How do you guys cut the trigger slot?

[Justin Urbantas]

I'm curious, when you guys are building a gun, how do you cut the really narrow slot to install the trigger down to the sear? Tips or tricks would be helpful.  I'm tired of butchering the slot.

[smallpatch]

Drill area with an undersize bit to the proper depth. Use a thin chisel to clean out the slot.
It’s really quite easy. I’ve got a 5/64” mortise chisel that makes it easy to lever the pieces out.
Hope that makes sense. Easier to do than explain.

[mikeyfirelock]

If you want to clean the slot nicely after chiseling, glue sandpaper to a tongue depressor and use it to clean the slot

[L. Akers]

I ground a 1/4" hardware store chisel to 1/16" wide and use it like a mortise chisel.

[smylee grouch]

After the chisel you could use thin needle files and or a hot used up hacksaw blade to burn it out. NOT red hot .

[Van]

   After drilling the location undersize I use a bent chisel from Track Of The Wolf to cut the slot.  These I put a piece of wood dowel on the end to be easier on the palm of the hand.  They come in more sizes, but these are 1/8" and 1/4".  They will hone razor sharp and reach as deep as you need to cut in the stock.   

[Bob Roller]

I have done ONE only and used a milling machine with a long 1/8 inch 5 flute cutter.
There are also needle RASPS available for wood work and the square one might work for this
type of cut.

Bob Roller

[flehto]

I drill a series of holes w/ a slightly oversized  drill and  chisel  the webs out and file smooth. The trigger plate is used as a guide for the drilling. The depth of the drilled holes  is a guess, but if slightly too deep, so what?.....Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I use the same system for trigger plates, barrel slide escutcheons, and tenons.  I drill a series of holes centre punched along a line, each hole touching the last if I can manage it.  Then a jeweller's saw to remove the webs of metal between the holes, then needle files to clean up the slot.  Barrel slides are often less than 1/16" thick, so the slots are correspondingly thin, but my trigger shoe is normally between 1/16" and 3/32" thick, so the slot is wider there and easier to cut.

[rich pierce]

Here’s mine, a repurposed thin flat file turned edge-ways. Very strong.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I made my own mortising chisel out of 0-1 tool steel. I made them in different widths (1/16" to 3/32") and about 2" long attach a handle and proceed very slowly and cautiously. I guess you could use files to dress up the slot, but I find it un-necessary as I have enough side clearance that the trigger does not interfere with the sides of the slot.
The shape of a mortising chisel is critical to get the wood to lever itself loose so you can remove it from the slot. There is also a ratio as to depth to length that will limit you as to how deep you can make the slot. That's where the different widths of chisels come into play.

[P.W.Berkuta]

Here’s mine, a repurposed thin flat file turned edge-ways. Very strong.

Looks like I'll be making a larger mortising chisel out of one of my old small files - a lot less work involved than to make them out of a piece of O-1 - thanks for the idea, Rich

[davec2]

I use the same method Taylor uses for barrel keys.  I drill side by side holes and then burn away the web in-between the holes with a heated piece of thin steel on a handle.  The steel is about 1/16" thick and about 1/2" wide.  I heat it to a dull red and push in against the web between the holes.  The wood webs just seem to vaporize and the heated steel does not char into the surrounding wood.  Post "burn out" the slot is easy to clean up.

[RichG]

thicker trigger?

[Bob Gerard]

Good info, thanks. I will be doing one soon...

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Justin:  after reading others submissions, I re-read your post and see that it is not the slot in the steel plate you are asking about, but the mortise in the wood.  Sorry.
To cut the mortise, again, I drill a series of holes and use a mortising chisel I made from a small flat file to remove the wood.  I have very thin flat chisels I made from band saw steel to pare away the wood on the sides of the mortise, while the thin file chisel takes out the wood between the drilled holes.

[Justin Urbantas]

Thanks everyone.  Looks like I need to make some narrow chisels for my next build.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Yes they do work very well - the chisels made from thin or thinly-ground files work exceptionally well because they have solid thickness in the direction of the cut, and "levering" action is necessary to quickly remove the wood in the thin trigger mortise. 

Of course the 'mysterious trigger plate cutting tool' might also be a very effective way to do it, but I couldn't say because apparently it is so unbelievably top-secret that we dare not discuss it nor inquire as to its existence.

[Eric Kettenburg]

This thread... is making me thirsty!

[J. Talbert]

Well this is a little different than the other tools mentioned.  It was made in a very short time from 0.065” untempered spring stock. The teeth are hand filed, not particularly precise with a triangular file.
It works very well on wood for extending and squaring up the ends of a trigger slot and also barrel wedge slots.




Jeff

[flinchrocket]

These are made from a worn out hacksaw blade. One cuts when you push the other cuts when you pull.

[J. Talbert]

The significant feature of the tool that I posted above is the thickness.  It closely matches the thickness of a trigger blade or barrel wedge and the teeth leave very square corners at the ends of the slot.

Jeff

[deerstalkert]

another repurposed tool to use is a sawsall blade. i use a aggressive toothed one and put a handle on for comfort. can be used for wedge slots also.

[P.W.Berkuta]

The "tools" with the saw teeth would be very useful when cutting tenon slots in the forearm of the gunstock and dressing up a blind slot but you first have to start a slot for the tool to work well. That's where a mortising chisel comes into play. I think with both of these tools you can accomplish the task very easy

[M. E. Pering]

Much like others who have replied, I use a type of mortising chisel, that can take some force without bending or breaking.  Don't expect to find one at the local hardware store... You will need to make your own.  I suppose the saw type devices work for some, but I will stick with my chisel, which does the job in about 5-8 minutes.