N/A Aigunsmithing Tools - Advice and Suggestions

[Ezana4CE]

Instead of purchasing guns, I'm to the point where I'd like to acquire many things necessary to complete my setups and to maintain my equipment. I'm to the point where I'm more comfortable trying to work on my own airguns. Sending airguns off to professional shops seems to be a hit or miss affair. I've read online quarrels, horror stories, and then there is the mail-order ping pong game where you ship your gear in for service/warranty work, a tech claims they don't see anything wrong or claims to have done some work, but your gun is returned to you in the shape that you sent it off. Although some shops do great work, not all shops are thorough. With that said, I'd like to pick your brains on tools and accessories necessary to smith my own airguns. I'm ready to start purchasing quality tools that will last for however many years I have left in the hobby. Right now I'm looking at vises. The WorkIQ IQ Vise was recommended by @CoyoteGod and I stumbled upon Berry's Machine Vise for the same price. Both appear to be able to rotate 360º which is great.

Berry's vise https://palmettostatearmory.com/berry-s-machine-vise-complete-system-black-blue.html

WorkIQ's IQ Vise https://workiqtools.com/products/iq-vise

What other airgunsmith tools do you all recommend aside from the typical torque drivers, picks, punches, hex wrenches, padded pliers, spanners, strap wrenches, wooden dowels, bore scopes, etc? What sort of tools for restoring crowns would you all recommend? I saw @nervoustrig with a wooden clamping contraption to work on a barrel, maybe some sort of barrel vise. Is that something that you made?

A mini-lathe is in the cards eventually. I'm still not ready for that. C'mon, hit me with what comes to mind as far as answers and suggestions. Links and photos are welcomed. I probably won't recognize half of the things y'all suggest. If you're interested in doing some of these things for yourself and are just getting started or don't know where to start, jump in with your questions, but please try to remember the focus of this thread is TOOLS FOR AIRGUNSMITHING.

 

[Zebra13]

If my shop burned down and I had to replace everything, this is the first thing I would buy. I use the ever-loving snot out of it.

I think Grizzly makes a cheaper version of it.

Justin

 

[nervoustrig]

I saw @nervoustrig with a wooden clamping contraption to work on a barrel, maybe some sort of barrel vise. Is that something that you made?

Yes sir, it's a shopmade lapping fixture.

The faceplate has a small amount of adjustment to center up the rod to the barrel to keep it from rubbing:

 

[steve-l]

There is no substitute for good tools. Never buy Mickey Mouse, inexpensive, non-professional tools thinking you are saving money. You are not. Buying tools of any description is a life time investment. I will further state that an old professional tool will always be better than a shiny new cheap special. At 81 years old, I have a lifetime of experience reinforcing this philosophy.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Yes sir, it's a shopmade lapping fixture.
View attachment 570357

The faceplate has a small amount of adjustment to center up the rod to the barrel to keep it from rubbing:
View attachment 570358

@nervoustrig That's a very nice looking lapping setup. What do you recommend for barrel clamping for cleaning, polishing, re-crowning, etc?

 

[nervoustrig]

I'm pretty minimalist. Cleaning barrels is almost always done with it on the rifle, using a pull-through, the gun either lying on a memory foam pad or in a basic rifle rest.

For light bore work such as sweeping felts with J-B back and forth to knock down surface fretting, I simply clamp the barrel lightly in my woodworking clamp. The jaws are wood so no concern about damaging the surface or even disturbing bluing or anything of that nature. Example clamping the thin tube of a old Crosman 310 pumper, preparing to resolder the barrel and tube:

Recrowning I usually do with the barrel clamped vertically in the same vise. Brass screw method described in my how-to guide.

A set of soft jaws for a bench vise is handy for other operations:

 

[Ezana4CE]

I decided to try the IQ Vise that @CoyoteGod suggested.

Is anyone using quick change mounts and top plates to swap out hardware (like presses, vises, etc) on their work benches?