Missed the underlug how do I hide the mistake

[Thawk]

Hey everyone,  I was drilling the pin holes for the barrell (1st build)  The first one went fine.  Dead on where I expected it to.  The next one the block I had clamped to the drill press table moved about a 16th of and inch when I hit the under lug.  This caused the drill too skip off the under lug leaving a ragged hole.    It will need to be redrilled.  Is there a technique for hiding it? I was not planning on escutcheons.  I was hoping for  a more plane rifle for a first build.
I was thinking if I made a molding that disguised a sliver of maple pushed in to the hole and sanded flat?  The hole is only a ragged 5/64 and I will need to drill another near it.
Any suggestions. I'll do escutcheons if that is the better fix.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

On the last rifle I built, I started from where someone else left off, and I had to fill quite a number of holes that were either too big, in the wrong spot, or both.  I used round maple tooth picks, and glued them in.  they will take the stain a little differently that the surrounding wood, but judicious use of a felt pen can disguise a lot of things.

[AsMs]

Thawk,

I once drilled a lock bolt in the wrong spot and filled the hole(1/8") with clean saw dust from the blank I was
using mixed with elmers glue.  Mix it up a little on the thick side push it in the hole and let dry.  Sand it flush.
because you use the same wood it with stain real close to the stock wood.  You had to look real close to notice and only when I pointed it out.  Sort of looked like a natural flaw in the wood.

AsMs

[necchi]

I've made plugs to fit,
I prefer to try and use wood from the stock (Butt cut off?) and form a small plug using the face grain so it doesn't show the end grain like a tooth pick would.
It's a pita to make, but helps if you can get the grain at least moving in the same direction as the wood around it.
make it long and glue it into the hole leaving a good section still outside and sand it down to the surface.
If you can think ahead and plan a molding cut down the forearm that'll go over the top of the plug that'll help hide it.
You'll always know it's there, the idea is to take the observers eye away from the plug/fix and get them looking someplace else.

[Thawk]

Thanks everyone.   I'll try to hide it.  First I need a bigger Clamp and I'm getting some angle iron instead of a wood block so it won't slip any more.  Then I'll plug the holes.  I have the Butt stock cut off and some extra that was cut from the stock for the wood patch box.

[Paddlefoot]

I've seen a method of repair for table top drill throughs where they take a gouge and cut a shaving from the bottom of the table top ( =barrel channel). They then use the same gouge to cut a matching chip from over the mistake and glue the replacement shaving into that. Supposedly the grain matches better for staining and the edges are easier to blend. So says "Fine Woodworking".

[Acer Saccharum]

Solder a new piece of brass to make the tab bigger where you need it. Then run the drill thru same hole again.

No patching on the outside of the stock required. You look like a genius.

[rsells]

I agree with Acer in his approach.  In the past, I have made another underlug that is larger to take care of the issue.  I use a piece of angle iron to clamp to my drill press table to index my barrel with the drill in the correct location.  I put a piece of tape on the angle iron and mark a line on the barrel and the tape with the barrel in the correct location for the drill.  Next, I put the barrel in the stock and line up the marks on the angle iron and barrel to locate the drill in the correct location, clamp the stock and barrel against the angle iron, and drill the hole.  No issues since using this procedure.  I do something similar to pin the thimbles as well.
                                                                                 Roger Sellls

[Thawk]

I'll be looking at it again tomorrow.   I'll let you know how it turns out.  I've got to stop and pick up some angle Iron and a bigger C clamp.  Thanks for all the advice!

[bgf]

I've used something like Paddlefoot's method.  First, fill hole with something like a toothpick (I have some cheap bamboo skewers that work well also or you could whittle one out of stock wood), then (after it is glued in and dry) gouge out a sliver/trough from the surface through the bad hole going with the grain, tapering the ends in depth and width.  Glue an oversize sliver from the same stock into the trough and clamp it on until dry.  Then trim flush.  It will be almost impossible to find unless you know exactly where to look, just appears to be a little bit of wild grain or a little knot, whatever. 

[Dennis Glazener]

I have made another underlug that is larger to take care of the issue.

I have done this a couple of times. Acer's soldering a piece onto the lug works but I am lazy and its quicker for me to just make another tennon/lug out of a piece of thin sheet metal, you don't need anything thicker. Just be sure the tennon hangs down a little longer than the old one so the drill hits solid metal.
Dennis

[necchi]

Amazing!
Fix the lug and not the hole!
Geez I'm glad I found this site!!

[Mark Elliott]

The new tenon idea only works if you have room for a bigger tenon.  I usually don't.   I usually carve out a plug with the correct grain alignment from a piece of scrap from the same stock blank.   However,  I must say that I really like bgf's procedure and will use that from now on.   Also,  black paint and black crayons are your friends in hiding the oops when you are all done. 

[Acer Saccharum]

The new tenon idea only works if you have room for a bigger tenon.

So true, it's one of the things you gotta look into before a 'fix' is started.

Most of us build such chubby guns, so what's a little more lug? Especially if your pin hole is ahead or behind the lug. (How would I know about this?)