From: Robert Bastow <teenut@home.com>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: what are gage balls used for?
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 03:04:48 GMT

Carbide is used for most industrial purposes, but a steel ball would work for
one or two specials in mild steel..and a whole bunch in nonferrous metals.

Dont imagine you can accurately size a bore by bashing a hard ball through
it..it will leave the most Gawdawful ridged and ringed mess you ever saw.

Steady, even hydraulic pressure is required, if the Ball hessitates for a moment
it will "ring" the bore.  Even the Spring in a narrow push rod will cause this,
due to "stick/slip of the ball.

For this reason, elongated "buttons" are preferred, both for smooth bores and as
a high precision, high production method of rifling.

The "secrets of the trade" here surround the Proprietary lubes required for this
high friction process.

Many, many years ago, the rifle barrel of choice  for target shooting in the UK
was a selected and specially gauged .303 Enfield barrel, that was
"Ball-Burnished" by Parker-Hale in Birmingham. I doubt if that has been done for
many years.

Oh!  Don't try ball burnishing on a blind bore!  ;^)

teenut

Mike Graham wrote:

> On Mon, 11 Oct 1999 22:49:02 GMT, Dan Bollinger wrote:
> >Robert,  Right on!  And, balls used in the fashion Grant described are
> >called sizing balls.  After pressing in a bushing, a sizing ball can be
> >pressed through with an arbor press to re-sized the I.D. for the shaft.  You
> >can buy them  oversized, too.
>
>   I don't think you use gage balls to ball-size holes, do you?  I would have
> thought that you'd need something harder.

From: Robert Bastow <teenut@home.com>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: what are gage balls used for?
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 19:58:20 GMT

OK then,  If you insist on ball sizing a blind bore..be sure to add enough
gunpowder to blow it out again!!

teenut

Dan Bollinger wrote:
>
> Oh!  Don't try ball burnishing on a blind bore!  ;^)
>
> LOL,   Isn't that called a muzzleloader?   ;-)