Mark
When I first got your book a month or so ago, I had just kind of skimmed over it.
This weekend I started getting into it a little deeper.
Your set up to use your Bridgeport and bungee cord as a pantograph was genius! This chapter alone was worth the price of the book.
Have you ever used this setup to carve out a stock?
Although the smallest mill I own is a Kearney & Trecker #5, and this couldn't be done on such a machine, I do believe I could make room for a Bridgeport in a corner of the shop.
Thanks for the ideas. I'm self taught and have never worked in a shop with other machinist's. And now in my own shop I work by myself. It's great to see how other people work a job.

Funny. I actually had the same thoughts about it as you. I asked Mark about it via PM if there were any issues that may pop up. using this method for inletting would probably save time, but you would have to be careful of the stylist flexing, therefore allowing the end mill to take off too much wood. My thoughts were to use an end mill that was smaller than the stylist, until you learn the qwirks. I also had the idea to use a ball end mill to machine out the barrel channel, and switch stylist and end mill to a smaller rugular end mill for the mortise area.

Another issue could be X-axis travel. I am sure if you set it up consciously to avoid this it should be no issue. 18" of travel should be plenty to do the action and the forend, assuming you are not doing a long forend...atleast in my mind.

In theory it is not much different than how a stock duplicating machine works. In this instance you can make a mold of your exact action and barrel, and mill off of that. Wouldnt it be nice to just square off some corners and have it fit?

Another thought of mine was to apply this method toward fitting skelatal grip caps, butt plates, etc...I think Al Lind uses a duplicator to acheive the same thing.

Where could one find this great book of which you speak??

There is a gunsmith/metalsmith that frequents this board by the name of Mark Stratton. Search his name and send him a PM, or find his thread where he is selling his book.

quote:

Originally posted by kend:
Where could one find this great book of which you speak??

+1 Is the name of the book Tricks Of The Trade?

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Little:
There is a gunsmith/metalsmith that frequents this board by the name of Mark Stratton. Search his name and send him a PM, or find his thread where he is selling his book.

The only posts I could find by him are from August 2003, no mention of his book here that my searches could find. I figure if he hasn't been here since 2003 it probably wouldn't do much good to pm him. Does anybody have an email for him, or a website by chance? Btw, Amazon doesn't carry it either.

Need stronger search-fu, brasshopper.

Recently reprinted; only available direct, I believe.
"Tricks of the Trade, Custom Rifle Metalsmithing" by Mark Stratton
Book + photo cd

http://forums.accuratereloadin...9411043/m/7731074441

Thanks! I just saw that his user name has an underscore, I think I know the problem now.....

Hi Guys,

I was teaching a metalsmithing class in North Carolina a few years ago and they loved the pungee cord on the quarter rib mating fixture. The old hillbilly fix was bailling wire. hose clamp, duck tape and bungee cord. I was able to use 3 of the 4 with this set up. I think the only one missing in the book was the duck tape. It was using to hold the plexi glass gaurd between the material vice and the JB Weld mold.

I'm glad the book has bought some of my experiances to others, weather you in the trade or build some rifles for fun.

Does anyone have any questions about what you have seen in the book?