Threading the breech end of a barrel without a lathe?

[awp101]

Looking at a couple of bolt action receivers destined for future projects and slamfire's home made barrel turning rig, I got to wondering: How would one thread a barrel for a receiver without a lathe?

I know it's possible as it was done before power tools were invented but has anyone set one up just to see if they could do it?

[deth502]

the scerw cutting machine (ie, "lathe") was invented by leanardo da vinci.

[Schuetzenman]

Lathes are very old tech as pointed out. They were driven by water wheels, animals hooked to a carrosel like system, foot power even. Power was transmitted via gears to a drive shaft and leather belts on pulleys put the power to the lathe head to turn the work piece. Entire shops, multiple machines were often powered this way. Eventually steam boilers provided the power to turn the gears to spin the shafts.

Then in 1832 a Brit inveted the first comutator type electric motor, 5 years later some Americans named Davenport came up with a motor based on the Brits work. But all that said the central drive shaft with a central source of power from water or steam engine was still king for along time. Probably not until Edison invented the light bulb and the need for massive quantities of electricity generation and transmission did electric motors to power lathes, mills, planers etc. become mainstream.

To answer your original question it would be damn hard to thread a barrel shank without a lathe. You would need a means to secure the barrel firmly, a large threading die and a means to press the die against the shank or chamber end of the barrel while you rotate the die to get the threads started. I have threaded things using the quill of a knee mill to press on a die while slowly rotating the die handle. Eventually you get to a point where the die is fully engaged and you stop using the down pressure of the mill as you rotate the die handle to cut the threads.