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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Machine Shop Talk & AG Parts Machining => Share Your Simple Home Projects (TRICKS-N-TIPS) => Topic started by: lizzie on December 20, 2011, 03:10:26 AM

Title: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on December 20, 2011, 03:10:26 AM
I finally managed to get that dang crooked barrel straightened on the model 34N ;D

This is one of my two project guns, and it's the one that I got for such a sweet deal in a pawn shop for $28. She's ugly as can be with her nickel finish barrel and black wood stock, but she's gonna be a knock-out when I get finished with her, lol.

I was really trying to avoid taking the barrel completely off, because it intimidated me. I was afraid I would get it apart and not be able to put it back together, but now I think I can do it.  The curve on the barrel was a slow gradual bend, with a distinct starting point, so I placed three galvanized steel *eyes* (for lack of a better term and I forget what they are called, lol) along a piece of 2x4, blocked each end with additional wood pieces, and gradually pulled tension all along the curve, over-stressing it just a tad, then let it sit for about an hour. When I removed it, to my amazement, it was a straight barrel!!! ;D
Woohoo!
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: pappa on December 20, 2011, 07:43:19 AM
This is wonderful news, lizzie. Congratulations! I knew you had it in you.
How does it shoot?
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: Gary on December 20, 2011, 10:00:02 AM
Way to go Lizzie. Now are you ready to tear into the other end and at least do a lube tune?

Gary
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: ezman604 on December 20, 2011, 10:05:29 AM
Good job Liz. I got one I need to send you to play with. :)
And yep, those are called eye bolts.
Happy Shooting!!!!
Dave
 8)
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: 0351_Vet on December 20, 2011, 10:36:32 AM
See Lizzie....Not only are you smart, you are becoming quite the AG Smith.
Good Gurl....Well played.
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on December 20, 2011, 10:51:24 AM
Way to go Lizzie. Now are you ready to tear into the other end and at least do a lube tune?

Gary

Well, just about there. :)
Need to cut a couple of dummy pins, then I can proceed.
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on December 20, 2011, 10:52:24 AM
See Lizzie....Not only are you smart, you are becoming quite the AG Smith.
Good Gurl....Well played.

Not a Smith yet Walt- just a woman with an attitude, lol. :D
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: 0351_Vet on December 20, 2011, 10:53:59 AM
See Lizzie....Not only are you smart, you are becoming quite the AG Smith.
Good Gurl....Well played.

Not a Smith yet Walt- just a woman with an attitude, lol. :D

"Get Some".....:) :)
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on December 20, 2011, 01:57:44 PM
This is wonderful news, lizzie. Congratulations! I knew you had it in you.
How does it shoot?

Seems to be shooting just fine. Need to get some optics on her, so I'm ordering a one-piece mount today.
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: jimur on December 20, 2011, 04:02:03 PM
Way cool Lizzie! I think you should post a pic of that DIY barrel straightener.
OOOPS! Just found it :D
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: Norm_m on December 20, 2011, 04:09:22 PM
Well I must say that has been one heck of a project you have had. I would have lost all my patience by now and the gun would be sitting in a corner to be forgotten about.
Great job! Keep up the good work as I sure you will.
Norm
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: YankeeDude on December 20, 2011, 04:35:56 PM
That tool sounds similar to CDT's "Barrel Tool" on his website . . .

http://charliedatuna.com/Airgun%20Info.htm (http://charliedatuna.com/Airgun%20Info.htm)  ( "Charlie's Barrel Tool" )

Dave

 

 
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on December 20, 2011, 08:50:54 PM
Well I must say that has been one heck of a project you have had. I would have lost all my patience by now and the gun would be sitting in a corner to be forgotten about.
Great job! Keep up the good work as I sure you will.
Norm

Well, I must be honest. It did sit in a corner for quite some time, while I have been working on a room remodel, and I had contacted RWS to see about getting a new one. They said they could straighten mine if I would send it to them, for 50 dollars plus 25 for shipping. I wasn't opposed to that, just hadn't gotten around to it, because I've been busy with other things. Then for some reason, I got this attitude yesterday that by God, I should be able to do this, so I took the gun apart, and started tinkering. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, it finally came together.  So, at 2 am, I was putting it back together so that I could see if it would shoot this morning, lol.
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on December 20, 2011, 08:52:07 PM
That tool sounds similar to CDT's "Barrel Tool" on his website . . .

http://charliedatuna.com/Airgun%20Info.htm (http://charliedatuna.com/Airgun%20Info.htm)  ( "Charlie's Barrel Tool" )

Dave

 

 


That's exactly where I got the ideas from. ;D

The first three that I tried didn't work, so I kept messing with it until I got it right for my particular barrel problem
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: Toolmaker on December 20, 2011, 09:07:46 PM
That's great Lizzie! Keep up the great work!
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on April 05, 2012, 01:22:12 PM
Thought I'd give your guys an update report on this gun.
The barrel straightening appears to have been a success. I shoot this gun sporadically, but I think it's because it doesn't shoot like my other 34's. I spent quite a bit of time with this gun at the bench just a little while ago. I've been trying to figure out what the difference is, and it finally dawned on me: this gun was tuned and trigger work was done at some point. It shoots VERY well. The trigger is very light and crisp, and seems to have no first stage. This is what I believe has been tough for me to get used to with this gun. I shot it for quite some time this morning, and the grouping is excellent. 10 consecutive shots are touching each other- no exact hits in the same holes, unfortunately, but I'm am quite impressed with this rifle (and no flyers). I'm thinking that whoever owned it before really put some time, effort, and possibly money into her, and when the barrel bent, he may have gotten disheartened and decided just to pawn her. His loss was my gain.  I love this gun, now that I am getting used to how she shoots. :)
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: MustangMike on April 05, 2012, 04:38:44 PM
lizzie havent you been working on getting that barrel straight for awhile now ?
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on April 05, 2012, 04:41:04 PM
lizzie havent you been working on getting that barrel straight for awhile now ?

No, I straightened it awhile back, just haven't shot it much until this morning. :D
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: GarthThomas on April 12, 2012, 09:49:06 PM
I would like to see a picture of that device.
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on April 12, 2012, 09:57:23 PM
I would like to see a picture of that device.

No problemo. Let me go take one, and I'll post it. It's a very simple device. I made mine out of a piece of 2x4 with some eye bolts and a couple of U clamps. (the u-clamps are for steadying and holding the breech block, and the eye bolts are for pulling tension on the barrel itself.
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on April 12, 2012, 10:09:23 PM

(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/lizzylouandmetoo/barrelstraightener.jpg)

(http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc435/lizzylouandmetoo/barrelstraightener2.jpg)
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: GarthThomas on April 13, 2012, 12:32:05 AM
How does that go, necessity is the mother of invention. Good thinking.
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: gamo2hammerli on April 13, 2012, 10:15:25 PM
Pretty neat contraption.  My friend's Stoger X5 came with a bend barrel.  We were shooting by some railway tracks (Guess you know what I did next)....and I got permission from him to stick the barrel under one of the tracks and lift up (With a t-shirt between the barrel and track).  After a few tries he was able to hit the targets with the scope adjusted back to center (It had ran out of left-right adjustment).
Title: Re: Woohoo! A straight barrel at last!
Post by: lizzie on April 13, 2012, 10:38:03 PM
Pretty neat contraption.  My friend's Stoger X5 came with a bend barrel.  We were shooting by some railway tracks (Guess you know what I did next)....and I got permission from him to stick the barrel under one of the tracks and lift up (With a t-shirt between the barrel and track).  After a few tries he was able to hit the targets with the scope adjusted back to center (It had ran out of left-right adjustment).

What I didn't mention is the center hardware piece in the photos, and what its use is. I have a couple of short sections of black pipe that are large enough to fit over the barrel, but small enough to fit inside the "U" portion of that piece (sorry, but I forget what it's called). I can slip the short pipe piece over the center section of the barrel (protected with a thin piece of leather), and pull tension over several inches of barrel simultaneously. This was how I did the final phase of the barrel-straightening. It's unbelievable how accurately that gun is shooting now.