lug bases

[Roger Fisher]

A minor thing; but am curious how do you folks out there handle the lug bases.

On a round barrel: do you simply inlet the bases to theirthickness til the barrel again bottoms out in the stock or do you file/grind the bases down to a thin base with it's resulting minor bit of inletting in to the stock??  I'm referring of course to soldered on lugs.  Seems to me that the least amount of wood removal in that upper forearm would be the better way to go

What say you?

[Jim Filipski]

Roger,
I do it the second way you said (minimum wood removal)
Jim

[George F.]

I soft solder the lugs on the round barrels, then take a 1/8" grinder bit, I just chuck it in a electric drill and grind the base down on each side of the lug only in the center on the base so the pin will be closer to the barrel bottom. I guess you can grind it before you solder it to the barrel, I don't see the difference. Actually if you grind it first you don't run the risk of grinding into the barrel.   ...Geo.

[Stophel]

I usually just solder the tenons on, and inlet the bases.  There's plenty of wood to contain them.

I saw my tenons out of a piece of 1/2" square stock, and I cut the bases thinner than the monstrously thick "store bought" variety.

I prefer to not dovetail into round barrels, unless they are pretty good size at the spot where the tenon goes, in which case, I will dovetail them in, and file the base to match the contour of the barrel.

[Jim Filipski]

I soft solder the lugs on the round barrels, then take a 1/8" grinder bit, I just chuck it in a electric drill and grind the base down on each side of the lug only in the center on the base so the pin will be closer to the barrel bottom. I guess you can grind it before you solder it to the barrel, I don't see the difference. Actually if you grind it first you don't run the risk of grinding into the barrel.   ...Geo.

Pretty much what I do, but I take them down with a flat file ( with safe side facing the vertical) instead of a grinder. Lets you pin a little higher in the stock.

[don getz]

I make my lugs out of soft, malleable steel, about .030 thick.  I cut a piece about 1/2" wide by 3/4" long, fold it in half,
then, holding about 1/8" of the folded end in a good milling vise, I open up the two legs to conform to the contour of the barrel.  I then clean up the inside of the portion to be soldered with some emery paper and solder them to the barrel.
This way you only have a base  that is .030 thick to inlet into the wood....they are so much neater than the big, cast underlugs you buy.   I make a front sight in the same manner.............Don

[B Shipman]

I do it Don"s way. But whether storebought of made,the base can be pretty thin and doesn't take long to reduce with a heavy round file. The thickness of a thin piece of cardboard is fine.

[Majorjoel]

Are you guys saying you just solder your lugs to the barrel? Do you file dove tails? I cut and file a dove tail into the barrel and try to get such a snug fit, I use a pin punch around the four corners so no soldering is needed.

[don getz]

Joel......we're talking about a round barrel.  I normally dovetail my underlugs on a full oct. barrel.....that being said, Allen
Martin solders almost all of his underlugs on, no matter if it is octagon or round......Don

[Majorjoel]

Thanks Don for your reply to my question. I was begining to wonder if there was some kind of period correct short cut to that doldrum task of fileing dove's. I will admit to using solder on some of my earlier work (on octagon barrels), but like everything else....the more you do it....the better you get at it.

[Kentucky Jeff]

I take the bases down with a mill bastard file until it gets close then I finish with a pilar file. 

[Stophel]

Thanks Don for your reply to my question. I was begining to wonder if there was some kind of period correct short cut to that doldrum task of fileing dove's. I will admit to using solder on some of my earlier work (on octagon barrels), but like everything else....the more you do it....the better you get at it.

A period correct short cut?  The little apprentice boy. 

I HATE doing barrel tenons.  Cutting them out, cutting the dovetails, fitting them, inletting them, pinning them, slotting the holes....egad, it takes forever.  It takes me about an hour EACH to get them completed.  Unfun.

[Roger Fisher]

Thanks Don for your reply to my question. I was begining to wonder if there was some kind of period correct short cut to that doldrum task of fileing dove's. I will admit to using solder on some of my earlier work (on octagon barrels), but like everything else....the more you do it....the better you get at it.

A period correct short cut?  The little apprentice boy. 

I HATE doing barrel tenons.  Cutting them out, cutting the dovetails, fitting them, inletting them, pinning them, slotting the holes....egad, it takes forever.  It takes me about an hour EACH to get them completed.  Unfun.

Jeez, only ONE hour   Wish I could say that!