Best way to drill the ramrod channel?

[Rifleman1776]

where can i find one of those? are theysimply called "Spoon bits"?

Yes, just called that.
They are still made and sold today. I may have a woodworking catalog with them offered. It will probably be Sunday afternoon before I have time to dig through them to find a source for you. However some Googling might locate a vendor with them.

 

[Billnpatti]

Lee/ Veritas is one source for spoon bits. Just Google "spoon drill bits" and go to the Lee/Veritas website. You will have to go through their web tree clicking away to get to the bits but it is not hard. They are listed under "specialty bits". They are not long enough so you would have to have the shank cut and an extension welded into it. You also need a brace to operate the bit. I would suggest that you never use an electric drill but do the drilling by hand. It is much slower but you can catch and correct any drift in your drilling before it goes too far. Before you start drilling, you will need a jig of some sort to hold your stock absolutely steady. You will also need some guide blocks made of a hard wood such as maple to hold your drill bit in perfect alignment with your stock and be absolutely solid so that they do not move out of alignment with the stock. Go slowly with your drilling and clear the chips out of the hole often. Allowing the chips to build up in the hole can cause the bit to start to wander. The saying is "A clean hole is a straight hole".

The spoon bit is your best bet but if that is just too much for you, you can get what is called an electrician's bit in the size that you want. They are very long bits but are intended for use in an electric drill. My recommendation is to not use the electric drill just for the reason that I gave. Buy a decent hand operated drill such as the one that I call the "egg beater" drill. It is a hand operated drill that will hold a bit intended for use in an electric drill. You can find them in most of the Home depot or Lowe's stores. Both places usually have the electrician bits, too.

 

[Luzur]

Found them, will order up the 3/8 size, should be enough for a ramrod hole, no?
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42337

 

[crockett]

For what it's worth- the blacksmith post drill- that is what I saw. Are they pre-1840? And...Roy Underhill, it was one of his old TV shows where I learned about the spoon bit being able to start at 90 degrees and then slant.

 

[bpd303]

The earliest catalog reference I have seen is an 1895 Montgomery Ward. They may have been existence earlier than that though.

 

[MSW]

I bought the bit that TOW sells.

I do not recommend this bit at all. It's not sharp, and it's hard to sharpen, and won't stay sharp. I did everything right, and the bit strayed off course almost immediately and ended up punching a hole in the belly. I believe you need a brad point bit for the purpose of drilling into end grain. Muzzleloader Builders Supply sells them, or you can make your own.

That's my two cents. Also, keep in mind, I am a rank novice, so my advice is worth what you paid for it :rotf:

what he said!! had the same experience ... the local body shop guy welded a plain old bit onto a hunk of rod for me (he came up with a really clever little jig to keep everything concentric), and then I used some wooden blocks which were C-clamped to the stock to keep everything in line ... there was a little wander at the end - my bad: didn't clear the chips as often as I ought to have
:shocked2: :cursing: :redface: :redface: :redface:

I did use Alexander's method to smooth out the exposed channel - this works really well (it's in his book, which everyone should buy).

OK- -that's the rant for today. it's safe to come out now ... free advice: well worth the money!

 

[kaintuck]

That is exactly the bit I use, and I follow the instructions in the book "recreating the american longrifle".......

You HAVE to have your RR groove parallel with the barrel channel boys......and clear bit every 1/2" inch....

Deviate from these rules, and you will be crying over your spilt milk..... :rotf:

Marc n tomtom