Pinning ramrod pipes after stock is shaped

[conquerordie]

While working on my fowler, I go back in the archives each time I start a new task. Yesterday I was inletting the pipes. Now most seen to inlet them while the stock is square. A few offered inletting while the stock was fully shaped. So I tried this. Fully shaped and inletted, I saw that it was hard to make sure I was going to drill straight. To help with my placement, I made a poor man's beading tool and actually cut, scraped the forearm moulding to final size. I then used the top edge of it to use as a guide for my pins. Just used the center of the pipe as my other guide. Im happy to say I only have one 1/16" hole to fill that went a little low. Three out of four pipes isn't bad for me 
It worked very well for my first time inletting pipes after the stock is fully shaped. Carving the forearm moulding helped a lot. Something others might try on their next builds.
Also, inletting the pipes themselves was much easier as you be removed most of the excess wood by this time.
Greg

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

When I drill for barrel pins or rod pipe pins when the stock has been fully shaped, I make sure the layout for their location is perfect, marked with a fine tipped pencil.  I then prick punch the locations with a thin punch quite deeply (1/16" or so).  I set up the stock with barrel in the channel, using the top flat to make sure the gun is held square and level.  I use 1/16" pins so I install a  sharp 1/16" drill bit in the press and set the speed to highest setting. 
With the gun in the vise and the vise clamped solidly to the table in the exact location for the pin, and the drill press running, I bring the bit down until it just touches the pin punched mark and hold it there while it begins the hole.  Now I continue down slowly about 1/14" and clear the chips.  Now the bit is exactly where it needs to be, and I continue to drill all the way through, wood and lug.  Drill a little, clear the chips and continue.  It's quite easy to do.  Be patient and precise.

[thecapgunkid]

I follow the advice of the videos and books  in drawing a line down the stock that defines the bottom of the barrel and then a parallel line defining the top of the ramrod groove.  You can eyeball swamped barrels against that top  line.

Although none of the sources I used said it directly, every hole you drill in the fore stock is gonna be between those lines.

Then I bought a simple tire gauge and glued a coffee stirrer to it to expand the width of the base so the little gauge can travel freely and the base spans the sides of the stock.  That helps with swamped barrels

Jim Turpin parenthetically  mentions keeping his drill level because the level is built in to the drill.  What a concept.  So I took ,my little precious Bohler hobby drill that my bride got me off QVC one Christmas which has squared sides parallel to the drill bit and glued a plumb level to the top of  it.

All those awls I bought at flea markets take turns marking the starter holes, because you don't dare start the drill on a curved surface without one.

The good news is I haven't missed a forestock hole since...one drill, one kill.  The bad news is now I have to go back to using those shoemaking pegs I have on the the mundane task  of making shoes. Kahki Doody.

Don't shoot yore eye out, kid

The Capgun Kid