The Home Machinist!

I have always enjoyed shooting and reloading and have an interest with gun smiting, and have fixed several guns. I am semi retired and would like to start making or at least try to make my own rifle from beginning to end. What type of machinery would I need to start this process? Keep in mind this is going in my shop and not looking to spend a fortune. If things work out I might invest in better tools but until then I a defiantly on a budget. Thanks for info.

I would encourage you to follow this link: http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... 10&t=99914
By doing so, you'll discover how one man did just that----and he has been very generous in sharing his experiences.

If you have little experience in machining, you have a tough row to hoe. Making chips isn't all that hard, but making parts to rigid specifications can be quite daunting.
That said, you can do it---

Harold

Welcome Kelley to Chaski, you will find the people here friendly and informative. Do look at the thread Harold posted, you will learn a lot. Tell us about yourself, knowing your skill level will help in giving good responses to your questions. I am a beginning gun tinkerer my self and use my lathe and my mill along with a good sturdy vice. The mill so far has been used more for making jigs for the gun parts than actual milling on the parts themselves.



Jack.

Important point will be, what does 'making your own rifle' mean to you? Does it mean starting with a set of drawings and a pile of steel and wood, or does it mean, purchasing a barrel, action, and semi finished stocks and assembling the lot into a usable rifle?
I'd strongly suggest the latter as a starting point as opposed to the former course. The component approach involves a lot of machine work from threading the barrel shank, to cutting a chamber, to mounting sights. It also involves precise woodworking inletting the stock(s) to fit the action.
The 'whole works' approach is fraught with too many diverse skills and chances for potentially fatal errors for the beginning hobbyist.
Later in your experience you will know enough whether to try the 'whole works' or not.
Walter Mueller's pamphlet on Making a Single Shot Falling Block Rifle is available from Brownell's in Iowa, and is an interesting read for advanced hobbyists.
Just my 2 cents.
--earlgo (BE, Mech, YU 1965: Colorado School of Trades 1971)