According to forum rules/etiquette, it's better to start a new thread rather than grave dig something older than a few months, is that correct?

Yes.

 

Doing frame work on a mini mill is very difficult due to the fixturing needed to support the frame and the length of some of the tools needed. In many cases, mini mills don't have enough Z travel.

Here's a tutorial I did about machining the Nowlin frame cut.

https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/how-to-modify-your-frame-for-a-ramped-barrel.22519/

Don't do it with files. It's basic machining at best. As you probably know, the time spent on machining is spent on measuring and fixturing. The actual cut takes a minute. The set up is key. If you aren't comfortable doing it after you read the tutorial, it's about 250 bucks labor to machine and fit a ramped barrel.

 

Cost me $85 for the cut on a Caspian frame. IMHO best left to people who have the proper tools.

 

That sounds like the way to go, lots of stuff can be done with simple tools, but if I can find a proper smith to do that job for less than 100 it will be worth more than the hassle. Seems like it needs to be precise, and it's in a tricky spot.

 

Key is to find someone local that is good at it. Cost of shipping the frame would more than double that price. Personally, I would find some IPSC/USPSA guys and find out who they use -- many of them will have ramped barrels in their competition guns.

 

That's mentioned in the part where I say find center of your existing ramp with an edge finder. I could have been a little more specific there I suppose.

 

Some things I've noticed about your posts has me a little worried. You're asking about building a ramped barrel frame with hand tools in this thread and using a cracked slide in another. Are you sure you don't need to do a little more studying before you go forward?

The best way to succeed in a project is to see it through ahead of time. I'm saying this with the best intentions in mind. Have you thought this through?

 

Plus 1. It is hard enough with quality parts, you're looking at multiplying the level of frustration and reliability.

 

DIY W/N ramp cut.....

I made a Wilson/Nowlin ramp cut on a Colt single stack frame. I used a hacksaw and files. I used the measurements from an STI frame, and matched that to the single stack. I left the ramp cut a little undersized so I could file the edges back a bit and keep them straight. The W/N ramp cut worked fine, and I fitted a W/N ramped .38 super barrel to a 9mm/.38super Commander length slide. I now use this gun as my everyday concealed carry gun. It is very reliable, very accurate, and I use very powerful +P+ .38 super JHP loads!
To tame the slide velocity, I had to use a 25# mainspring and a 16# Commander length recoil spring.

A showed the end result of my carry gun to a professional gun smith friend of mine. He asked how I was able to cut the W/N ramp cut....I smiled and replied, "Carefully!"