Making a Gunsmith Lathe Barrel Spider (and threading for a suppressor). Samuel Wiltzius 2025-05-09 | I'm not a gunsmith, but I watch a lot of videos and have a machinist in the family and like to try new things. This turned out really well so I thought I'd share it...In this video I use my machine shop to build a specialized fixture for the lathe. This fixture is designed to hold items in perfect alignment with the axis of the the lathe. One example for a use of this fixture is to cut, crown, and thread a gun barrel which I demonstrate. At the end of the video I test fire several firearms in a controlled environment of a private gun range. The magazine used in the 10/22 is made by HCMAGS and holds up to 25 rounds and is my go-to for quick loading and range shooting.00:30 making the body05:12 copper 4-jaw covers07:35 boring11:39 hard bolts13:18 rust/cold blue15:18 barrel threading19:56 test shots*This video is meant for entertainment and educational purposes only. Always wear protective equipment and follow safe practices when using machines and firearms.
Which Caliber Suppresses Better: 9mm vs 5.7x28? Samuel Wiltzius 2025-09-18 | To my calibrated ears the supersonic 9mm appears louder in the full size pistol barrel compared to a compact barrel, but the subsonic 9mm sounds the same. The 5.7 surprises with the loudest ammo still being as quiet as the subsonic 9mm, and then clearly surpassing the quietest 9mm when subsonic ammunition is used.
Ruger No 1 Accuracy Issues Solved!!! - it took a while… Samuel Wiltzius 2025-09-18 | "Strong, simple, compact falling-block breech mechanism with artillery-style breechblock and under-lever is ideally suited for today's powerful cartridges." - RugerI had some accuracy issues with my No. 1 and I used all the information I could find from past articles and forums to try to resolve them. 02:36 starting point03:41 forend hanger set screw08:38 better ammo09:53 free-float forend11:15 forend V-block/shim15:47 remount scope16:41 200 yard test20:59 sent back to Ruger
I Fixed my Sons Compound Bow Arrow Rest (with the machine shop) Samuel Wiltzius 2025-09-06 | I'm teaching my son how to shoot his compound bow and noticed he was struggling. Then I noticed his arrow rest was broken. After that, I decided to machine a new fall-away rest from aluminum. He is shooting much better now.
CZ P-09c with AB F4 Suppressor is really good! Samuel Wiltzius 2025-08-15 | The CZ P-09c is a great gun for the price and with some small upgrades it works really well with the AB F4 Suppressor. These upgrades do not add any additional function to the gun, but allow it to cycle reliably with a direct mount suppressor and subsonic ammo. I also test several different 9mm loads and find the quietest for this platform (spoiler - it's the 150gr Syntech).
Advantage Arms .22LR 1911 Conversion - Custom fitting to Ruger 9mm Samuel Wiltzius 2025-07-28 | Expanding on my skills (as a hobby gunsmith) I fit this .22 conversion to a Ruger 1911 chambered in 9mm.This video shows fitting a factory made conversion to a factory made firearm and provides education and guidance for those wanting to do the same.Related video (making a lather barrel spider and making a threaded barrel for a Commander size .22LR conversion): youtu.be/_9eSDLngVro
About the Channel & New Outro Samuel Wiltzius 2025-07-09 | I don't make a video for every project/endeavor - just the ones I think are interesting. Cheers!
Tuning the Ruger 10/22 Factory Bolt (no more failure to feed, stove pipes, or failure to extract) Samuel Wiltzius 2025-06-06 | I had a very crabby Ruger 10/22 to 'figure out' and it really tested me. The gun would not run very well at all. Certain magazines worked better than others, and standard velocity ammo was jamming (stove pipe) nearly 25% of the time. Now all magazines run perfectly and sub-sonic and standard velocity runs great. 00:18 Disassembly01:51Why it Jams02:59 Recoil Spring03:24 The Bolt04:55 The Receiver06:32 Feed Lip
Treehouse Floor Insulation Samuel Wiltzius 2025-05-31 | It's been two years but I'm back at the treehouse for an upgrade!No more frosty cold floor in winter. The floor is now insulated to R20, and when added to an insulated ceiling, the treehouse holds heat much better now when it's below freezing. 00:41 - intro01:35 - pre-cutting insulation04:58 - installation13:18 - wood selection16:22 - making paneling27:24 - paneling install
Wiltzius treehouse update. Insulated floor! Hope you all are having a Meaningful Memorial Day. Samuel Wiltzius 2025-05-26 | ...
My (Ruger) No. 1 Failure and the 3 gunsmith tools I made Samuel Wiltzius 2025-05-23 | Well... this didn't go to plan. I debated with myself for over a month trying to decide if I should scrap the footage or make a video. I'm still not sure I made the right choice, but here it is: a project that went no where.
Suppressor Cleaning - Little Bird & Pac Lite TSS Samuel Wiltzius 2025-05-16 | For Dad and his suppressors, here is a cleaning video showing how I clean them. 00:25 Little Bird04:38 Pac Lite TSS
Wood Turning Cherry Bottle Stoppers Samuel Wiltzius 2025-04-20 | Quick one today: had a week to turn out three bottle stoppers using the original glass stopper as a template
Custom Thread Protector and Barrel Threading (Ruger SR-556VT) Samuel Wiltzius 2025-04-15 | My first gun video - wish me luck as I keep advancing my hobby of machining.If you are reading the description welcome to my OCD zone: the thread protector could have been improved slightly by either reaming to final hole size before tapping or better yet, single point turning the threads. There was a little ‘wobble’ once torqued on the barrel. About 0.002” wobble. It was easily filed and polished to match the barrel but resulted in the end of the barrel being reduced from 0.700” to 0.696” - this trade off made for an invisible to the naked eye seam… but it could be better.Oh… hi wife… what am I doing? I know, we are between sets weightlifting… just updating this description…
Maple Syrup 2025 at the Off-Grid Cabin - first 20 gallon week Samuel Wiltzius 2025-03-23 | 20 gallons in under a week! New kit for this year: pan depth stick and inline reverse osmosis temperature gauge. 00:35 Batch 1 / Day 102:52 Batch 1 / Day 206:47 DIY Depth Stick11:28 Back to the Boil15:20 Finishing Batch 119:58 Batch 2 / Day 425:21 Batch 2 / Day 529:54 Final Day
Rush Machinery Air-Bearing Box-Jointed Tool Case Samuel Wiltzius 2025-02-08 | This cool fixture was found at auction an was assumed to be an import air grinding fixture that leaks air... turns out it is USA made and the air leak is a precision design that floats a precision ground shaft inside a massive bushing. Once finding out what I bought, I put on the cotton gloves and handled with care before making a suitable storage box. Link to Dovetailed shelf: youtu.be/n4QYY98rhgA
Monarch Lathe Tailstock Repair (first attempt) Samuel Wiltzius 2025-01-09 | I guess this means I'll need to save up for a tool post grinder now. 00:29 Giant Reamer04:47 Reamer won't Ream05:14 Air Spindle Index Plate08:17 Blue Metal10:20 Reamer Sharpened
This Spoon Does it All - How I make them Samuel Wiltzius 2025-01-04 | My youngest kiddo must have gotten confused and used my Wife's favorite spoon as a sword... weird, I made him a wood sword and discussed with him the difference between cookware and blunt weapons. Anyway, I make a replacement and recorded it (finally)Fun fact, I've made 30 or so of these and am continually amazed how much joy they bring people... and how long they last. Cheers!
Bandsaw Blade Sharpening - How it works and is it worth it? Samuel Wiltzius 2024-12-28 | The internet is awesome... but can you actually save $86 in 15 minutes by sharpening your bandsaw blades? In this video: testing a popular method, comparing a factory sharp cut to a resharpened cut, explaining why a dull blade performs poorly. 00:18 Set Up01:22 Sharpening03:23 Results!04:41 Blade Tension Jig05:56 Comparison to New Blade06:48 Dull Explanation
1940 Monarch Lathe - how accurate is it after 84 years? Samuel Wiltzius 2024-12-22 | Only knowing half of what I need to know I set out to make a test bar. It went half as well as I hoped but the results were better than expected.
Wood Toaster Tongs - Christmas Gifts from the Wood Shop Samuel Wiltzius 2024-12-18 | Don't forget to raise the grain!
Vevor 3-Ton Arbor Press Tune Up Samuel Wiltzius 2024-12-14 | I bought this cheap new arbor press and it tuned into a shop project... before becoming a shop tool. I'm quite happy with it but it needed a bit of work first. This is a quick review of the tune up.This is not sponsored - I can say whatever I want.
Outdoor Wood Burner Water Testing & Treatment (Nitrite, pH) Samuel Wiltzius 2024-12-12 | I have sent in water for testing and tried the usual methods for at home water testing. They both have their issues. Now I test at home with much more accurate tests that deliver laboratory level accuracy without having to send out and wait for results in the mail.pH meter https://a.co/d/66iVm22nitrite colorimeter hannainst.com/hi708-nitrite-hr.html?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADjk2Prz2bAbfGDszE0Y_VYJMfVZr&gclid=Cj0KCQiApNW6BhD5ARIsACmEbkU5YDv5Cxr70yDGzr2JaQshjg2gaYj7iwJeyBK9oRyidLW6EiFMzEUaAnfbEALw_wcB01:22 Reference Range02:20 pH strips03:10 nitrite drops06:24 nitrite ppm calculation07:30 water collection07:50 pH digital08:37 nitrite digital12:31 ppm formula
ENCO 6x18 Manual Surface Grinder VFD Upgrade and Rack and Pinion Replacement Samuel Wiltzius 2024-12-09 | I could not find any info on this grinder in my online searches. It appears to be a reasonable quality manual machine from the 1980's and took out 20 hours to turn up. 00:04 Loaded Up00:56 Unloading03:49 Power Test06:55 Mag Table Rehab08:52 VFD Install14:25 Gear Rack Replacement21:11 All Done / Features
Flattening a Smoothing Plane Sole (with a Bridgeport) - is 0.001 noticeable? Samuel Wiltzius 2024-09-26 | I'm a woodworker getting in to machining.I delve into how flat is enough - and is it even noticeable. I had a lot of fun and learned a bunch along the way.
Native Michigan Blackberry Patch - Transplanting, Trellising, Pruning, Irrigation & 1 Year Later Samuel Wiltzius 2024-08-18 | I spent a year improving this blackberry patch. I organize the plants into rows, trellis the rows, and install irrigation. Watch along as I get a year older and prepare the patch for a more productive future.
Unnecessarily Complicated Drum Sander Modification Samuel Wiltzius 2024-08-06 | I picked up a lot of sandpaper on an impulse buy for next to nothing... then figured out what to do with it after getting it home.
Pheasant Plant 2024 Samuel Wiltzius 2024-07-23 | We raised and released 60+ pheasants into the wild. Good luck little guys!Comments are off because it became a problem. Essentially, commenters were misbehaving and not aligning with the goal of productive, thoughtful (and kind) conversation. I also think an AI bot got a little weird because it was discussing politics and insulting me. Here is a bit more background for those wishing to know more about this program:Our part is the last step in a grant program to get youth interested in pheasants and gain exposure for the hunting these neat birds. More interest, more eyes on, more money, more birds. These birds were released at the specific age that they are (near 8 weeks old) because they can still hide very well, they can fly, and roost proficiently. They had limited human contact to preserve what instincts they have. We released them in an ideal location, in a large number, in the hopes that some of them will reach adulthood (for September hunting). If we shoot just one, it will be a success. Young bird mortality is high so it is a bit of a numbers game, the more the better. I do not know if it will work. But if all of the previously mentioned goals were met, except we miss out on the last one of harvesting one this Fall, it's still a success: My kiddos and I learned quite a bit about these birds and depending what we observe this Fall it may influence if we participate in the program again. I will try to add an update video this Fall.If you are wondering why we didn't release breeding pair adults in the Spring... they are unlikely to survive winters in our region due to heavy snowfall. Also, breeding pairs require lots of space and we could only manage one or two pair in captivity over winter in captivity, where we can release 60-70 juvenile from a hatchery. A breeding pair might hatch out 6 or so and then they still need to survive and grow to adult for the Fall.Cheers!
Air Drying Lumber - building the pile Samuel Wiltzius 2024-06-30 | Quick video on how I build the stack. Feel free to ask questions in the comments.Be sure to check out the other video youtu.be/BN-HNM04nvI ...to see now the boards are prepped prior to stacking (anchor seal the ends and treat with a borate preservative if maple)
DIY Borate Wood Preservative - Recipe, Application, Results Samuel Wiltzius 2024-06-27 | Make twice as much for half the cost of Bora-Care... just boil the solution in a well ventilated area. 00:31 intro to powder post beetle01:31 how to make the concentrate08:13 application18:40 one year later25:00 wood cross section26:05 Recipe
Maple Syrup Reverse Osmosis in-line Temperature Gauge Samuel Wiltzius 2024-06-16 | Quick installation of a thermometer on a DIY maple syrup reverse osmosis systemHelpful links:My blog with write up on RO partsoffgridcabin.wordpress.com/2022/04/17/maple-syrup-2022-year-of-the-roThermometer https://a.co/d/hbd0XzT
How to add a Smart Thermostat to a Millivolt Ignition Gas Heater Samuel Wiltzius 2024-06-10 | This is the method for taking a simple millivolt controlled gas heater and converting it to operate with a C-wire and standard furnaces controls. Links to components used below.12V to 24V step up converter https://a.co/d/26n3rhJTerminal Block https://a.co/d/iW7dq7FRelay https://a.co/d/6UwZmrINest Thermostat https://a.co/d/09yFL94Wood Owl drill bit https://a.co/d/3yJbcAzSoldering Iron https://a.co/d/6jl9Vrr02:23 Millivolt adapter box build04:20 Installation14:43 Demonstration16:45 Off-grid Power System tour
Our First Wife Carry Race Samuel Wiltzius 2024-05-12 | Ooph-da that was rough. Uphill finishing in the sand.But we finished and won some prize money so not too bad all in all... now I need to stretch out my hamstrings - they are piano wires after the race.
Designed to overcome - splitting wood after a stroke Samuel Wiltzius 2024-05-08 | Time stamps below for build, test, and plansThis is really cool. My Dad came to me with a problem to solve and I immediately knew I could do it. The starting point was this Kindling Cracker (the original - because we should support the those who innovate to make a quality product). From there it all came together and you'll see in the video how cool this project was. 00:40 Fabrication05:38 Test / Demo07:44 Delivery to Dennis08:44 Measurements / Plans
Monarch Lathe - New Headstock Gasket Samuel Wiltzius 2024-05-08 | Just a bit of housekeeping. After the restoration I found a decent oil leak. I remove and replace the liquid gasket in order to keep things in good order.
This DIY electric smoker is surprisingly good (full build) Samuel Wiltzius 2024-05-03 | We have wanted a smoker for a while but keep finding other things that require our financial attention (read: machine room in the shop) so I built one instead. I had a lot of fun and with moderate welding skills this is a very accessible project. I spent just $100 on parts and another $75 on the Weber racks. Cheers!Useful links and parts used:Water Panhttps://a.co/d/7WrsMtO Lower Grate https://a.co/d/diBVJN8Heating Element Tray https://a.co/d/apedDi6 Heating Element https://a.co/d/22piJnR Rust-Oleum® Black High-Heat Spray Paint- bought at MenardsUpper Grates https://a.co/d/9Tv4ZIC Acorn Nuts (Nickel Plated)https://a.co/d/hq162IO Threaded Rod https://a.co/d/cOS5v7x 100lb Propane Tank- got free from my neighbor1/2” Re Rod Hanger- shop scraps Chip Tray16 gauge sheet metal 12 x 18”- bought at MenardsAngle Iron 1-1/2”- bought at Menards Angle Iron 3/4”- bought at Menards Vevor Band Saw https://a.co/d/ahP2UV8Deburring Tool https://a.co/d/bVi0dsA
Making spills for lighting candles #woodworking #wineglass #diy #winebottle #woodwork Samuel Wiltzius 2024-04-02 | ...
Wood turned candle holder with cut wine bottle top Samuel Wiltzius 2024-04-01 | Previous video on how to cut wine bottles:youtu.be/tgFfq0KtC9I
How to Cut and Polish Geodes at Home Samuel Wiltzius 2024-03-22 | Links to tools I used8mm QC x 3/8” FNPT for polisherhttps://a.co/d/5erEYeClonger 10 meter 8mm hosehttps://a.co/d/8g3MWh3Vevor Polisherhttps://a.co/d/crNeBeT50 to 6000 grit polishing padshttps://a.co/d/72Jdmqgconcrete grinding wheel (flattening)https://a.co/d/aAWEpl71/2” to 3/8” reducerhttps://a.co/d/3f48Ur31/2” to garden hosehttps://a.co/d/924dO7Oangle grinder diamond cutting wheelhttps://a.co/d/3W2YskA
How-to make wine bottle glasses: my best tips and tricks Samuel Wiltzius 2024-03-21 | I have been making wine bottle glasses for 7 years and made a video about the tips and tricks I've picked up. Thanks for watching!
