Drill stop for drilling barrel staples

[FRJ]

I recently had to drill the holes to install barrel staples in a 58cal GM barrel I'm using on my first  build of a Hawken rifle. I was really sweating this because of the dire warnings I recieved about drilling the holes too deep.
What I did was this: After determining the depth they had to be drilled and making sure there would be enough thickness left after the holes were drilled I bought a piece of copper tubing that would let me fit the 1/8" drill inside it. I adjusted the tubing till just the right amount of drill was exposed outside the tubing and then flattened it snugly against the drill. Next I checked it again to make sure that the exposed amount was still correct. Now I chucked it up with the tubing against the chuck so that it couldnt move up on the drill and change the depth of the hole.It worked perfectly!!!!!I now have my staples installed at the proper  height and soldered in place. What a relief. Frank

[longcruise]

I'm such a neanderthall!  I just put a piece of tape around the drill and stop when the hole reaches that depth.   If you don't stop in time it can slide the tape on up the drill and you can go past it.  Did not do it on a barrel, but another project that was not near as critical!

[FRJ]

Yea Longcruise, thats exactly what I was worried about. With this method as long as you measure twice and drill once it shouldn't go bad. Notice I didn't say can't go bad!!! Frank

[greybeard]

I recently had to drill the holes to install barrel staples in a 58cal GM barrel I'm using on my first  build of a Hawken rifle. I was really sweating this because of the dire warnings I recieved about drilling the holes too deep.
What I did was this: After determining the depth they had to be drilled and making sure there would be enough thickness left after the holes were drilled I bought a piece of copper tubing that would let me fit the 1/8" drill inside it. I adjusted the tubing till just the right amount of drill was exposed outside the tubing and then flattened it snugly against the drill. Next I checked it again to make sure that the exposed amount was still correct. Now I chucked it up with the tubing against the chuck so that it couldnt move up on the drill and change the depth of the hole.It worked perfectly!!!!!I now have my staples installed at the proper  height and soldered in place. What a relief. Frank

Thats cool;  I got it filked away in my memory file.Bob

[Tim Crosby]

  Take the bit that you are going to use, grind the shaft down until once bottomed out in the chuck the depth you are looking for is sticking out. The jaws of the chuck work as your stop, you cannot drill to deep.
 Works for me. 

 Tim C.

[Hank*in*WV]

I drill a hole in a dowel rod and let the bit stick out the desired depth.

[Acer Saccharum]

I just set the bit on the barrel surface, lock the spindle, then crank the Bridgeport table up .125.

Yeah, go ahead you can hate me.

[Michigan Flinter]

If you are using a drill press clamp barrel to table bring the drill down until it touches the barrel lock the quill stop bring up the drill unclamp the barrel put a shim (thichness of your hole depth)under the barrel, clamp down barrel and drill your hole. Works for me  .

[WadePatton]

Don't most drill presses have adjustable stops built in?

mine do.

Hey Tom, shaddup already! 

freakin bridgeport...







sweet ain't it.

[roamer]

I have my Dads 1954 SHOPSMITH, it has a feed and a stop. I really enjoy that macine and the memories it brings

[porchdog48]

I use roll pins that the drill fits a little tight when pushed thought the bore of the roll pin extending the drill out one end the depth I need then chuck the drill with the other end of the pin against the chuck jaws.

[FRJ]

As far as I know all drill presses have stops also as far as I know more than a few holes have been drilled to deep using these stops that mysteriously move. If my post doesn't apply then don't use it. I only posted it in case anyone else was having the same trepadations I was. Frank

[Jerry V Lape]

Good thread, presents multiple possible solutions.  Guess next time I need a .125 deep hole I shall rush out and buy a new Bridgeport Milling machine!  Then I will need several weeks of instruction in how to employ the thing. 

[T*O*F]

Guess next time I need a .125 deep hole I shall rush out and buy a new Bridgeport Milling machine!

No need to....just buy the right sized end mill and use it in your drill press.  I use these instead of regular drill bits because they produce a flat bottom hole; whereas drill bits are tapered on the end.  This makes it easier to use a bottom tap when threading holes drilled into a barrel.  As for depth marking, I just mark the bit with a magic marker and stop when I hit the bottom of the line.

[greybeard]

YEP.  Keep it simple.   Bob

[fm tim]

Jim Turpin, in his video about percussion rifles, drills the hole so that the tip of the drill is at the proper depth.  Then he uses another drill of the same size with the tip ground off flat to finish the hole.  It acts like an end mill to get a flat bottom.

[FRJ]

I used the staples from TOW and they are rounded at the end, therefore a flat bottomed drill or end mill would not be ideal but a pointed drill would. I posted this as a simple fix for what was for me a scarry proposition, ie drilling a hole in an expensive barrel. I don't have the money to buy a Bridgeport to drill 4 holes but if I did I wouldn't. Frank

[WadePatton]

Didn't mean to start a snarkiness contest.

the depth_physically_limited_by_material_on_drill is probably going to be the most foolproof (resistant really) approach.

and if space is a problem for anyone wanting a milling machine, just keep it at my house no prob.