Would appreciate suggestions for decent Gunsmithing tools and supplies

[DTH]

Buy a good vise and vise jaw pads . I have the Brownells multi-vise but I bought a used Wilton machinist vise ( looks like a torpedo). Wish I would have bought the Wilton twenty years ago. The 4” Wilton new is about $750 but you can find a good used one for a lot less. Good screwdrivers. Punches and starter punches. Alignment pin/punches come in handy when reassembling guns. The AGI gunsmith DVD’s and kuhnhanson shop manuals are also a good investment.

 

[Troystat]

Also good manuals for any gun you want to work on and before you take something apart see how somebody else does it on youtube so you can see what works and in the case of youtube how not to mess something up. Brownells is a great resource.

 

[MG-70]

Thank you all for the suggestions! The simpler of the visors I have is the Donegan and I recommend it without reservations. It's lightweight and allows for the magnification to be changed. Maybe an LED would make it better, but at the expense of the added weight.

That's a great suggestion to only buy the tools when you know you'll be needing them. I had a friend who had more money than common sense, and on more than one occasion witnessed him buying tools that he later discovered already had stored, unused, in his garage.

For small parts, I found a surprisingly good Chinese vise sold by Harbor Freight.
It needs a few alterations, but is a very good small tool.........

Table Swivel Vise

dfariswheel, unfortunately, I think right now the Forster vise is out of the question for me, but how do you recommend altering the HFT vise? I was thinking about adding a small drill press type vise, for using with hand tools, but the one you linked is more adjustable and can also be screwed to the bench.

Cheers

 

[armorer951]

I'll have to also recommend two ceramic stones sold by Brownell's. I wish they had offered them long ago, as they are really great for final polishing, particularly on 1911 sear and hammer contact surfaces, (and others) especially when using sear jigs. The Norton India stones are great for prep and shaping work, and for repairing push off, but these stones give a mirror finish when it is required.

They are 6" X 1/2" X 1/2", which makes them easy to handle, and are very hard. Also custom ground in order to have sharp 90° edges. Clean up with soap and water, no oil needed.

Relatively expensive, but they last a long time.....as long as you don't drop them.

BROWNELLS 6" X 1/2" X 1/2" CERAMIC STONES | Brownells

Carter

 

[DwayneV]

Here is my list.

For a bench mat – get a cheap rubber door mat from Home Depot.
Magnetic parts tray – Brownell’s or Harbor freight.
Small cross-peen gunsmith’s hammer – Brownell’s or Midway.
Plano fishing tackle box for tool and parts storage – Cabelas or Basspro.
Rebound spring tool – make it yourself. There are many examples on this forum.
Punches – make them yourself from Allen wrenches or masonry nails.

 

[garbler]

Once you assemble your core collection of hand tools it then becomes absolutely necessary that your train and learn proper selection and use of files then stones. If you watch a master mechanic like Ron Power work or could walk into Pachmayr’s shop and view the rows of benches and skilled gunsmiths the one tool you’ll see the most is files. When Ron Power needs to remove and fit up parts from .002 - .004” quickly and accurately he does it with hand files the stones and he makes it look easy to hold 90° and truly flat. Harry Pope could take a ball bearing or steel ball and square it to a perfect cube repeatedly and quite fast. This was a common test years ago for training gunsmiths and bicycle makers. Anyway get good quality files and condition your hands and forearms to use them accurately and your on your way to high quality work.

 

[saemetric]

A good hammer

 

[DwayneV]

gargler is correct on the use of files.

The file is a unique tool. It is the only tool that can reproduce itself. With a file you can cut a chisel. With a chisel you can cut another file. How about that?

 

[2152hq]

Quality files are hard to find. The great US made files are mostly if not all sourced from places like China, Mexico, Brazil, ect.
Just like most every other hand tool in the USA now.
Those work OK, but they are nothing like the older US made stock.

I often find older US made files for sale at flea market type sales and even gun shows. Sometimes a complete box of them,,priced by the file, sometimes the whole box. If they are something I can use I grab them.
Used files can be a good buy also, but you have to know the difference betw a dull file and an abused worn/dull file.

Either can often be bought for 25cents to a dollar each. Just about any size, shape, cut.

GArage sales, fleaMArkets, household sales, ect.
But an abused file is just that and has little to recommend for it.
(They are a good source of high carbon steel to make parts)
One that is just dull and not abused can be resharpened and will cut like new again

I highly recommend sending those to Boggs Tool & File resharpenimng Service in CA.
https://boggstool.com/
For anywhere from less then 1$ to a couple $$ the files come back clean and sharp as new.
Even those abused and less than perfect scarred ones they will resharpen (one time!) and they can be put to used use.
Some people even send in the Hecho in Mexico, Brazil, ect files,,brand new ones, and have them sharpened so they cut like a real file.

You can use the Vinegar soak and other acid soak methods to sharpen files but it just eats the edges of the teeth a little rough to give you some 'bite'. Not bad but nothing like what the sharpening service provides.

Treat files carefully. Scarring of the face is usually from one file running across another,,throwing one file onto another in a pile.
Sometimes you can't help it when filing and you strike a hard spot and it damages a file. Like a hard spot in a weld repair. But don't keep going. Stop and grind the offending klinker out.

Good files are expensive. Wood rasps even more.
It's nothing to pay 60$ and up for the correct rasp to shape stocks. But they are a joy to work with instead of a dreaded labor.
Yes they can get dull with use but can be 'sharpened' also.
Just don't run over the metal fittings with a rasp while shaping and they last a good long time.

Files, screwdrivers & punches,,,,,probably these tools I have the most accumulations of.

 

[MG-70]

For small parts, I found a surprisingly good Chinese vise sold by Harbor Freight.
It needs a few alterations, but is a very good small tool.........

Table Swivel Vise

Found a 25% off coupon for Harbor Freight (last day is tomorrow) and bought one of the vises above for only $16.50! After a 3-minute inspection, from a design and weight point of view, I'd say I definitely got my money's worth! I expected some of that funky smelling oil, but It's dry as a bone. Will install it about mid-way on the workbench, where I usually sit. Unfortunately they were out of the nitrile gloves and face masks.

garbler and 2152hq, I need to educate myself on files and rasps. I actually have some that came to me by way of an older gent who had some decent, American, tools but haven't really used them. One of the things I need to do is sharpen a Husqvarna axe for next year's camping season.

Thanks again for the replies and a good weekend to all!

 

[MG-70]

A good hammer

That's a beauty of a tool! Mine's an older Lyman Tapper hammer in need of another plastic head.

 

[saemetric]

This one is a Shooboy hammer. Quality made

 

[Robspeire]

I have been buying Wheeler tools on Amazon good price & tools.