Category: Blog Posts

TESTED: 4D Reamer Rentals (Counterbore Lathe Job)

Also posted on Ultimate Reloader! Have you ever had a one-off job that involved a special tool? How about when that tool can take months to get? That’s where tool rental RULES. And for gunsmithing tools (namely reamers) there’s a solution for that: it’s 4D Reamer Rentals at 4drentals.com! In this story, I used 4D […]

True Bore Alignment System In-Depth

Also published on our sister site: Ultimate Reloader. If you’re working as a gunsmith on rifle barrels, actions, or related parts, chances are that you spend a lot of time with critical alignment. Every time you go to machine these parts you’ll need precise alignment with your lathe spindle. And these alignment tasks can eat […]

DRO Install on Precision Matthews PM-728V-T

No milling machine is complete without a DRO, and I’ve finally installed one on my Precision Matthews PM-728V-T! Now I can use this machine to its full potential! In this article I’ll give an in-depth review of the MagXact magnetic 3-axis DRO that’s optional with the Precision Matthews PM-728V-T. What’s In the Box Here’s all […]

How-To: Align Z-Axis Power Feed Install for Precision Matthews PM-949TV Mill

If you’ve run a Bridgeport-style vertical milling machine, you’ve probably worn your arm out cranking the table up and down. I know I have! And now it’s time to add a much-anticipated Z-Axis power feed for my Precision Matthews PM-949TV milling machine! What’s In the Box The ALIGN Z-Axis power feed comes with everything you’ll […]

Hands-On: NEW Precision Matthews PM-728VT Precision Bench Mill

I decided it was time to add another milling machine to my lineup! And this time I’d go smaller- I already have a Precision Matthews PM-949TV (9″ x 49″ Bridgeport clone), but for some jobs, smaller is better. It will also be nice to have a mill that I can leave setup for things like […]

Building the ULTIMATE Lathe Spider For Your Lathe

One of the first things I do when I get a new piece of machine shop equipment is to decide how I’ll “customize” the machine and organize all of the tooling. Machining is a very personal thing, and it’s therefore “just a part of the process” to get things dialed-in and setup the way the […]

Precision Matthews PM-1440GT Lathe In-Depth Walkthrough and Demo

For years I’ve wanted a high-precision engine lathe. It’s been something I’ve contemplated, considered, and shopped for on and off for about 15 years. It was precision rifle gunsmithing that finally motivated me to “do it”. It was painful to sell my Logan 11″x36″ lathe as I had put a lot of time and effort […]

Warner Swasey #2 Paint Job and Demo

Turret lathes are very handy to have when you have lots of cylindrical small parts to make- and don’t want to use CNC. In fact, for some jobs, a turret lathe can pretty much keep pace with a CNC lathe, and costs significantly less to acquire. I recenly had the opportunity to pick up a […]

NEW from iGaging: EZ-DATA Ball/Tubing Micrometer

Originally published on our sister website: http://ultimatereloader.com Regardless of whether you want to calculate the bushing diameter for a sizer die, or to measure case neck thickness uniformity, a good ball micrometer (AKA Tubing Micrometer) is invaluable! I’ve been using these tools for a long time now, but I’m rather excited about my new EZ-DATA […]

224 Valkyrie Remington 700 Build P7: AICS Magazine Conversion

Originally published on our sister website: Ultimate Reloader. When you go “off the script” (like building a 224 Valkyrie bolt-action rifle) you can expect some challenges. One such challenge with this kind of build is getting a reliable magazine configuration setup. A lot of guys have spent a lot of hours tinkering with magazines, springs, […]