Underlug Staples

[Don Getz]

While I downplayed the use of staples on this 13/16" barrel, I must admit that I used staples on many guns.  I made my
own staples from finishing nails.   I made a simple jig to bend them, then filed notches into the two legs so that they could be staked into place.    I  even used these on a Paris octagon to round barrel, on my second gun.   In the 80's I
used a lot of the cast staples sold by Pete Allan when we developed and sold the first Isaac Haines kits.  The early kits
had a Trans. B barrel in them.  In 50 cal. this barrel was pretty thin at the small part, but, I did many of them and never
had a screw up.   I used a drill that had a sleeve soldered over it to regulate depth.   Even this requires some special
things done to it.  I made a hole in the sleeve corresponding to the two flutes of the drill to allow the drilling chips to escape.   If you don't do this, the two flutes of the drill just get filled with chips and creates problems...............Don

[rich pierce]

Keep in mind that Don made some of the best ML barrels ever, and others may not have the same level of skill.  As Dirty Harry said, "A man needs to know his limitations."

[ol vern]

set the table on your drill press so the drill bit just touches the barrel when you have the drill press at full stroke.

 Use some shims under the barrel to rase the barrel up the depth you want the holes.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

While I downplayed the use of staples on this 13/16" barrel, I must admit that I used staples on many guns.  I made my
own staples from finishing nails.  ..............Don

Don, Do you have stock in a nail factory??   You have tred to convince us all that we should be using finish nails for pins!!.......Now you want us to use them for staples???  Whats with you and finish nails?  Maybe you are a frustrated finish carpenter??

(Pssst!!  another tip from Don was to burnish your stock with a crumpled up brown bag!!!  It works like a dream!!! -- I guess we better pay attention eh??)

[Glenn]

(Pssst!!  another tip from Don was to burnish your stock with a crumpled up brown bag!!!  It works like a dream!!! -- I guess we better pay attention eh??)

...

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

(Pssst!!  another tip from Don was to burnish your stock with a crumpled up brown bag!!!  It works like a dream!!! -- I guess we better pay attention eh??)

...

After sealing......

[volatpluvia]

I too have used finish nails for barrel pins, the pin for the primitive trigger pivot, etc and they really work great, and they are CHEAP.  I hate the hardened wire some kits send for barrel pins.  You got to cut it with a file and it will drill itself into the stock wood if you let it go off when installing through your stock. 
volatpluvia

[Don Getz]

Tim....yep, sure do like those finishing nails.   They just seem to be the right size for the job.   It was early in my gunbuilding that I made my own staples.   I liked the ones that I got from Pete Allan, they were cast and had a little foot
on the bottom of each leg.   I would drill the hole with a standard drill, with a point on it.   When I insersted the staple I
would tap the staple into the hole which kind of curled the edges of the staple upward.   I also made an upsetting tool
out of a nail set.  I ground off two sides of the set to make it about 1/16" thick, and as wide as the set was originally.
By upsetting the metal with a smaller tool requires less effort to do it, and you will be less likely to dimple the bore on the
inside.  As for that brown paper bag for burnishing, it really does work.  It would probably be the last thing before staining, or could be done after staining and before finishing.    It makes the stock amazingly smooth...........Don

[Glenn]

Thanks Don.  I'm going to keep all this in mind.