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General discussion => Tutorials => Gunmaking tools and techniques- woodworking => Topic started by: Acer Saccharum on August 11, 2012, 07:27:35 PM

Title: Inletting trick- or: how to gage your depth
Post by: Acer Saccharum on August 11, 2012, 07:27:35 PM
When inletting a barrel, lock, etc, how do you know you're getting close to the bottom of the inlet?

I use inletting black, very dry, on an old toothbrush. You can't really see the film it applies, so it's not very messy. Maple is a dream, because it's so white, the least little bit of black shows up.

(https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/Tom45-70/Tutorials/DSC_0631.jpg)

I know I'm getting close to the bottom of the inlet, but how close? I certainly don't want to take too much out from under the tang.

So roll up a little ball of silly putty, modeling clay, or old chewing gum, and lay it in the bottom of the channel. It's in the channel, near the breech, about 3/32 in diam.

(https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/Tom45-70/Tutorials/DSC_0623.jpg)


Set barrel in place, as far as it will go. I use a soft mallet, then really set it with a piece of endgrain maple and a hammer, and also set the barrel against the breech, by endgrain and hammer at the muzzle.

Oh, baby, look how flat the little ball of clay is! I can see the tang needs just a touch of wood removed, oblique flats in the channel can be scraped a bit, and I'm there!

(https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/Tom45-70/Tutorials/DSC_0635.jpg)
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: Cory Joe Stewart on August 12, 2012, 12:01:52 AM
Thanks for this.  I have all kinds of trouble in this area.  This may help some.

Coryjoe
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: Acer Saccharum on August 12, 2012, 12:08:21 AM
Silly Putty can actually be measured with calipers and light touch.
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: Eric Smith on August 12, 2012, 01:21:35 AM
Another nice tutorial. Hats off to you Tom. Nice inlet in the pic.
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: Acer Saccharum on August 12, 2012, 01:24:20 AM
Thanks, Eric. After doing it 20 or 30 times, the inlets start getting better.  ;D
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: D. Taylor Sapergia on August 12, 2012, 01:40:46 AM
That inlet was obviously done by a professional using a machine.  Mere mortals cannot inlet like that!!
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: mountainman70 on August 12, 2012, 02:01:35 AM
Good Lord,acer,if I was a tiny person,I could measure and check the square of this work!!!hats off to ya!!Dave
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: Acer Saccharum on August 12, 2012, 05:42:53 AM
.... all done by machine, by one of those router bits that makes square inside corners...... >:(
Title: Re: Inletting trick
Post by: D. Taylor Sapergia on August 12, 2012, 05:57:34 AM
...just as I thought!
Title: Re: Inletting trick- or: how to gage your depth
Post by: Topknot on August 13, 2012, 12:35:52 AM
Great Trick TOM,
Ishould of thunk of that.
Title: Re: Inletting trick- or: how to gage your depth
Post by: Mike New on August 13, 2012, 02:47:13 AM
Wow!! What clean inleting. It would be easier if you told us how you get the maple to grow around the barrel. Thanks, Mike 
Title: Re: Inletting trick- or: how to gage your depth
Post by: Dr. Tim-Boone on August 13, 2012, 04:46:35 PM
There is something bothersome about that...............

BTW my dentist gave me some strips of black and red paper he uses to determine the fit of teeth in the bite or the height/clearance of new crowns being mounted.  Very nice and clean  for testing the depth of inlets and fit of whatever you are inletting.... dentists have the neatest gadgets...
Title: Re: Inletting trick- or: how to gage your depth
Post by: Cody Tetachuk on August 13, 2012, 04:54:18 PM
That's a great idea Tom. Same concept as "plastigauge" used to measure bearing clearances except that the plastigauge has a scale where you measure the WIDTH after squeezing it to get the thickness/clearance. The stuff is cheap and comes in several thicknesses for different clearance ranges. http://www.plastigaugeusa.com/how.html