Z-Axis Power Lift
I think in every machinist’s life there is a moment when hand-cranking that z-axis table or head becomes almost unbearable pain in the rear. In my case it was when I had to make a part with a lot of holes of different sizes. It went something like this: Indicated the part. Cranked the head […]
The Rite of Springs
Bullseye shooters often develop their own loads and tune their gun to the load they like the most. Which for the most part means finding a proper recoil spring that allows the gun to cycle reliably. Unfortunately there’s no exact formula that would help calculate the spring rate, one pretty much has to try different […]
Black and Gold
I wish all jobs always went according to the original planning, but, as we all know, it’s never happening. This one was a classic example. It came to my shop in a pretty rough shape, the parts were unfinished, the dust cover had multiple holes drilled and tapped for previous scope mount installations and the […]
Low Voltage Rock’n’Roll
A customer needed a scope mount for his Bullseye gun. It’s not a particularly difficult part to make, I’ve done it before many times but I always just spray painted the parts with Cerakote or even a regular Rust-Oleum matte black paint. This time, however, I decided to go big or go home and instead […]
Twins for Bowling Pins
It was a long and tedious build. I hate to admit it but I’ve never fitted a compensator on a 1911 before. So while there wasn’t anything special about it, it still took a bit of time for preparations and studies. Other than that, these are, well, just a pair of 1911s that a friend […]
What’s In The Box?
Bullseye shooters know how hard is to find a range box in a decent shape. There were several companies and people making those boxes back in a day, such as Pachmayr, Gun-Ho, Greg Walloch, etc. Unfortunately, the new boxes are not made anymore, and the used ones fetch a hefty premium on eBay and other […]
Winchester ’73
This is the story of the Winchester Rifle Model 1873, “The gun that won the West.” To cowman, outlaw, peace officer or soldier, the Winchester ’73 was a treasured possession. An Indian would sell his soul to own one… Boy, oh boy, a Winchester ’73! What I’d give to have that gun. One of 1000? […]
Electronic Lead Screw on PM-1130V
The Precision Matthews PM-1130V is a very capable machine. It has everything I need, but there’s one major drawback for me – the external change gears. Every time I needed to change feed rate or cut a new thread, I had to perform a set of pole dances around the lathe, taking off the side […]
Better Lathe Than Never
I finally pulled the trigger and got a lathe for my shop! It is a Precision Matthews PM-1130 lathe with 2-axis DRO installed. Very capable machine, I must say, but not without the downsides. One thing is that it is an external gear change machine, so I’m going to build an electronic lead screw, this […]
I Built Me A Gun And My Gun Pleased Me
This project started as, well, a huge slab of a nice fiddleback maple. It spent several Arizona summers in my garage and got bone dry, and finally I decided it’s time to make something out of it. Hmm, what should I make? Tough choice… After the stock was initially profiled and inletted, the hard work […]