's reaching the bottom.

Now I don't know if it's my imagination, but rechecking the reamer by hand, it doesn't feel as sharp. But how did the barrel work harden? Too light of pressure to start with?

If the pilot is oversize or the barrel is undersize the cutter may not be in contact with the metal. Does the reamer turn fairly hard???

Carefully stick the pilot into the other end of the barrel. If it's the right size, it should barely go in. If it's too large, it won't fit.

Wow,

Thanks for everybody's advice. I guess it was a little work-hardened. I bore down on it moderately hard, and it broke through. Now it's cutting effortlessly. About .025 in 6 turns. Now I've got to pay attention to go slow enough to not overcut.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by skl1:
Shane,

I measured using the depth of the go gauge as a reference, and the reamer's reaching the bottom.

Now I don't know if it's my imagination, but rechecking the reamer by hand, it doesn't feel as sharp. But how did the barrel work harden? Too light of pressure to start with?

Possibly.....and it's also possible that it was that way when you got it.