Ramrod Hole - Can it go wrong?

[Stophel]

The only luck I've ever had is with the brad point drill that I got from Suzie at MBS.  It works pretty well.

[Darrin McDonal]

I still think that the style of drill bit isnt the total answer. Its all the prep work ahead of time, the worrying, sweating, sleepless nights. And possibly the biggest unknown is whats inside. What you cant see. Like ashift in the grain or a knot. That though is beyond our control. The best of them have driven them right out the side without any warning. Am I right?
Darrin

[Rich]

Darrin is right. I did one where I hit a knot. I got the bright idea to put a little more force on the bit to cut through. Rather than cut, it tore the knot out. I learned 3 things. Leave more extra wood on the bottom of the forestock. It doesn't take a great deal of force to tear a hole in the bottom of the forestock. Inlays can be great things.

[Long John]

There is 1 trick I keep up on the shelf just in case things start to go awry with the ramrod hole. 

If it seems the drill is getting knocked off course by some gnarly wood remember that you can recenter your bit by taking a steel rod of the same diameter as your drill and filing a long point on it - something like a 5 to 10 degree symetrical taper.  I generally have made it a 4 sided tapering point.  Make sure the rod will slide down the RR hole until the point bottoms out at teh bottom of the hole.  Heat the point up to red hot and quickly run it into the hole until the point contacts the bottom of the hole.  Twist it for a turn and pull it out.  Pause to let the stock cool.  Reheat the point - just the point - and repeat.  Let the stock rest (cool down some) and repeat.  After a couple of shots with the hot iron a new, re-centered pilot for your drill has been made.  Now you can go back to your drill and continue with you hole.  The drill will follow the new pilot.  I have had to use this trick twice in 14 rifles where there was some particularly gnarly grain to contend with.  Worked like a charm both times.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[HistoricalArmsMaker]

In case you haven't done this before, or this particular process, this may be of some help. I don't use any machinery (routers or one of my mills) to cut the groove in; don't trust anything mechanical on something so important,
but you might find this helpful. If you will reduce the excess wood on the bottom of the forestock you won't fight the drill as much. Measure out your web thickness plus 1/3 the rod size. I simply use a straight edge to mark out the channel then use a small chisel to cut the groove, followed by a 5/16 diameter rat tailed wood rasp. Clean it up by wrapping sand paper around it on the final passes. The other guys here have given you excellent drilling suggestions. I make and use a brad point bit silver soldered to a piece of aircraft tubing. This thing will not drill off like the single fluted solid rods can if they hit a hard spot. Anyway, I also tie a couple pieces of leather around the rod; one at the muzzle and another almost to the entry hole. Without excess wood causing friction, the hole drills twice as easy!
Susie

[Dphariss]

In case you haven't done this before, or this particular process, this may be of some help. I don't use any machinery (routers or one of my mills) to cut the groove in; don't trust anything mechanical on something so important,
but you might find this helpful. If you will reduce the excess wood on the bottom of the forestock you won't fight the drill as much. Measure out your web thickness plus 1/3 the rod size. I simply use a straight edge to mark out the channel then use a small chisel to cut the groove, followed by a 5/16 diameter rat tailed wood rasp. Clean it up by wrapping sand paper around it on the final passes. The other guys here have given you excellent drilling suggestions. I make and use a brad point bit silver soldered to a piece of aircraft tubing. This thing will not drill off like the single fluted solid rods can if they hit a hard spot. Anyway, I also tie a couple pieces of leather around the rod; one at the muzzle and another almost to the entry hole. Without excess wood causing friction, the hole drills twice as easy!
Susie

Your experience with brad points is far different than mine. But everyone has their way of drilling.
The gun drill type with reasonable care will run right down and dead center the tang screw if you drill that far. They simply will not run off the track they are started on once in past the flute. If you start them pointed "out" they WILL run out or what ever direction they are pointed.
I have never used one made from a twist drill of any kind that will do this. They ALWAYS run off to some extent. They can and do cut with the sides of the flutes.
While its not that critical with a rod hole drilling stocks for a through bolt is critical and if drilled after the stock is cut out or in a small blank being off .030" in 10-12" can result in a piece of firewood or a lot of work to make the drop, cast off ect right again. I use gun drills.

Dan

[volatpluvia]

Yeah,
Just drilled another this week with the old gun drill.  It went perfectly where I pointed it.  It's a tough job to push it through hard red maple but it is worth not having it come out though the side or bottom.
volatpluvia