Pinning stock to barrel

[saltland]

  From my readings/watching dvd's the most efficient method for drilling pinholes/lugs to stock is with a drill press using the attachment to the base insuring a accurate hole.For those who do not have a drill press like myself do you have any advise on how to perform this task ?
Scott

[Joe S]

Get a jig from David Rase.  Far easier to use than a drill press.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I agree with Jose.  No drill press here either.  No need for one with one of those Jigs.

Cory Joe Stewart

[PPatch]

This should be done soon after you bed the barrel and tang. Carefully measure where your barrel lugs will go, mark and measure the thickness of the barrel at those spots. Add add the thickness of your lug then about a 32nd to the  measurement then transfer that to the stock. I use a Gimlet (see pix below) to start the hole then a hand drill to finish the holes coming in from both sides of the stock. You can drill the lug separately, do file your hole in the lug wider on both sides to allow the wood to move when it needs to.

Picture of a gimlet at work...



Don't be afraid to use the ol' hacksaw and triangular file technique to cut your under lug slots - just go slow and careful.





dave

[Mark Elliott]

I always use a drill press.  Could someone post a picture of David's jig?    I don't remember what it looks like.

[RichG]

Dave's jig is the easiest way I've ever drilled holes. perfectly aligned every time. pins, tangs, whatever. 

[Clark Badgett]

I've done it twice with good results by using my electric hand drill. Mark the spot as others have noted, center punch the spot, then drill with the correct sized drill bit until you touch the lug. Repeat on other side, then drill the hole into the underlug. Just for grins, I once measured the holes and all of them were within .010" of being dead on straight. Not bad for hand and eyeball.

[saltland]

 Thanks everybody.I checked out Dixie Gunworks jig...seems easy enough.Any info on Dave's jig...contact info ?
 Scott

[Mike Brooks]

I just drill them through with an electric hand drill by eye. Hold your tongue right and you'll have no problems.

[smylee grouch]

I have a drill press and one of Dave's jigs and the tool of choice for that and the lock bolt and the tang bolt is the jig. It's just that simple to use and puts the hole right where you spot it.

[boman]

I just drill them through with an electric hand drill by eye. Hold your tongue right and you'll have no problems.

 Sounds like me although I use an aircraft length bit.  These bits allow the "MK1 eyeball" instrument to be more precise

  Steve

[flehto]

I used the drill jig and it took too long. So went back to the way I've done it since first starting to build.

Have a drillpress that has a large sheet of reinforced 3/4" thick plywood . The bbl/stk ass'y is clamped in a very accurate vise  w/ the top bbl flat against the permanent jaw. A parallel towards the muzzle keeps things horizontal. A 1/16 drill is used along w/ 1/16 dia  music wire.

2 parallel clamps are used on both sides of the first  bbl lug and after drilling straight through, a length of music wire is pushed into the hole. The clamps are then moved to the next bbl lug  and the hole is drilled. This is repeated until the 4 holes are drilled.

The large plywood sheet enables all 4 holes to be drilled in one setup and takes approx. 15 mins at the most.

Later on the same setup and procedure is done when drilling the RR pipe holes except the pipe itself is clamped against the wood..

The 1/16  drill is run at 1500 RPM and cleared of chips quite often

The Bucks County LRs that I mainly build have webs of 1/16 at the breech and 5/32" at the muzzle so very accurate locations for the lug and pipe pin holes  are a necessity......Fred

 

[Joe S]

Here's Rase's jig, slightly modified.  The bolt on the left is ground to a point, and the other is hollow and guides the drill bit.  I punch a spot on both sides of the stock, then put on the jig.  Drill half way through, then turn the jig around and drill the other half.  This jig works for the tang bolt too.

Originally, both bolts were the same length.  I shortened the drill guide bolt so that I could start the hole with a short bit.  I then finish with the long bit.  Works better for me that way.  If I had some small skill with tools, or a modicum of hand - eye coordination, I would use gimlets or maybe just drill it like Mike Brooks does.  But I don't, so I'm stuck with crutching my way through this process with the help of David's jig.  BTW, he sends you guides for 1/16" and 1/8" bits, and the long bits as well.

[smallpatch]

I do the scientific Mike Brooks method.
I have a Ryobi battery drill with a level on it.  Mark your hole, level your stock, and the drill, and drill away.  Easy!

[David R. Pennington]

I've done both ways. If you have a drill press handy, (and the forestock is still flat sided) clamp some type of temporary fence on the table. The barrel lays on it's side on the table with the top flat against the fence and the lugs facing you. Adjust the fence until the drill bit will strike the tab of the lug in the desired location. Now clamp the fence down so it won't move. With breechplug removed lay barrel on stock inlet turned 90 degrees so the lug tabs are along side and mark their location on the stock blank. Transfer the lines to the side of the stock and put the barrel all the way back into the inlet. With the barrel in the blank and against the fence your drill should go right where it is supposed to.
I have also done the lay out, drill from both sides then pull the barrel and drill the lugs method, this is may be faster.

[Gaeckle]

Tom Snyder makes a fixture, works great....however, I use a drill press. I've tried using the eye-ball-hold yer tongue-hand drill method, but I can't figure out which direction to hold my tongue.

[Clark Badgett]

Gotta hold yer tongue in yer right jaw. 

In all seriousness, people often don't really have an idea just how accurate their eyes can be. 

[Mark Elliott]

Gotta hold yer tongue in yer right jaw. 

In all seriousness, people often don't really have an idea just how accurate their eyes can be. 

That is assuming you have the right glasses and your balance is still half way decent.

I drill lock bolt holes through the stock that way and sometimes I am dead on and sometimes I am not.  You have a smaller target you have to hit with pins.

[B.Habermehl]

I use my drillpress, with a extension table made from a piece of 1 by 6 for the extension. I use my standard layout technique and start my holes with my fingers with a drill bit in a modelmakers pin vise drilling about 1/8 in deep. Then I finish them on the drill press. I prefer using a 5/64 dial drill and 5/64 music wire for my pins. After drilling my pin holes in the stock and barrel, I pull the barrel and drill two more holes in the lugs one on each side as close as possible to my original pin holes. Then I use a jewelry saw to connect them and file the resulting slots for a neat slop free fit.

[ron w]

this is one of those places a jig or fixture comes in very handy, despite the small use and in my opinion almost necessary for the kind of accuracy that doesn't look deliberately amateur. despite spending a lifetime with a drill, or some other hand tool in my hands, I just do not like the idea of drilling by hand and eye when drilling somewhat thick hard material with skinny little drill bits....they wander too easily.

[Joe S.]

[ ]http://i68.tinypic.com/rus8pc.jpg[/IMG] ]http://i68.tinypic.com/rus8pc.jpg[/ ] ]http://i66.tinypic.com/fcmu1k.jpg[/ ] ] ][/url]Used this jig for tang,lock bolts,had a buddy turn down the ends to the drill size used to drill holes for wedge keys.Worked great with hand drill.Another set turned down for thimble pins,less of a chance for large dimples in pre-carved stocks that way.