dovetail pins

[martin9]

Does anyone know of a hardware store alternative to the 3/32" steel pin stock for pinning dovetails. I just drilled the dovetails in a Jaeger I'm building and found out I'm out of dovetail pins. I ordered some a few days ago from track but they probably won't be here for a week  so I thought I'd go hardware store hunting for an alternative. Lowes' and home depots' search engines aren't helpful at all.

[Mike Brooks]

3/32" is MONGO. Use 1/16" pins. I use 1/16" welding rod.

[martin9]

Dang! I shoulda thought of that. I know where to get that for sure. Thanks!!!

[Stophel]

Are you talking about the pins for the barrel tenons?  If so, nails.  I like them a little bigger than 1/16", so i can use a 1/16 driver and it won't get stuck. I tend to taper them too.

[martin9]

Yep, the barrel tenons also the triggerguard. I know harbor freight has 1/16" and 3/32" welding rod stock so I'm gonna go  grab both. I already drilled the tenons to 3/32" but haven't slotted them so one or the other oughta be a good fit

[Scota4570]

Music wire makes the best pins.  It will not bend under any normal use. Files will not cut music wire.  Sometimes softer materials will bend in the stock and you have a big problem.  K&S Metals sells it. You will find the display at better stocked ACE hardware and hobby shops.  After cutting to length clean up up the end with a grinder.  I round over an polish the end on a buffing wheel too.   

[Tim Ault]

I've always just used the stem from a regular pop rivet there .075 .

[yip]

  no#4 finishing nail works.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have used 1/16" welding rod a lot for pins, but now like to use 1 1/2" finishing nails.  They are just a little over 1/16" and allow a 1/16" pin punch to push them in and out without damaging the wood.  The nails are .072" and require a number 46 drill ( If I remember the numbers correctly).  This is important to me as I remove the barrels of my guns every time I clean them.  If your pins are susceptible to bending, you have a bedding problem where your barrel is moving on recoil.

[577SXS]

Music wire is the way to go and you can get it in lots of sizes. I ordered some on Ebay cheap and got 36 inch lengths of straight wire. It's much harder than welding rod or nails.

[Stophel]

There's no reason for them to be hard. 200 years ago they were dead soft iron.

[Scota4570]

Just because they had nothing better is does not mean we should avoid upgrades.   200 years ago most hand made guns were pretty rough.  They did the best they could with what they had.  There were some great guns made too.  I choose to make the best rifle I can with the material available to me.  For 3-cents a pin I suggest using the better material.

https://www.ksmetals.com/copy-of-stainless-steel

If a soft pin gets rusty it may stick in place.  Trying to drift it can fold it up inside the stock.  Now you have a huge mess. 

They also make hard stainless.  It is very handy stuff to have around the shop.

https://www.ksmetals.com/copy-of-copper

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... depends on what you're building, too,... I have an old original Tennessee rifle, and the pins for barrel and rammer pipes are all handmade square iron pins,... haven't removed any to measure, but appear to be maybe 3/32",(??) and tapered,...

[flehto]

All the pins in all  my builds are made from .0625  dia music wire and the reason it's used .....just cut off , bevel the ends and push in and I buy it at Ace hardware. The fit in a hole drilled w/ a 1/16 drill is always perfect. I use an old pliers that has a side cutter and doesn't chip or dent from the music wire. Bought a new side cutters and the first cut ruined the cutting edges { modern tools aren't as good sometimes}. Music wire is low priced , hardened, consistent in size and straight....no screwing around as w/ a nail. .....Whether it was used years ago  is a non-factor.....most MLer building today doesn't  use "tools of yore". The drift I use is made from a length of Allen wrench ...the corners are slightly filed for a nice fit and it's pressed into a square length of 1/2" square brass. ....Fred

[LilysDad]

... depends on what you're building, too,... I have an old original Tennessee rifle, and the pins for barrel and rammer pipes are all handmade square iron pins,... haven't removed any to measure, but appear to be maybe 3/32",(??) and tapered,...

How do you make a hole through the stock and dovetail to fit that?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Fred:  you present a compelling argument, and when you speak, I listen.  So far, I've been using a pin punch that happens to have a 1/16" pin and that makes driving out a .072" pin very convenient.  But I'd much prefer to have a designated pin pushing tool and your allen wrench system is the answer.  thanks much.

[alyce-james]

Good evening Sir. I like the old time wire coat hangers. AJ.

[mikeyfirelock]

  Fo r those of us using music wire:    I drill the end of  a shaker peg ( like you’d use for hanging  coffee mugs on ) with the proper size drill and glue a section of the music wire  in to make a handy drift for taking the pins out.
It goes with the gun if it’s for someone else to be used when needed for disassembly.  Saves looking all over for something the proper size as a drift.

[smylee grouch]

Good and thought full idea Mikeyfirelock. 

[Nordnecker]

I use landscape/ marking flags. It's hardened wire and it's easy to find. Heck, I found about 100 of them in a jobsite dumpster last week.

[Frank]

Finishing nails. If they were good enough for Don Getz, they are good enough for me.

[Mike Brooks]

There's no reason for them to be hard. 200 years ago they were dead soft iron.

Yes, and their only function is to hold the forestock against the barrel. No reason to upgrade to space age products for this application.

[Dphariss]

Piano wire from a hobby store.
They don't bend or pean, etc and its useful for other things as well. Like set trigger pins.
I don't use soft steel for any pin.

Dan

[t.caster]

I use #4d finish nails .071" for all pins now. I used to use .093" #6d finish nails for the barrel. I found the larger diameter drills don't flex and drift or break off as easily as a 1/16" drill.

[Daryl]

I use a small Allen wrench for pushing pins & a screw driver for keys.