[fjbart70]

Not sure if anyone watches the tv show american guns. IN one episode they machined a gun site. I could not tell how they were holding the piece they were machining. It was not in a vise and didn't look like it was bolted to the plate it was sitting on. Was it magnetic?

[txcncman]

Sorry. That was CGI. It was not real.

[keebler303]

It was a magnetic chuck like what you'd find on a grinder. Seems like a stupid thing to do. You have to take lighter cuts to keep it from moving and all of your chips stick to the chuck. It does save some time on setup but I'd guess that is lost on the machining time.

Matt

[fjbart70]

It was a magnetic chuck like what you'd find on a grinder. Seems like a stupid thing to do. You have to take lighter cuts to keep it from moving and all of your chips stick to the chuck. It does save some time on setup but I'd guess that is lost on the machining time.

Matt

Thanks for the info.

[frog]

I thought the same thing when I viewed that episode. Thanks for the clarity in my mind I would love a show like this that showed the process of making the guns. Not five second clips. Liability is not an issue because how many people own a VMC? An example is the 1911 episode There is so much special tooling required for this build do you actually think they Machined a 1911 from start to finish in a little shop like that. Just to mill out the recess for the trigger bow is no small accomplishment. The Question I have is do you really think that they actually do all the machine work there?

[keebler303]

Could they, sure. Do they? I doubt it. A determined individual with a moderate skillset can produce a 1911 on a tabletop mill if necessary. Members on this site have done it. It is difficult of not impossible to make money on a one off frame or slide. Hobbyists do it for fun, not profit. Any gunsmith in it to make money will buy parts almost ready to go and massage the critical parts. Slide/frame fit, barrel fit, grip safety fit, etc. Of course no one makes the springs, pins, screws, linkages, etc for a single pistol.

Any show like that has to show a limited amount of detail to maintain interest of the general population. You widhing to see more means you still watch it. The average Joe who gets bored learning about the tools you need to do all the undercuts will just turn the channel. It's watered down to the lowest common denominator to maintain viewers. It's all about the money!

Matt

[bill south]

As a fun hobby I build up custom 1911's usually on caspian frames and ed brown or wilson innerds! As a general rule, you end up with more $$$$ in the build than you would have in a new high quality production gun! Of course I like to think that my builds are better and more accurate. I do know they are precious to me. It's a fun but expensive hobby!!! Oh yeah, just like cnc!
Bill