Barrel Vice

I need to remove a few old rifle barrels and thought I would try and knock up some type of barrel vice that won't ruin the old barrels like the footprint and stilson approach of old....:no: likewise, I didn't want to spend the drachma on a dedicated vice that can only be used for that purpose......so thought I'd post here first to pick the collective brain before approaching the dedicated Gunsmithing Forums etc where sometimes allegiances taint the replies....:U

Admittedly there are various brands and flavours commercially available along with heaps of home made jobbies described on the net, everything from car jacks to lathe dogs.... but am interested if anyone here had gone down the path of knocking one up themselves and would care to share what they learnt in the process, design, ideas, suggestions etc...:?

Thanks...........Lee

The fella I work for built his own. It uses aluminiuim bushes split in two, to clamp around the barrel without marking it. We have about 20 sets with different internal diametre for different profiles. The bushes are held by a two piece 440 clamp that clamps over the aluminium bush and has two studs either side to tighten the whole show down. Haven't seen a barrel yet that wouldn't succumb. This gives you an idea of what it looks like. Although his is taller and has man sized studs with nuts (only two)

The bushes can be milled to suit a tricky profile.

Sometimes a mandrel that fits the action like a bolt is needed.

Hope it gives you a starting point.

Good to see someone that doesn't want to use Stillsons or a Dawn vice. The amount of stuff we see with Stillson and Dawn vice marks is incredible and sometimes downright criminal.

HI,

I work for a organisation that deals with many firearms which I won't name, but we use two pieces of aluminium that have been machined to suit the barrel size (.223) of various makes and simply clamp them in a vice. I may be able to get a photo next week of what I'm talking about.
I don't know who makes them but it would be pretty simple to yourself.

Hope this helps
Ben.

I'm gonna come from left field, and I know nuthin about guns, so I'll defer to the other posters (ozhunter in particular coz he lives close enough to me and I know he's got a gun or two...:C).

Anyway, for a quick and dirty solution, if I wanted to clamp a tube I'd drill a hole through a couple of blocks of wood, split the blocks down the hole axis, and use bolts either side to clamp it in place, or clamp the whole lot in a wood vice. The hole is the same dia as the tube, and the kerf of the cut allows it to grab the tube. I have a couple of small scale blocks like this to hold all-threads in place whilst cutting them with a hack saw.

If extra grab is required then a piece of non-slip rubber between the tube and timber should do the job (unless it needs a shed load of torque applied).

Lee

Do a google search on "barrel vice", plenty of pics of the type of clamp mentioned above.
It can also be used to remove the chuck from a lathe. I believe some rosin will help prevent
it from slipping.

JohnQ

PS 4th time trying to submit this reply.

What about one of these (search for 'round vice') but line the jaws with aluminium or copper?
Attachment 234618

Michael

Thanks John, Michael, Ben and others.....I am well familiar with barrel vices (and a few other vices:B unfortunately) used a few different ones now and then..you are correct, there are a multitude on the web each one is better than the other etc :p

I'm not trying to reinvent a barrel vice, what I am after is something that I can use or adapt for things other than just barrels....as I don't plan on doing many but would want something versatile rather than single use in the shed instead of it gathering dust and being used as a base to sit the stubby holder on....not that I don't need a proper frothie rest...that's another question for later!.

I have found the ones that work best are those which completely encompass the barrel/shaft/tube in a sleeve type arrangement - from the picture in yours Michael, to my thinking, the clamping would only be in 4 places if you use a V system for top and bottom clamping...that may work on a few but I would think a babbit type collar or sleeve would offer more grip............

Likewise in fabricating a clamp type vice in two halves - when you bore the through hole for the sleeves or babbit, I have been told to pack the two halves apart with a spacer and then bore the hole. That way it allows for the hole to be spherical when they are clamped around the spacer....not something I had thought about but makes sense....

I know there are lots of commercial made sleeves for various rifles and making one up would be no drama either......it's probably the way I'll go, but thought there may be another approach out there that I am unaware of.

Thanks again for your suggestions/links, apprecated.........Lee

FYI

Barrel Vice

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bwal74

HI,

I work for a organisation that deals with many firearms which I won't name,

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I was gunna say the ar.. or similar and then saw your pics you posted
I think you have.......I'm thinking the "M" stamped on those bits does'nt refer to the thread size :D while the F88 is not anything like a F111 fighter jet

wish I had a toy like those

Thanks Ben,

Appreciate the photos.........I like that idea very much and it would solve all the issues indeed - wouldn't mind similar but unfortunately my bench vice doesn't compare to your Dawn 100 series let alone having a rigid enough bench to mount it on :o - looks like the jaw inserts were made to accommodate a variety of barrels and then easily removed to revert it back to a normal vice - very practical and just what I need......top idea - thanks!

Since my original post, I've had a go at making up a vice similar to the Brownell's Barrel Vice ( BARREL VISE | Brownells ) but with a few mods for my purpose - such as single moulded fitting for one barrel only.....it works but doesn't look as pretty as yours...

So after your post, looks like the next acquisition to abate my symptomatic toolwhorism will be one of those vices......then of course the proper bench to mount it on......perhaps then I'll have a go at making a decent barrel vice............. maybe......:D
Lee