Hello Bob,

Your milling attachment sounds very similar to mine.

I do not believe there is a "the" way to do this. Mine is "a" way, as is yours. What-ever way works for you is the right way for you. As long as the joint is fitted and prepared correctly there should be no problems.

I cannot see any reason at all to not use the chucking reamers to cut out the barrel beds in the shoe-lump. It should work just as well as my boring bar set-up. The system I have made up is adjustable so it is, for me, very adaptable, versatile and quite simple to set up the required “x” amount of taper for the cut.

As to the fit and finish of the actual joint, I always smoked and filed, smoked and filed until the beds were taking 95% + smoke from the barrels. The joint is there-for a very good fit and I leave it as cut with the files. When the joint is then properly cleaned, (I have called it clinically clean) and fluxed, heated and the silver solder run through it, you have a neat, tidy and incredibly strong union.

Have a look at the progress picture below of a 500NE I built some years ago. The top extension was smoke and file fitted and silver soldered in at the same time. It became the dolls head. The metal was cleaned up with 240 grit before the photo and you can see the very fine silver solder line.

I trust this makes sense.

Best
ALEX