Reamer update

I was quoted 190 for a reamer with a pilot. It came today a week sooner than expected. Price was 245. Yes nearly 250 dollars for a reamer that was quoted at 190. I aint going to bitch to them cause nothing will be done. They just lost atleast 20 reamers from me. Plus custom jobs

PTG will be getting my business from now on.

Beware dealing with Clymer tools

Gosh, wish you had made a post earlier, I would have steered you to Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool & Grinding (PTG)

I have a little over 90 reamers in the chest (counted them two months ago, have a few more delivered since). I have all makes, including some old names: Redford, Hartford, Hendrickson, some made by the old master Keith Francis before JGS days, Clymer, JGS, and a lot of PTG. PTG makes the best, they cut on all flutes, and removable pilot reamers run about $150, doesn't make any difference what special grinds you want, tight neck, wildcats, all the same.

Clymer has gone by the wayside, no longer owned by true gun folks. I can tell some horror stories about reamer makers and gun plumbers, but best leave these tales off a public forum.

Give me a shout if you need help on specials, tight necks, tight bases, throat angles, leads, etc, I have made about all the mistakes.

Check those bore sizes on the barrels, and best if you buy sets of bushings so you can fit a tight bushing. Important in accuracy rifles, and also important in preventing chatter: Some reamer profiles are prone to chatter if the pilot is loose in the bore by a thou or so.

I went with Clymer cause they had a print that I have been shooting all year. Decided to get that print.

next reamer will be a PTG 338 RUM or 6.5-06 special ground if I can get hold of the prints

I have the PTG book of chamber reamer drawings, has most standards plus many match and wildcats. Plus I have drawings of all my reamers. Call Dave Kiff at PTG, he will FAX a drawing to you for your review.

I have several 338 Ultra and Lapua reamers, so, depending on your action, there is a decision: Lapua brass is best for the 1000 yard work, best cartridge is the 338 Rogue, a PTG design on the 338 Lapua brass with 37 degree shoulder. For an Elk rifle or general purpose large 338, the Ultra is OK. I have three 338 Rogues in work now.

I just sent you an email with several photos attached. Shoot me a return email with more info on the 338 you are interested, chances I have a drawing I can FAX to you. There are a few tricks to specifying chamber dimensions for the particular cartridge, depends on the use, such as hunting, Tactical, or long range precision benchrest, like a 1000 yard gun. So, give me the intended use of the rifle and I will make some recommendations. Along with a FAX number and name.

John I will be building a RUM for tactical work. 600 yard to the mile mark. Possible use as a 1000 yard deer rifle. I need something tighter than factory but not too tight for field work.

THANKS for all the help

ah , yes ! the days of redford & hartford reamers ..in the sixtys.....$8.00 for rimless & $10 for rimmed .....22 rimfire ,$7.50 ....specials were $2 more ......a little stoning & they did all right ....think i still have a flyer around somewhere.........for the amateur smith ,consider making ur own ...not really that difficult to do ,difficulty was finding out HOW ,40 yrs ago.....have made several sets using O-1 ,torch hardening...decent toolpost grinder & a simple fixture , some milling /shaping set up , & u will no longer be at the mercy of the toolmaker .....dont claim that they will be as precise or cut as many chambers, but varminters & stiff barrelsportershot as well as 40x specs ,222to308 no special case prep....whlie there aredouble anglecutters a large end millwrks for a rougher 60angle cutter for finisher ,a stone run along the face before hardening smooths things up so i didnt miss not grinding the flutes....sin bar techniques set the compound ,so that u didnt create ur own exotic wildcats.........
best wishes & tnx for the nostalgia
docn8as


ps sorry........................keyboard screwed up in middle & i couldnt clean it up..
still messsd up!

I broke a reamer last weekend. I am in the dark as to why. I called the manufacturer, PTG, and talked to Dave Kiff. He asked that I send it in. I mailed it to him Tuesday, along with the chamber it had broken in. Dave called me tonight, we talked about what might have gone wrong. Dave offered to grind me a reamer, it is a custom, this weekend, no charge.
Dave has been great to me. He is always willing to talk, offer pointers, or to steer me away from something I do not need, even if it is going to cost him a sale. Tonight, I told him that since I had no idea what had gone wrong, I would like to pay half of the cost of the new reamer. He refused. Mike

mike ...best guess is ,that reamer did not have the temper drawn adequately , & he probably checked that when u returned it ......if u were sensibly reaming w/ tap wrench ,it shud have torn the wrench out of ur hand long before it snapped....i think u did nothing wrong! the first reamer i made ,not knowing what in he-- i was doing,refused to cut (too wide a land & insufficient clearances , may have also backed it off left handed,clever ,eh? ),....frustrated , i finally jammed it in & watched it noticiably TWIST , as i held on for dear life ,before watching it snap a flute..just unreasonable force ....this reamer was 0-1 drawn at 275 deg for i hour, & was file hard to a second cut decent 8 in file (but NOT as hard as commercial high speed reamer .....if u were reaming under power w/ oil wash , forget all above ...ur too far uptown for me ...like seargent shultz,..i know nozzing!
nice to know that there is someone in business,who doesent expect his customers to bear the expense of HIS errors...refreshing change!

best wishes
docn8as

doc, I was using a floating reamer holder with a handle about 1.5" long and .25" in diameter. Both the reamer holder and my hands were covered in oil. I just let the handle of the holder rest in the crook of my fore finger with my hand vertical. The reamer pulled out of my hand and I believe it was already broken at that point. I wondered about the temper also, but who knows. Glad to see you back. Mike