Gunsmithing: Shotguns. Patrick Sweeney
filing metal, filing talc makes the job messier but makes the filing easier. The talc slows down the accumulation of filings in the teeth of the file, reducing the need for carding. It also creates a mess. File the talc to load the file up, then file the metal. When you're done, sweep and vacuum up the mess, and wipe your shoes off.
For high-pressure areas such as sear tips and hammer hooks, a persistent lubricant is a must. Chip McCormick now calls his product “Trigger Job” but it still works great. A small jar is probably a lifetime supply.
Drilling holes requires drill bits, regardless of the kind of drill you are using. If you keep all of your drills in a small box, it is slightly better than letting them wander around on the bench. Keep them in small envelopes in the box, or get a drill organizer to keen them sorted and handy.
Hammers and drift punches are a must. Many shotguns will have pins holding things together.
You've got the bench, lights, vise, cleaning equipment and tools. Keep them organized. Don't “store” your tools in a heap on the end of the bench or in the corner. The cutting tools with get nicked and dulled, the polishing tools will get gouged and scratched and will not polish properly and your cleaning rods will get bent. At the very least, keep them in the boxes they were shipped in, and store the boxes on a shelf away from the bench. Better yet, get some plastic tool organizer boxes from the big-box hardware store or chain, and store your tools in the boxes. If you want, you can write an inventory list to keep track, but that is going a little overboard. Keep small accessory parts in a box and with the fixture they go to. Mark their box so you don't have to open it to remember what's in it.
Clean off your tools before you put them away. Card your files clean and wipe cleaning solvent off of the cleaning rods and tips before storing them.
You need the right file for the job. One file cannot do everything, but some come closer than others.
You should not leave your bench a mess. I did so in the past, but found a clean bench was much easier on the nerves. And, I could find things I had dropped!
For power equipment, the aforementioned bench grinder is very useful. But it is noisy, messy, loud and expensive. In the house the bench grinder is a hassle. The ground particles of metal combine with the grit from the wheel to make a persistent powder that not only gets rugs and floors dirty, but can grind the finish off a floor. With a sanding disk a bench grinder can be used in lieu of a belt sander to fit a pad, but the mess increases exponentially. The rubber dust of the pad flies around the room and gets on the walls, ceiling and the floor. You end up coated with the dust and track it wherever you go. If you have an extra bench in the garage you can exile the bench grinder out there and use it as needed, otherwise forego the bench grinder. An equally useful and more fastidious power tool is the drill press. The biggest drill presses have their own floor stand, but you can do almost everything on a model that stands on the bench. Make sure you get one that is tall enough between quill and plate, as the setup for drilling a shotgun quickly eats up space. At a minimum, you want a drill press with 14 inches between tip of the chuck and the baseplate.
A good tool chest is very useful for storing your tools, parts and fixtures. This Kennedy box is lockable and expensive, but even a cheap plastic box is better than an unorganized cardboard box full of loose stuff.
A variable speed drill is a must if you are going to polish your bore, chamber or chokes. To drill the stock for a pad installation, sling swivel installation or to repair a crack, it is indispensable.
And a hand-held grinder is vital for some repairs. A grinder like the Dremel tool, or my ancient grinder made by a company that went out of business before the Beatles broke up is just the ticket for fixing a cracked forearm.
The big machine tools are nice but beyond the scope of the home gunsmith. While a lathe or mill can be very useful for some jobs, you have to ask yourself a few hard questions. “How will I pay for this?” “How many jobs will I have to do to cover the cost?” and “How long will it take?” Even a professional may not invest in such equipment, if he (or she, let's not be snobby about this) cannot recover the cost in a reasonable time. Many gunsmiths send their own guns to other gunsmiths for work. You should not be bashful about doing the same. For all the years I was a professional gunsmith, I never considered welding. I had a couple of good welders nearby who not only knew guns but took directions well (an important consideration) and I didn't have the time to learn. And after all, the point is to fix your guns, not to learn how to become a lathe operator for the few times a year you might need the use of a lathe.
If you invest in a full parts cabinet, you can not only store all of your tools in one place, but you can lock the cabinet.
You will need some place to store all this gear, and a place to do your work. Even a simple disassembly and cleaning can create family strains if done on the kitchen table. Imagine the hell to pay trying to refinish a stock, or install some sling swivels! The best solution is a spare room in your house, or if you have a large and dry basement, down there. Set up your bench in a corner that is not obstructed with pipes, and has power outlets nearby. A spare room used as a gunsmithing room should have its own lock on the door. If you use a corner of the basement or garage, consider storage cabinets to get everything out of sight. If at all possible, use the basement instead of the garage. Garages are open to public view each time you enter or exit with your car. Cars bring water and dirt in with them. If you have extra tools, they are handy to force open your cabinets. Wherever you set up your shop, the guns themselves should be locked up. Even before the wave of litigation about proper storage, it was prudent to keep your guns locked up. Now, you may even have insurance requirements mandating it. A good safe will cost as much as a good gun, but will do what one more gun can't Protect the other ones. A good safe is going to be the size and weight of your workbench, and should be just as portable. That is, not at all portable. Buy a good safe, but don't worry about getting a fireproof one. A friend of mine had his house burn down, and his gun safes ended up sitting in the coals while the firemen hosed the smoldering embers. The guns were steamed but fine. One more strike against the garage: a safe in a garage sticks out like a sore thumb. It is obvious to anyone who sees it. Set up in the basement or a spare room!
For some jobs, nothing but a bench grinder will do. But it is noisy and messy. Best to use it only in a dedicated room, or banish it out to the garage.
One thing many professionals have that you won't need is a bullet trap. Used for test-firing, even this one with an exhaust pump and filter is messy. Be patient and schedule range trips for your test-firing.
If you'll look closely at the face of this bullet trap, you'll see the results of a four-shot burst from a malfunctioning .45 ACP. Messy and exciting!
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