Hydralic Press To Hold Barrel,,,,,yes or no?

screech-fnfal · January 17, 2002, 19:22

I have a 20 ton hydralic press, could this press be used with wood or aluminun blocks to hold a barrel while the receiver is installed? Would such a press cause damage to a barrel (crush or distort) with so much pressure? Thanks for your help

Mosin Guy · January 17, 2002, 19:53

I would be very careful using a press for this,as last year there were a bunch of STG kits that hit the market because Century supposedly did the same thing and crushed the barrels and they had to be free bored,or at least that was the rumor.HTH

[ January 17, 2002: Message edited by: Mosin Guy ]

gumby · January 17, 2002, 20:06

I do this all the time using AL blocks, although my press is only 6 tons. Works fine as long as I use barrel rosin. I would expect the alumiun blocks to distort well before the steel barrel.

jwaters · January 17, 2002, 21:26

I kinda have this. Welded angle Iron Frame Bolted to a Bench and use a 12 ton Jack to exert pressure on lead barrel blocks, Rosin helps a lot.

KP · January 17, 2002, 23:58

I have a gunsmith friend who has a 20 ton press that I used for all my FAL's until the last one when I got the Brownells vise. I used aluminum with his press and even used a 3 foot cheater bar to crank down on it and never crushed or damaged any barrel. It worked great but beleive it or not my Brownells ring of steel barrel vise is even better.....................

Mosin Guy · January 18, 2002, 00:06

I personaly have never used my 12 tom press to hold my barrels for assembly,all I was saying in the earlier posts was that last year there were STG kits with free bored barrels because of the Century angry beavers crushing barrels from using presses to unbarrel the kits,this was the rumor that was floating around the board.HTH

Derby FALs · January 18, 2002, 00:25

Rosin is the key. I use hard maple blocks with rosin in a regular vise. Just tighten till it won't turn in the blocks when using the receiver wrench.

shortround · January 18, 2002, 00:37

Or you can get one of Casey's new barrel vices. I just ordered mine and already can't wait for the BBT to come.

Sgt Rock · January 18, 2002, 09:19

I'll second shortround. However the pic's Casey posted of his vice..... Well that thing is so dam pretty you'll have to get two. One to look at and one to use.

Ekie · January 18, 2002, 12:55

Like the others said, sure it will work fine. Hey Mosin Guy, sure Century botched those, but you would have to a serious mental handicap and more then a 20 ton press and aluminum blocks to squash a barrel on accident, or simply be a Century employee, MOOHAHAHAHA.

Mosin Guy · January 18, 2002, 16:09

Hey Ekie, yea I hear that shit,but man some of those free bored barrels that were around last summer were in great shape except for the frre bore,oh well angry beavers for ya.

Ekie · January 19, 2002, 00:32

Yeah those Century guys are amazing. I have a theory about them being temp workers, CAMPYBOB figures that it involves the Keebler Elves. Someone needs to find their assembly facility, sneak in, and shoot some pictures. Or maybe if we pooled together with a reward for documentation, and pictures, of what the heck it is that they are doing, we might get some answers.

Templator · January 19, 2002, 10:53

Barrel steel is tough stuff. Regardless of how much pressure that you put on a pair of aluminum or wood blocks, you're not going to damage the barrel. The aluminum or the wood is going to go south a long time before you reach the point that the barrel is going to be damaged.

The key to holding a barrel securely is to have the gripping surface exactly match the contour of the barrel. I made a barrel vise which uses collets which are only an inch deep. 2 5/8" socket head cap screws provide all of the clamping force necessary to barrel a receiver. The last job that I completed on it was an Argentine barrel which hand tightened against the receiver at about 10:45. The barrel never twitched as I turned the receiver into time with the barrel using a 30" long breaker bar on a receiver wrench.

I also recommend using a bit of molybdenum disulfide anti seize lubricant on the threads of the barrel to keep things nice and smooth during the barreling process.

.

[ January 19, 2002: Message edited by: Templator ]

Casey · January 19, 2002, 13:32

Yes what Templator said.
www.angelfire.com/biz/tools4fals

January 17, 2002, 19:22	#1
screech-fnfal Registered FALaholic #: 2911 Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: USA Posts: 180	Hydralic Press To Hold Barrel,,,,,yes or no? I have a 20 ton hydralic press, could this press be used with wood or aluminun blocks to hold a barrel while the receiver is installed? Would such a press cause damage to a barrel (crush or distort) with so much pressure? Thanks for your help

January 18, 2002, 00:25	#7
Derby FALs Supreme Leader FALaholic #: 2361 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Posts: 2,610	Rosin is the key. I use hard maple blocks with rosin in a regular vise. Just tighten till it won't turn in the blocks when using the receiver wrench. __________________ “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add "within the limits of the law" because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.” - Thomas Jefferson Salami, salami, baloney... :bow: http://www.derbyfals.com/home.htm

January 18, 2002, 00:37	#8
shortround Registered Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 1503 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Southeast, MI, USA Posts: 2,799	Or you can get one of Casey's new barrel vices. I just ordered mine and already can't wait for the BBT to come. __________________ Nostalgia: It's just not what it used to be. I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target. Someone asked if I was a procrastinator and I told them I wasn't sure but I'd get back with them tomorrow.

January 19, 2002, 10:53	#13
Templator Registered FALaholic #: 4460 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Lexington Posts: 1,760	Barrel steel is tough stuff. Regardless of how much pressure that you put on a pair of aluminum or wood blocks, you're not going to damage the barrel. The aluminum or the wood is going to go south a long time before you reach the point that the barrel is going to be damaged. The key to holding a barrel securely is to have the gripping surface exactly match the contour of the barrel. I made a barrel vise which uses collets which are only an inch deep. 2 5/8" socket head cap screws provide all of the clamping force necessary to barrel a receiver. The last job that I completed on it was an Argentine barrel which hand tightened against the receiver at about 10:45. The barrel never twitched as I turned the receiver into time with the barrel using a 30" long breaker bar on a receiver wrench. I also recommend using a bit of molybdenum disulfide anti seize lubricant on the threads of the barrel to keep things nice and smooth during the barreling process. . [ January 19, 2002: Message edited by: Templator ] __________________ I look with commiseration upon the great body of my fellow Americans who, reading newspapers, live and die in the belief that they have known something of what has passed in the world around them. Harry Truman

January 19, 2002, 13:32	#14
Casey Registered FALaholic #: 418 Join Date: Jul 2000 Posts: 63	Yes what Templator said. www.angelfire.com/biz/tools4fals __________________ My goal is to help as many people as possible build a quality fal.

January 17, 2002, 19:53	#2
Mosin Guy Registered FALaholic #: 46 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 3,652	I would be very careful using a press for this,as last year there were a bunch of STG kits that hit the market because Century supposedly did the same thing and crushed the barrels and they had to be free bored,or at least that was the rumor.HTH [ January 17, 2002: Message edited by: Mosin Guy ]

January 17, 2002, 20:06	#3
gumby Registered FALaholic #: 3391 Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Utah Posts: 86	I do this all the time using AL blocks, although my press is only 6 tons. Works fine as long as I use barrel rosin. I would expect the alumiun blocks to distort well before the steel barrel.

January 17, 2002, 21:26	#4
jwaters Registered FALaholic #: 5220 Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 852	I kinda have this. Welded angle Iron Frame Bolted to a Bench and use a 12 ton Jack to exert pressure on lead barrel blocks, Rosin helps a lot.

January 17, 2002, 23:58	#5
KP Registered FALaholic #: 419 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Carrollton, TX Posts: 102	I have a gunsmith friend who has a 20 ton press that I used for all my FAL's until the last one when I got the Brownells vise. I used aluminum with his press and even used a 3 foot cheater bar to crank down on it and never crushed or damaged any barrel. It worked great but beleive it or not my Brownells ring of steel barrel vise is even better.....................

January 18, 2002, 00:06	#6
Mosin Guy Registered FALaholic #: 46 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 3,652	I personaly have never used my 12 tom press to hold my barrels for assembly,all I was saying in the earlier posts was that last year there were STG kits with free bored barrels because of the Century angry beavers crushing barrels from using presses to unbarrel the kits,this was the rumor that was floating around the board.HTH

January 18, 2002, 09:19	#9
Sgt Rock Registered FALaholic #: 564 Join Date: Aug 2000 Posts: 965	I'll second shortround. However the pic's Casey posted of his vice..... Well that thing is so dam pretty you'll have to get two. One to look at and one to use.

January 18, 2002, 12:55	#10
Ekie Registered FALaholic #: 707 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Springfield, MO, USA Posts: 225	Like the others said, sure it will work fine. Hey Mosin Guy, sure Century botched those, but you would have to a serious mental handicap and more then a 20 ton press and aluminum blocks to squash a barrel on accident, or simply be a Century employee, MOOHAHAHAHA.

January 18, 2002, 16:09	#11
Mosin Guy Registered FALaholic #: 46 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 3,652	Hey Ekie, yea I hear that shit,but man some of those free bored barrels that were around last summer were in great shape except for the frre bore,oh well angry beavers for ya.

January 19, 2002, 00:32	#12
Ekie Registered FALaholic #: 707 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Springfield, MO, USA Posts: 225	Yeah those Century guys are amazing. I have a theory about them being temp workers, CAMPYBOB figures that it involves the Keebler Elves. Someone needs to find their assembly facility, sneak in, and shoot some pictures. Or maybe if we pooled together with a reward for documentation, and pictures, of what the heck it is that they are doing, we might get some answers.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode