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Hello I am only 14 and wanting to get into gunsmithing I have a drill press,and a very good lathe just don’t know how to use it,I have basic wood/metal working tools and knowledge in disassembling and working of a firearm,how do I start gunsmithing more in-depth how should I start.
I would see if there is a local high school that does night classes. See if they'll accept you.
With luck they may do a course that uses a lathe.
Number one rule about tools is that if you don't know how to use it don't touch it.
If you had something old and not very valuable. Then I'd check out midway USA videos and see if you could bed the action. Pillar bed the stock. Refinish the stock with boiled linseed oil etc.
One gun smith I know was asked this question and his reply was; Find a trade that will help with Gun smithing. Something such as fitting / turning or fine engineering. etc. Use that as your trade and industry the develop those skills to do the same tasks in Gun smithing. The reason is Gun smithing is a passion that will not make money. Use the engineering skills to fund your passion as your passion will not fund you. Then enjoy your life. It is far to short to waste. He was a armourer in the armed forces and had other engineering tickets (Boiler maker, welder , fitting and Turning or similar) All of his other trades were his income and his Gun shop was a hobby that he spent his money on. And if you follow politics, it seems that the govt is working hard to try make sure all gun smiths will be unemployed in teh future...(They dont want us to have them)
Got yeah I’m not gonna ever touch it know people who can use em,just need to get them motivated to show me
Ie dads 303 with shot out barrel����
First up which will really help with your skill set is get some really good flat files and learn to file square ie flat to the surface.
My gunsmith who is now a member of the gunmakers guild in London this was his first job to learn before he was even let lose to learn how to make and build guns.
Spend ever evening doing this and you will soon get the hang of it. You can then move forward to the next skill set. It like a carpenter learning how to hit nails.
Good luck :thumbsup:
as you say your only 14.... so look for an engineering w/shop and ask if you can come sweep the floors after school.... theres your foot in the door when your ready to leave school you may have earned yourself an apprenticeship in one of the trades mentioned above....... get a driver licence and firearms licence as soon as you can after you turn 16 the rest is time and experience @timattalon nailed it with his post
Get yourself trained in a trade such as Fitting and Turn, Fitter Welder, Tool Maker etc.
The rest will follow once the foundation skills behind being a Gun Smith are learnt and practiced.
Good Luck.
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Teach yourself how to use the lathe.
There are several excellent YouTube resources. Abom79 is one I would recommend.
Start off by using the lathe to make some tools. A spring loaded tap follower is a good starter project. Then make a headstock spider to hold and center barrels at the outboard end.
Save up your pocket money and buy the best measuring tools you can afford. Accurate measuring is the basis for all prescision machining.
A nice cheap way to increase your skills is learning how to grind HSS tool bits. Buy several blanks and grind bits for a variety of materials and types of turning. It is a skill that will help you for the rest of your life.
Welcome young fellah. Some good advice above.
It is very important that you get some basic engineering training. High school or polytech is a good grounding, a part-time gopher in a precision engineering shop is also very good. Learn the basics before you start doing much on your lathe. Mistakes with that can be very very expensive, or downright dangerous! Gas and TIG welding skills are also valuable. The ability to use all hand tools is paramount (engineering and carpentry). Try making various things (not necessarily gun related) out of wood and metal, taking particular care on fit and function. Take mechanical things apart and reassemble them so they still work (clocks, door locks, small engines, etc) as this will enhance your ability to understand mechanisms and diagnose problems. Finally, don't be put off by people! Follow your dream and strive for excellence. After 50 years as a gunsmith I can assure you that there are many more lucrative jobs, but I wouldn't change a minute of my life!
I see you are in Southland which is not too far from me. Give me a PM and you can come and visit and I can give you some pointers.
Ph the NZ Army recruiters and ask about becoming an Armorer in the Territorials. I am guessing you can do TF while still at school when you turn 16
Nice one.Quote:
Originally Posted by gundoc
If was a bit more local to me I'd give him some pointers on the lathe.
Just learning the basics of setting up a 4 jaw chuck is a good start.
then its sharpening tools and drills before you start getting machining time.
@ Howa1500 Best offer you could ever get. Top man @gundoc that is a great offer.Quote:
Originally Posted by gundoc
That's a good idea.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moa Hunter
gundoc....you are a gunuine GC. lets hope the young fella can take you up on the offer and get a foot in the door.....I know of a chap in states who does awesome custom rifle building,he is getting on and cant find young person to pass on skills to.... the old school hard earned little tricks of the trade die with the tradesman if they arent passed on.....the same in any trade.
A really good book is Precision rifle barrel fitting by John Hinnant.
I'm just starting out with gunsmithing/rifle building and wish you all the best. I've been breaking expensive stuff lately but am learning more each day on my self taught journey. An engineering qualification will help you.
Master the use of the lathe, milling machine and welding skills ( including tig and mig)
There are plenty of good books to read on the subject ( Roy Dunlap, and the gunsmith kinks series from brownels)
Great offer @gundoc. Where were you when I was 14? (-:
Other advice of course, get your FAL. Tinker away (it is YOUR gun after all) but leave the high pressure / load bearing parts of firearms safely alone.
Here is something else. It's not all about metal shop work.
Attachment 111909
there ya go son a chance of spending sometime with an old master.Iveused his services over the years and hes good ,bloody good not only with his hands but explaining whats gone wrong and exactly how its fixed.Quote:
Originally Posted by gundoc
for a young buck youre aiming high -from me best of luck and heres to success ,may it be long and enjoyable.
that TF army option is also a cracker -familiarity with firearms ,life skills and i can tell you friendships and comaradrie that will carry you right through life.theres also a lot of hardwork adventure and fum to be had in the green machine.
Glueing metal?? I thought this thread was about learning gunsmithing. There are probably a great many viable applications for glueing metal but I don't think firearms fall into that category (apart from stock repair). I am often accused of being a dinosaur but I am happy to embrace new technology when it is better than the old way. I don't think this is one of those occasions!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cordite
Lots of good advice here. Take Gundoc up on his offer – learning from a Master is a rare and valuable thing and those skills and tips will stay with you for the rest of your life, whatever you end up doing.
Some miscellaneous thoughts that come to mind:
Gunsmithing doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It’s easy to get tempted to buy the fanciest tools, take on the biggest jobs, etc etc, and if you take on more than you can handle it can be a frustrating fruitless experience.
Choose a project you’re interested in, read up on it to get a feel for the steps and challenges involved. (The internet provides a lot of knowledge quickly, but be aware that it is often incomplete or limited. Books are hard to get, take time to arrive, and aren’t easily searchable unless digitized, but often are far better written and logically laid out. Often books hold in depth basic information while the internet holds novel/unique/specialized knowledge. Both are valuable), consider how you will take on a challenge, consider your skills and tools at hand, then begin.
It’s not exciting, but practice on junk guns to begin with. You will make mistakes, you just won’t have damaged a valuable gun in the process. You can also experiment with techniques more when you aren’t worried about the outcome. You’ll also learn better ways to do things with time, so the best way you can think to do something when you begin might feel like a hack job to you when you’re more experienced. Plus junk guns (rusty .22’s, old single shot 12 gauges) usually take a lot of minor repairs but keep on shooting fine once their 50 years of dried grease, cracked stock, peened firing pins, and stripped out screws are replaced. Usually the materials to repair these guns are found in scrap heaps, which also helps keep the costs down.
Don’t get lazy or cut corners. It’s so easy to say, and so hard not to. When you’re in a rush or frustrated, take a break, take a nap, have something to eat and walk away for a bit. I’ve caused far more, and bigger problems than I’ve ever solved by cutting corners or trying to rush something. You’re going to do it (we all do), but learn from the experience, and maybe try to make sure you rush/try new techniques on small/low value projects… they hurt less to learn from!
Finally, and this is a big one, always do work that you are proud of. Don’t let someone push you into doing work you don’t think is acceptable, be it quality or safety wise. When you are learning you will be doing work for yourself, so don’t let your impatience or frustration get the better of you. You will learn a lot more and feel better about things if you take the time to do things properly, seek help when needed, and ultimately do it how you wanted, even if it takes extra time.