Drilling bbl lug and RR pipe holes

[flehto]

Since I started building MLers, drilling the bbl lug and RR pipe holes always took too long ....anyways to me. So, bought a "C" clamp type drill jig and was disappointed that it was very slow also. Experienced builders aren't  my concern because they probably have their own way of doing this, but possibly many beginning and intermediate skilled builders might be interested.

I first lay out the  horizontal   hole locations w/ a depth mike laying it   on the top of the forestock and just eyeball for  the vertical lines.  A sharp awl is used to carefully indent the intersecting lines.

I do this drilling in a drill press that has a reinforced 3/4" thick X 2'X4-1/2'  sheet of plywood bolted to the DP table....it's never removed.

The bbl/stock ass'y is clamped close  to the breech in my super accurate vise w/ the bbl top flat against the permanent jaw of the vise. A parallel is towards the muzzle which keeps the ass'y horizontal.

A parallel clamp is  on each side of the bbl lug , the awl indent is picked up  by the 1/16 drill w/ an RPM of 1300-1500, centered on the indent and the hole is drilled through. A length of music wire is inserted into the hole , the clamps are  moved to  the next hole and everything is repeated until the 4 holes are drilled.

A 3/8 dia steel dowel is inserted into the RR pipe  and one parallel  clamp on the top  of the RR pipe holds the pipe and ass'y together. The hole is drilled through and  a length o 1/16 dia  of music wire is inserted and the clamp is moved to the next RR pipe and everything is repeated until all the holes are drilled. The dowel must be shorter than the pipe so it doesn't bear on the RR groove.

The 4 bbl lug holes take 15 mins to drill and the RR pipes slightly less.
To drill the holes for  pipe or lug at the muzzle, the setup must be changed end for end which isn't a big deal....takes a minute at the most.

The webs at the breech are 1/16" or slightly less and require very accurate hole locations and drilling. The bbl lug at the breech is shown as well as the vise I use and the drill press setup. Have been doing this for 35 yrs or more and it has always worked.....Fred

[rmnc3r]

I use my home-made C-clamp drilling guide for Tang Bolt and Lock nails, but for RR Pipe and Barrel Pins, I use my drill press with a x-y vise bolted onto the table and a telescoping support bolted onto the Column. Similarly,  the pipes or barrel is index against the 'immoveable' face of the vise

Unless the extensions are in use, they are removed and stored away, due to limited shop space

[Not English]

This will probably come across wrong, but I think a lot of builders have forgotten the KISS principle while looking for better/faster ways of doing things. All that's really needed is an easily movable vise that can be locked down. All I use is a cross feed vice that can be locked in place.

[steven baker]

Hello,
Just like to share my input with you fellow builders. This is a simple handmade jig that can be made quite easily. Simply a piece of square box metal wth various sized holes drilled right through, keeping them at 90 degress, a simple g cramp to the right place to be drilled. The rest is pretty self explanatory. The sample is just a off cut and a left over thimble. It seems to do it job quite easily.

Take care,
Steven.

[john bohan]

I think William Buchele's method is the best way for me, no measuring no jigs. I line the barrel up with a fence on the drill press put the barrel in the stock then drill.

[smallpatch]

I’ve got all the drilling jigs etc, and they just take too long.  Now I just mark the holes, level up the stock in the vise, use a battery powered drill with a level, and drill on through. Waaaaaaaay easier.

[Not English]

John's got bit right. It's  pretty hard to screw up using Buchele's method.

[FALout]

I kinda do it like flehto, but I have a bench type drill press.  Only I use a bucket and a pile of books to help support the rifle, different thickness of books can get my rifle situated just right, of course layout is critical,  I’ve tried other ways, but this works for me.
Bob

[rmnc3r]

I think William Buchele's method is the best way for me, no measuring no jigs. I line the barrel up with a fence on the drill press put the barrel in the stock then drill.

Yes, exactly. The Pipe or Barrel is set against the 'Fence', the x-y vise adjusted, the pipe or barrel replaced in the stock,  location marked, the movable jaw tightened against the workpiece, then drilled.

The Support in Reply 1 helps hold up the stock rather than buckets and books



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