Looking to buy quality set of stoning tools

[Rumpleteazer]

Does anybody have any recomendations on a good high quality set of stoning tools from Brownells?

[pa_guns]

Hi

There are a number of different hardnesses and grits of stone out there. You wind up with several sets pretty fast:

Ceramic stones are reasonably priced and come in a lot of shapes, that kind of makes them a no-brainer.

The brown colored stones (India?) cut faster than the ceramic. They also come in a range of shapes. Again not to expensive, worth getting a set.

The stuff that's going to cost the money are the specially shaped Arkansas stones. There I would only buy what I need. The trigger channel stone for the 1911 is one example. A proper stone for polishing sears is another.

Lots of choices....

Bob

[Jolly Rogers]

Does anybody have any recomendations on a good high quality set of stoning tools from Brownells?
I found a 4 stone set at Woodcraft Supply. The set included teardrop, square,triangle and round and are ceramic with VERY sharp corners. The round hone fits loosely in the mainspring housing and smoothed the new S&A mainspring housing nicely. I also used the triangle hone to smooth the breachface. I can recommend them highly. Very fine in cut and not real expensive. Still had to get the trigger track stone from Brownells. ;) Brownells stones are expensive but are culled to do specific jobs and in the long run may save money.
Joe

[pa_guns]

Hi

A couple of things to watch for on ceramic stones:

Not all stones are equally flat / square / straight.

Fast cutting is not always what you are after.

The Brownel's ceramic stones are very good for what they are.

Bob

[Canuck-IL]

Unless you're doing 2 trigger jobs a week for the next year, you don't really need ceramics. I got a broad selection of 6" square stones from the link below, shipped next day...probably good for the balance of my life...a lot cheaper than calling it a 'gunsmith tool' so as to jack the price.
http://www.congresstools.com/
/Bryan

[pa_guns]

Hi

Weather you are doing one or many, you need a good square stone to cut hammer hooks.

There are a *lot* more things on a 1911 that take a stone than trigger jobs. Having a range of them will make things a *lot* easier.

Bob

[niemi24s]

To familiarize yourself with what's available, take a few minutes to sniff around in the Norton Abrasives catalog: http://www.ind.nortonabrasives.com/Data/Element/Node/ProductLine/product_Line_edit.asp?ele_ch_id=L0000000000000003962

You won't find specialty stones (abrasive files) like the 1911 trigger track stone, but you will find an almost bewildering variety available in silicon carbide, aluminum oxide and Arkansas.

[pa_guns]

Hi

Nothing at all wrong with the Norton stones.

Bob

[wichaka]

I would recommend the same stones in the 1911 trigger kit from Brownells.

[littledoc]

I have an old set of India stones from Brownells. I have been using them for years -not just on guns- and they are still quite usable.

Brownells is a sponsor, just hit their link at the top of the page.

[Iron bottom]

Although I haven't tried them, McMaster-Carr has Arkansas stones at a fair price unless they have gone up on prices. I remember reading that the best grade of raw material for Arkansas stones was mined out. If this is true, good Arkansas stones may become hard to find.

[pa_guns]

Hi

The nice thing is that most of the stones aren't really all that expensive. You can pick up a few of these and a few of those. They last a long time one way or the other.

Bob