Routing out the barrel channel

[andy gaboric]

I was wondering what type of router bit is used when you do the barrel channel? I just want to know because I will be attempting it here in a short while and would like any input.
Thanks,
Andy

 

[hotsparks]

LOL...mine is a pair of 1/4" and a 3/8" Garrett-Wade chisels. I did a 9" pistol tapered barrel Sunday in 26 minutes from layout to final fit, hard maple to boot. Bet most folks can't set up guides and all for a router in that time, plus you still get to hand chisel the last 3-6" at the breach. I "horrified" to imagine what that 10,000 RPM router can do in an instant to a $200 piece of wood. But, to each his own...good luck.
John

 

[andy gaboric]

Actually I would love to know how to do it by hand but a lot of people say to use a router, it makes me nervious expensive wood + highspeed bit = fancy firewood..

So if you can explain how to do it by hand and the tools and methods I am all ears at least two of them.

 

[Onojutta]

Actually I would love to know how to do it by hand but a lot of people say to use a router, it makes me nervious expensive wood + highspeed bit = fancy firewood..

So if you can explain how to do it by hand and the tools and methods I am all ears at least two of them.

I just did my very first barrel completely by hand. It's actually not as hard as it seems. The trick is to go slow! You simply can't rush it. I have spent countless hours on it and it turned out pretty good. Now thanks to Stophel, I get to do it again. :grin:

I followed the sequence given in "The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle" by Chuck Dixon. First I cut down to approx. half the barrel in depth, then I cut the center groove down to the bottom of the barrel, then did the angled flats.

Here's another tip: Don't waste too much time on the angled flats. They do not need to be in full contact with the barrel. In fact, many original builders actually just rounded the side flats to save time. The only place the barrel needs to fit well is the bottom flats and the side flats.

As far as tools, I used a few basic gouges and chisels from Flexcut. I found it much easier to use a shallow gouge to remove wood than with a straight chisel. I then used a scraper to flatten everything out. The scraper was also handy for the side flats.

The hardest part of the job I thought was laying out the lines on the top of the blank (I used a swamped barrel). Once you get that done, it's fairly easy to stay within the lines, but the lines have to be dead on. There's probably many ways to do this, but what I did was draw the centerline down the length of the stock. Then I clamped the barrel down centered on the centerline. I got a disposable razor blade from a barber's straight razor and glued it a popsicle stick. Then I traced the barrel, holding the razor tight against the side flats of the barrel. This cut a hairline into the stock which I then followed with a pencil. It worked out real nice and I have a nice tight fit all along the side flats. If you do a search, I posted a picture of that razor thing a while back. If you have a straight barrel, you could probably get away with just drawing two parallel lines on the top of the blank.

Good luck and let us know how you make out. I personally feel that doing the barrel channel by hand really is part of the whole experience of building an 18th century rifle. I won't say that I'll never use a router in the future to save time, but I think doing the job by hand is an excellent way to start and learn an appreciation for the lost art that we are trying to recreate.

A lot of people dread the barrel inletting phase because it is so time consuming, but I actually enjoyed it. There was a certain peacefulness in the many hours spent "spooning" wood with the gouge.

One more thing, I started out using inletting black, but that stuff was terrible. Thanks to advice on this forum, I now use a "hurricane" lamp and that works wonderfully.

 

[Zonie]

If you use a router remember it must have a good flat surface to rest on and to serve as a guide for the fence.

I used a 3/8 inch carbide bladed bit to route out the two stocks I made from a blank.

I first cut the center flat to full depth taking less than 1/16 inch of depth per pass. Taking more aggressive cuts will only result in problems.

After the center barrel flat was to the depth I wanted I moved the fence so that one side of the bit would be cutting the side flat but leaving a little extra wood in the channel.
Again, I used 1/16 inch depth of cuts (or less) with each pass.

The depth should be less than the bottom flat of course and the amount less is calculated by the formula (barrel flat width times .707).

After cutting one side flat area readjust the fence to cut the far side flat to the same depth.

I used a 1/4 inch wide chisel to remove the square areas of wood at the bottom to cut the remaining two 45 degree barrel flats.

The most important thing to remember is GO SLOW!!!

 

[longcruise]

I have done two with a router and used pretty much the same procedure.

The channels were routed on the top surface of the blanks before the extra wood was removed to the halfway point of the barrel side flat. That way you have a flat surface to work with all the way back to the breech. If you cut it bit too deep, it's no big thing as long as the blank has enough depth.

Don't use the top surface of the blank to rest the router on. Place true lumber about 2" thick (2X4) on each side of the blank and about 1/16th inch proud of the top surface. Fasten it all together with clamps applied from the underside. It also went in the vice at about center for additional hold and to keep it from moving around.

You still have to chisel the two bottom 45 drg flats, but it goes pretty easy.

Keep the width of the channel a hair under the barrel width so you can fine fit it. Accidently taking too much with the router will leave "gaposis".

Be sure your fence is adjuste correctly and tight. If it comes loose part way it's going to need a much larger barrel!

EDIT: Forgot to add that the true lumber work surfaces should extend beyond the end of the blank so you can start your run with the router "fenced" before the bit starts to cut. Same goes for the back side. So, IOW, if you are going to rout a 42" barrel channel, you should your lumber side plates at least 52" and better yet at 56".

ONE MORE EDIT: Just remembered that the last time around, I swore that next time I'd remeber to wax the surfaces of the side boards both top and fence side.

 

[andy gaboric]

Thanks everyone for the advice I really am greatful. atriot: :grin:
Thanks,
Andy

 

[mazo kid]

I have hand-inlet a couple of barrels and also used a router for another couple. I make sure the sides of the blank are parallel (run the blank through a surface planer), use TWO fences, one on either side of the blank, and my home-made router bit....I grind spade bits to octagon or round and cut the shaft to an inch or so long. Then like Zonie says.....LIGHT passes! Make a stop or mark the end of the barrel on the table and blank so you don't go too far. You will still have some clean-up work to do at the breech end and maybe along the barrel channel if your bit was just a tad undersize. It is kinda nerve shattering work, but go slow, light passes, and it should be OK.

 

[Tourblanche]

One more vote for the last messsage

 

[longcruise]

Tourblanche, that is an interesting and pretty much self explanatory looking set up. Do you have any problems at the muzzle end when the side guides run out of stock?

 

[Raynor]

That looks slick, think I'll give it a try.

Thanks for posting the picture. :thumbsup:

I've been setting up a fence. Same idea, different approach.

 

[Tourblanche]

Do you have any problems at the muzzle end when the side guides run out of stock?

Not yet , only 3 stocks done with this set up , but I leave the
wood longer than the barrel , by precaution .

The picture was only to show the router guide , when I use it I write the depth of the channel, place a few indicator holes ,
and lower the router from the mark to the back .


http://i74.servimg.com/u/f74/13/14/01/66/im000311.jpg


After that , I only have the width to do by hand .

 

[bennypapa]

I grind spade bits to octagon or round and cut the shaft to an inch or so long.

Do you have any pictures of that bit?

 

[bennypapa]

Does anyone use a table saw to hog out the majority of the wood?
Seems like you could leave about 1/16" sides and bottom and make 2 dadoes (1 for the bottom flat and 1 for the width/side flats) in under 5 minutes even if you didn't have a dadoe blade. You could finish up with whatever tools you choose but it seems like this would save so much time.

Any thoughts?

 

[longcruise]

Any thoughts?

I for one have a hard time widening a barrel channel with hand tools. For me at least, it's more difficult that inletting the whole barrel by hand. Got a blank with a 15/16th channel that is going to be taking a 1" barrel and not looking forward to it. Seems like I always over cut the width of the channel in these cases.

 

[Bill Hall]

Ya Benny, I usually use a table saw to cut the barrel channel. Essentially four cuts, two for the sides, then two to define the corners of the bottom flat. You need to be very accurate with the side cuts because, like marmotslayer was saying, it's hard to widen the width just a little with hand tools. I make sure I have plenty of "dummy" wood in the front of the stock, and check the start of each cut very carefully. I'm probably not the only one here who gets really nervous during this operation.
After these cuts are made, a chisel cleans out the in-between wood easily, then it's time to use some lamp black to get that barrel skin tight. Bill

 

That may work if your doing a straight barrel but it would never work on a swamped barrel.

 

[bioprof]

I've done it with a blank for a pistol. It worked very well. You just have to be very, very careful.