Fixing my first goof - poorly drilled lock bolt

[HighUintas]

I posted this over on ML forum just to ask a few people how bad they thought it looked and because I feel like I've been monopolizing this forum with my novice questions.

Anyway, I decided that I need to fix it and now I need your expertise determining what I do next.

I drilled my lock bolt way out of level (a rather embarrassing event) so that the bolt head is much too high on the side plate side. The top of the bolt head (3/8" head) is level with the top of the barrel side flat, as seen in my picture. This is not what I was going for and would bug me for eternity if I left it as is. So, my patching is underway.



My current fix progress:

I picked up a 3/16" birch dowel to plug the stock hole internally. Maybe I should have used a harder wood, but I figured the CA glue should strengthen it quite a bit. I turned down a piece of the dowel to fit the holes somewhat snugly and super glued them in. For making this invisible on the side plate side, I'm going to cut a 1/4" plug of my blank scrap and drill a 1/4" hole where that birch dowel is, then plug it with my maple plug.


For the lock bolster hole, I cut off the threads of my lock bolt because I have an extra and cut it so that about 0.020 or a bit more protruded from each side of the hole. Then I used a couple different sizes of hex screw driver bits and my shop press to press the bolt down into the hole to fill the threads since I didn't have a good way to peen it without risk of breaking fingers or bashing my lock plate into a rainbow. With the bolt protruding just enough, I was able to look between the lock plate and the press plate to ensure I was putting pressure on the bolt and not the plate. It worked surprisingly well and is nearly invisible.



I have plenty of room in the bolster to drill a new clean hole keeping away from the old hole edge. If I do that, I'll have to notch the breech plug bolster instead of going through it. My question is, if I attempt to drill a new hole that cuts into the old hole a bit, is that going to throw my bit way off and give me another crooked hole?

[pjmcdonald]

I'd silver solder it from the backside, file it back smooth, and re-drill where it needs to be. Wouldn't worry about hole overlapping the old plug. Center punch on both sides. New sharp drill bit, drill guide, and cutting oil to help make sure to stay on target. I've plugged a front lockbolt and a trigger plate this way. I've gotten (marginally) better at alignment after getting tired of fixing this particular mistake a couple times.

I'm a slow learner sometimes - I have make the same mistake a few times to practice fixing it before I get the bright idea to just not screw up the first time (yeah. right. in my highest aspirations...). 

Paul

[flinchrocket]

Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see anything terribly wrong with the location of your bolt.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

When I am determining where on the lock plate I am going to drill the hole for the rear bolt, I centre punch a spot down in the bottom corner of the rear end of the bolster, as close to the end and the bottom as I dare.  Then I drill the hole with a tap drill (eg:  #29 for 8 x 32 TPI)  I then put the lock back into the mortise and using a drill press I drill through the hole in the lock plate and the wood, and the barrel lug all at the same time.  Then it's a simple matter to drill through the wood with the clearance drill bit, having removed the lock plate from its mortise.

[FDR]

Taylor gave you excellent advice as usual. The only thing I would add is that I always use a "center drill" to start my holes. They are short and stiff and start where the punch mark is located if you align it properly.


Fred

[HighUintas]

Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see anything terribly wrong with the location of your bolt.

The lock bolt in the first picture is about 3/16-1/4" too high

[HighUintas]

I'd silver solder it from the backside, file it back smooth, and re-drill where it needs to be. Wouldn't worry about hole overlapping the old plug. Center punch on both sides. New sharp drill bit, drill guide, and cutting oil to help make sure to stay on target. I've plugged a front lockbolt and a trigger plate this way. I've gotten (marginally) better at alignment after getting tired of fixing this particular mistake a couple times.

I'm a slow learner sometimes - I have make the same mistake a few times to practice fixing it before I get the bright idea to just not screw up the first time (yeah. right. in my highest aspirations...). 

Paul

Thanks, Paul. I assume silver soldering would mostly be to bond that plug better with the lock plate in the event that I drill a new hole through a portion of it?

[HighUintas]

When I am determining where on the lock plate I am going to drill the hole for the rear bolt, I centre punch a spot down in the bottom corner of the rear end of the bolster, as close to the end and the bottom as I dare.  Then I drill the hole with a tap drill (eg:  #29 for 8 x 32 TPI)  I then put the lock back into the mortise and using a drill press I drill through the hole in the lock plate and the wood, and the barrel lug all at the same time.  Then it's a simple matter to drill through the wood with the clearance drill bit, having removed the lock plate from its mortise.

Thanks, Taylor. Are you punching the internal side of the bolster and drilling from that side? And if I'm understanding correctly, you're trying to put the bolt in the farthest back and lowest position you can, right? Is that because you're often making Hawken rifles that have a standing breech or does that also apply to fullstock Longrifles you do?

Yes I used a similar approach, but drilled through the plate and wood to the breech bolster, then pulled the plate and switched to a clearance bit to go through wood and breech bolster. My mistake was not using a center drill and not using my drill press.

I would like to avoid notching the breech bolster so that I have the most recoiling surface as possible on the wood, but I think the margin of error allowed for hitting the right spot in the breech bolster might be too narrow for me.

[borderdogs]

I made a similar mistake on a tang bolt hole. I actually swagged it in place which worked pretty well. I left it high on both sides squeezed it in the vise then filed it down can't even see it. Of course you have to be careful to not squeeze too hard because it can swell the part.
Rob 

[kutter]

I really don't see much issue with the position of the lock bolt head. It seems to be positioned just fine.
The threaded end is quite high and near the edge of the lock plate.
Wether that would actually be a weak point of some sort, I guess that can be debated.
The bolt just screws into place and holds the lock in it's inlet.

You already plugged the lock plate. That's fine. A peened in plug, threaded or not, soldered as well or even LocTite used. There are all sorts of ways.

I would now locate on the outside of the lockplate where you want the bolt to be threaded through.
Give it a position of strength as far as keeping it away from the immediate edge of the plate.

Center punch that position and drill the hole squarely through the plate with the Tap-Drill for those threads.
Do this with the lock plate off of the stock and the plate in a drill press to make sure the hole is straight.

Then put the plate back in the stock and the whole thing in the drill press.
Leave the bbl off as you are assuming that the new bolt hole will now partially cut the plug bolster.\
That glancing cut will just throw the drill bit off coarse.
Leave the bbl w/breech plug off for now.

Level the stock w/lock plate up squarely.
Use the same Tap-Drill as before.
Use the previously drilled new hole in the lock plate as the guide and now drill down through the stock and out the outer side on the side panel.
That will locate the side bolt position for you.

You can tap the lock plate while it's still in this set-up if you want to. The drill press will aid in keeping a nice straight thread .If not, you can thread the plate from the other direction using the stock as the guide for the tap..if your tap is long enough to reach side to side. Most aren't.

Remove the lock plate and replace the Tap-Drill w/a larger bit size that will allow the lock bolt to freely slide through the wood.

The last thing is that breech plug bolster that will likely be in the way of the new screw  passage at least in part.

Place the bbl w/ plug back in the stock now w/ the bolster marked with sharpie pen black or other marking color.
Then take a punch that fits fairly well into the bolt hole and from both sides slide it in till it hits the bolster. Then give it a few very light taps. You are just trying to mark the area where it needs to be filed away.
Remove the bbl w/plug. Use a small file and using the marks made , cut a semi circle cut-out in the bolster so the bolt can freely pass.

[HighUintas]

Thank you for that thorough instruction, kutter. I'll play it safe keep away from the edge of the old hole and drill the parts separately.

Maybe the previous position wouldn't have looked the worst, but it would have bothered me. And, now I get to practice the art of hiding my mistakes

[Goo]

It might be prudent to drill and tap the new hole first as the lock plate may heat harden during the silver soldering repair.

[mikeyfirelock]

Learning to hide mistakes is part of the “ art and mystery”

[flembo]

An old fella once told me a true craftsman can hide his mistakes so they are nearly invisible.

[HighUintas]

I decided to forego the silver soldering for now. I wanted to place the new hole well away from the old hole edge to play it safe and figured I can likely live with the small bit of the old hole that's still visible. I may go back later and silver solder the old hole if it bothers me.

Thank you all for the advice. I truly appreciate it.

I center punched hard, used a center drill in my press with the lock plate removed, drilled through with the #29, then put the stock (sans barrel) with the plate into the press and used the plate hole as a guide to drill the stock. Switched to a clearance bit and removed the plate and then drilled through the stock again. Then put the plate back in the press without the stock, line up the hole with the tap drill and switched to the tap. Got the tap started in the press, then removed the plate and finished the tap by hand.

Now I just need to file out a notch in the breech plug and cut a face grain maple plug to hide that birch dowel. Please ignore my quick and poorly drawn panel that teet will be filed off the bolt escutcheon. I nailed my target bolt head location!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Great recovery.  To answer you question, I mark and drill the lock plate from the inside, not the outside.  Kutter's directions are very clear and precise.