When we start talking about adding ribs to a shotgun barrel, it is important to note that there are a number of ways to go about attaching them to your firearm. Two of the most common include a less permanent epoxy method and what can be the tedious soldering method. To summarize the epoxy method, all you would need to do is rough up the spots the ribs touch the barrel, mix your epoxy and apply to the surfaces. Then just attach it to the barrel making sure it stays straight during the curing process and that an excess of glue does not squish out and harden. This can look bad and is hard to clean off sometimes.
The more permanent solution to attaching the ribs to a shotgun barrel is to use solder and flux to bond the two pieces of metal together. If this firearm had ribs previously then you will need to thoroughly clean the old spots where it used to be attached. If these are the first ribs to be attached, then find out exactly where they come in contact with the barrel and mark those spots. Smooth surfaces may not give anything for the solder to grip onto so rough up the marked spots being careful not to ruin the finish outside the marked spots. Once this is done use a degreaser to ensure the surfaces are completely clean. Once you are ready to attach the rib you can use soft iron wire to hold the rib in place, so it does not move during this next step. A wedge under the wire will hold tight to the rib and keep the rib flush with the barrel. Next, I can use a hand torch to heat the barrel slowly so I can apply some flux to the connection points. The flux allows the solder to bond the two pieces. When applying the solder, it is better to use more than you think you will need because using too little may give you sections of rib that are only partially attached. During the cooling process it is possible that some stress flexes the rib and if the rib is not fully soldered on then it can crack the bond and it may not remain connected or even straight. It is also important not to use it way too much because it will take some time to clean off the access solder off.
I have seen this process done once or twice in the past by a few people who do things a little differently. One-person would pre flux and solder the ribs connection points so when it is placed on the barrel, they are positive that there is solder all the way through the connection. Another person just kept alternating heat, flux and solder in that order until they no longer saw the solder being pulled into the connection point by the flux. I believe both of these methods to be sufficient and allow for minimal cleanup after the barrel and ribs have cooled. Lightly tapping the connection point with a brass hammer and listening to the sound it makes can help you determine if there were any points in your connection that did not bond correctly.
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