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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Barrel matting (Read 1565 times)
bnice
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #30 - Apr 26th, 2026 at 5:43pm
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chemical etching?
  
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cellargun
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #31 - Apr 26th, 2026 at 10:49pm
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After seeing the various examples in this thread, any idea how the fine squiggly lines on some English rifles were done?
  
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GT
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #32 - Apr 27th, 2026 at 10:35am
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Bob,
I briefly mentioned in my opening post, I tried a acid etching once.  I coated my sample area with a thick layer of beeswax, scratched my pattern the best I could with a scribe and used an eye-dropper with some floor etching acid (contains a small dose of nitric).  Rinsing afterwards. With my artistic abilities (not many) the results were dismal at best.  The acid created mutiple contours in short order so it does work but not a method I'm interested in pursuing.
I can't find the file with pictures I saved of my different process and results, when I started this post my intent was to post pictures, the file is MIA.  I'll work on this and share results as I find them.
Greg
  
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ssdave
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #33 - Apr 27th, 2026 at 1:29pm
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The english squiggly lines were done with a pattern tracer type of milling machine.  Think in terms of an offset cam/gear running in a parallel track groove, moving the cutter back and forth in a repeating eliptical pattern.  Someone mentioned Glenn Fewless, he did his matting with his CNC milling machine and single point mill cutter.  Similar process to the english milling, just CNC powered instead of tracer pattern.
  
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GT
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #34 - Apr 28th, 2026 at 1:10am
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I finished the matting on this rifle tonight, a few flaws in spots but it gives the desired effect I wanted, it reduces the glare when shooting irons. 
GT
  
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk"  T. A. Edison
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right" M.T.
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LRF
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #35 - Apr 28th, 2026 at 6:41am
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ssdave wrote on Apr 27th, 2026 at 1:29pm:
The english squiggly lines were done with a pattern tracer type of milling machine.  Think in terms of an offset cam/gear running in a parallel track groove, moving the cutter back and forth in a repeating eliptical pattern.  Someone mentioned Glenn Fewless, he did his matting with his CNC milling machine and single point mill cutter.  Similar process to the english milling, just CNC powered instead of tracer pattern.

I believe the machines principals are called "rose engine lathes" or similar to them. The machine term of cutting is referred to as "guilloché". Whether the cutting is a fine decorative pattern cut on the face of a watch or a 26" long rib the principals would be the same.
  
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LRF
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #36 - yesterday at 6:02pm
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The picture is of the rib on my WW Greener Lee-Speed rifle. Sure would like to know how this was done. This rib is tapered and then ramps up into the front sight base, with matting continuous. Now I know these ribs were not custom made but rather the gun makers obtained them from a supplier and applied them to the rifles because the exact same rib is found on a number of makers guns. 
How do you think this is done?
  
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Amoretti
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Re: Barrel matting
Reply #37 - yesterday at 7:55pm
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I wonder if you could combine Greg's method with beeswax and the pattern rolled in with a knurling deep enough to penetrate the wax and then acid etched?  Also could it be done with a shaper and a fine engraving tool??  Neither method would stress the barrell.
  
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