barrel pin lug locating tool question.

[Rt5403]

I'm about to drill and pin my barrel to the stock. Looking for ideas of tools you folks have made or use to mark the location of the lug on the stock for drilling.

[wibper]

Dimple with barrel in place (already properly fitted) and use drill bit smaller than needed for pinn hole.

[Rt5403]

I was looking more for a marking gauge for the dimple. Something that I can use to mark the spot where the lug is on the stock.

[WKevinD]

Dave C makes a great depth gauge that I use on every build. Check out "Lucky Bag" in for sale by members section
Kevin

[Stoner creek]

I’ve used a cheap vernier caliper for 40 years. Works perfect every time.

[bluenoser]

This one is pretty easy to make and gets the job done.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=75536.msg750278#msg750278
Add the level for round barrels.

[sdilts]

Robert Boggs, a member here (Robert B) makes a really neat locating tool. One of the handiest tools I have. Send him a PM and maybe he can fix you up.

[smylee grouch]

I have always used a caliper to measure from top of barrel down to top of and bottom of lug. Transferred those measurements to some freezer tape on the side of a square, replace barrel and transfer those marks to stock. Drill between marks.

[Rt5403]

Smylee that's actually a great idea. Simple but effective. I appreciate everyone's help and advice.

[Bob Gerard]

rom a post I did in another forum:

Thought I would share this little gadget I made to help me find where to drill my barrel and pipe pins. It's very easy to make and use and works very well.
1) Lay the block across the top of the barrel Channel above where the pin will go, with the dowel in the center of the barrel channel.
2) Press the dowel down until it reaches the bottom of the barrel channel
3) Lay the block across both upper side walls of your barrel channel with the dowel on the outside.
4) Mark where the bottom of the barrel is on both sides of the stock
5) give a small amount of space below that mark to mark for your barrel tenon.
6) Use a drilling jig if you have one and with the barrel/pipes in place drill through and you're set to go.








remove duplicated

[P.Bigham]

Works for me. Adjust to barrel lug. Put barrel in stock measure outside of stock


virtual freaky dice

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

With a Verniers calipers, measure the 'diameter' of the barrel at each of the lugs position, and write it on the top of the barrel flat.  Set your Verniers for that dimension.
With a machinist's square, lay the wide leg on the top flat, and draw a line down the stock adjacent to the centre of the lug.
With the square held firmly on the top flat use the Verniers against the leg of the square to transfer the dimension to the wood, and mark with a sharp pencil.  This will indicate the full diameter of the barrel on the outside of the stock wood.
Draw a horizontal line through this mark, indicating the bottom of the barrel on the wood.
With a prick punch, make your indentation for the pin hole, 1/32" below this horizontal line on the verticle line. (for a 1/16" dia. pin)
With the barrel in the stock clamp the gun in your drill press table vise with the side plane up.  Install a 1/16" diameter drill bit in the chuch.  Position the vise on the table to align with the drill bit, AND CLAMP IT THERE.
Turn on the drill press to its highest speed.  Lower the quill and the drill gently into the prick punch mark and drill about 1/16" into the wood.  Clear the chips, and repeat, only going in abut 1/16" - 3/32" at a time, clearing the chips each time.  Shortly you will arrive at the lug.  Drill through the lug, and clear the chips.
At this stage you can repeat all of this from the other side of the stock, and drill through to meet your first hole, or you can just drill through the stock, lug, and out the other side.  Remember to drill just a little, clear chips and repeat until the drill bit breaker through the other side.  If you try to drill it all in one pass,your drill bit will pack with chips, and probably wander off it's course, making the bit exit somewhere other than where you want it.
Repeat this process for each of the other lugs.
I use this method for each pin/key hole and never need to plug holes that have gone badly.  I do not use gimicks or jigs to perform these very easy tasks.  The holes perforate the lugs exactly along the bottom flat of the barrel.  With a lug that is only 1/8" deep, that leaves 1/16" of metal to support the pin, which is lots.

[jim alford]

I personally find it much easier to determine the location of ALL of the pin holes and do the drilling while the sides of the stock are still flat. I have had troubles with the small drill bits wandering when trying to drill on a contoured surface. Your mileage may vary.

[P.W.Berkuta]

There are many ways to skin this cat - here is my tool that I just made yesterday to scribe a centerline on a knife edge to locate center to grind an even grind on both sides of a knife blade. This idea can certainly be used to make a tool to locate the hole for barrel pins.

[wibper]

Some great ideas in this thread.  I think I'll bookmark it for reference for a future build.

[Crow Creek]

Second on the Boggs jig.

[Rt5403]

Second on the Boggs jig.

Do you have a picture of the jig?

[Bob Gerard]

Robert Boggs Jig pictured below.

[bluenoser]

That is a handy jig, but it is used to drill the pin holes - not mark their location.

[smokinbuck]

Contact Ed or Scott at Cain's Outdoors, Williamstown WV, they have an inexpensive jig that is simple to use.

[rich pierce]

2 solutions are being offered. I think the request is for a device to transfer the correct measurement of the pin location on the stock. Drilling jigs serve another function.

[sdilts]

Here's Boggs locating tool. The square is not included. The locator is attached to the square with 2 setscrews.
I use this not only for locating pin holes, but for locating the centerline on the bottom of the stock. It's really handy for that.

[oldtravler61]

  I'm on Jim Affords team.  Much easier if the sides are square to get the pin holes accurate. Also I use my vernier and home made blocks like Bob showed.  After my pin location marks are on the side of the stock. I put the barrel back in and drill till I touch my lug. Remove and finish drilling through the lug. Repeat for other side. I'm no expert but it works for me this way.

[mgbruch]

I'm with Alford as well.  Much easier when the stock is still square.  I set up and drill my lugs one at a time.  With the barrel out, I put a fence on my drill press.  I lightly clamp the barrel to the fence, top flat against the fence, and adjust everything so the drill bit hits the lug exactly where I want it.  I mark the side flat of the barrel to locate the center of the lug.  Then I place the barrel in the stock, and clamp everything lightly to the fence, with the line on the side flat to tell me where the center of my lug is.  Then i drill slowly, backing the bit out a few times before I actually reach the metal of the lug.  Cleaning the bit frequently, and going slow, keeps it from wandering... and I always get a good straight through hole.  When I do this, my stock is not only square, but taken down to just over 1/8" thick on the sides of the forearm.  It takes a while, because... with a swamped barrel, you set up that way for each lug.  Building from a blank means I get to control the process and sequence at all times.  And... for the life of me, I can't drill a straight through hole by hand.

I install the rear lug first.  Inlet it.  Then drill.  Then I install the next lug up... inlet, and drill.  By doing that, I find it's easier to inlet each lug, without the others interfering... if that makes sense.  And when I drill for subsequent lugs, the ones drilled before are pinned.  I may not be the fastest kid in school; but I've learned what works best for me.

[Clear Spring Armory]

I always put my pins in while the stock is still square. Ive did it a few different ways but the easiest I found is this way. Get a clamp for your drill press if you don't have a little mini Mill or something. Put the barrel in that clamp and position it so that when you pull the quill down the drill bit hits the lug where you want it to. I always make mine just barely miss the barrel. Bear in mind you'll have to use spacers in the clamp so it's not mashing on the underlug. Next put a witness mark on the barrel in conjunction with the end of the vice. You could also just draw a line across the vice and onto the barrel. However you want to do it. Put the barrel back in the stock and reclamp it with that witness mark in the correct position. You can't miss. You do have to pay attention that everything stays square and parallel to the vice bed, for lack of a better description. I also recommend chucking your drill bit up so that only a quarter inch or so sticks out. Drill that depth, retract the bit, unchuck it and pull a little more length down. This keeps the bit from bending and wandering. I guess I should add that the barrel should be against the part of the vice that doesn't move. The moving jaw will be on the side of the stock. And of course the pin closest to the muzzle is the hardest to get positioned. You'll have to prop the butt stock up with a stand or something. I seen one guy do it with a ratchet strap from the ceiling once, lol. But it works good