Drilling for pins

[Crow#21957]

Whats the best way to drill for pins? Does the tapered bolt through the drill press Plat really work good? I saw a jig someone mane on the forum. Where can I get one of those provided they are accurate?
Thanks

 

[Flintandsteel]

Make one. Chuck up a ¼”x 28 bolt in a drill, grind it to a point. Drill and tap a hole in your drill press table, install bolt with a nut to secure it.
Voila. Center drill jig.
Dont really need that for pins though.

 

[Crow#21957]

What you talking bout Willis. I've messed up more pin drilling holes. Bummer
So explain that I don't need that for pins. I tried making the C clamp style and cannot get straight hole through it.I like 1/16 in. Pins. I did get one clamp drilled straight but the bit was 3/32. Wasted 3 of my clamps and 2 bits. Someone make me a jig and I will pay for it. Done the drill press thing once and tried on scrap wood. Hole didn't come out close to where it should.

 

[WALT53]

What you talking bout Willis. I've messed up more pin drilling holes. Bummer
So explain that I don't need that for pins. I tried making the C clamp style and cannot get straight hole through it.I like 1/16 in. Pins. I did get one clamp drilled straight but the bit was 3/32. Wasted 3 of my clamps and 2 bits. Someone make me a jig and I will pay for it. Done the drill press thing once and tried on scrap wood. Hole didn't come out close to where it should.

I bet your talking a precarved stock right,if so I’d say start real slow so your bit doesn’t wander off and go crooked.Make sure your stock is level
and somebody that has experience with this chimes in with a tip or two.
good luck .

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Line the barrel up in an x/y vise if you have one in the position where the pin should go. If you don't have the x/y vise then use a vise of some kind. When you get the barrel in the right spot clamp the vise tight, mark the location on the barrel. Remove the barrel and put it in the stock. Put the assembly back in the drill vise and drill the hole, making sure the stock is fairly square with the drill. It's easier than it sounds. It is a good idea to use a center drill to start the hole since it won't wander off like a drill bit does on a curved surface. I just drilled 3 pin holes on my current build and they came out fine. I have an old Craftsman drill press and nothing fancy.

 

[CuNosecap]

Another fan of free hand drilling for pins. Easy task without a jig. Perfect? No, but pretty close to square.
one tip. Set your small bit well down in chuck and drill part way. Back out and lengthen bit out of chuck. I find this really lessens deflection on these small bits. And go slow.

 

[Tumbledown]

Drill into the wood until you hit the lug. Withdraw the bit, pull the barrel, and drill the lugs where the bit left its mark. Then put the barrel back in, and run the bit into the hole you already drilled and through the lug's hole, then drill through the other side of the stock. This way, if the bit breaks in the lug, it's not going to permanently pin itself in your stock!

 

[IanH]

Crisco nailed it.

Need a drill press or milling vise bolted to the drill press platen, and a #1 or #2 center drill.

Position the top of the barrel against the fixed vise jaw, make sure the tenon tab is level, bring down your center drill and move the vise until the tip of the drill is where you want the hole. Nolt or clamp the vise securely to the platen. Pencil mark the barrel and stock dead center at the center of the tab. Put the barrel in the stock and clamp them together in the vise with the barrel back where it was. Check level again so your hole is square to the verical axis through the butt. Bring down the center drill and make sure it touches your line on the stock so it will hit the center of the tenon. Spot the hole. Change to your pin size drill, peck-drill all the way through.

Setting up is much faster with an X/Y axis adjustable milling table.

You can use this same method to drill angled holes for rammer thimbles on very, very thin forestocks, just use an angle gauge or protractor to duplicate the exact barrel cant you set up with when you put the barrel in the stock and actually drill the hole.

 

[French Colonial]

Another fan of free hand drilling for pins. Easy task without a jig. Perfect? No, but pretty close to square.
one tip. Set your small bit well down in chuck and drill part way. Back out and lengthen bit out of chuck. I find this really lessens deflection on these small bits. And go slow.

Yeah, free hand may be good for some...

First pistol I made has two different toothpick plugs filling the holes where I miss drilled holes, I have used a sharpened bolt through the drill table method since.

 

[Rifleman1776]

All ideas given are complexkated. Don't know how the experts do it. That's why I ain't a builder/craftsman.

 

[Flintandsteel]

I also have a small mill, but by the time you set it up, you could have drilled several pin holes.
Measure out the holes location, punch with an awl, level the barrel/stock, and drill with your Mikita.
This is just not that complicated. Drilling and tapping for tang and lock bolts for example, require much more precision.
Precarves definitely complicate the process. A plank still has square surfaces to work from.

 

[Crow#21957]

I like the idea of gradually moving the bi out if the drill to keep it running true

 

[HSmithTX]

I've done both freehand and used the jig on a drill press with the sharpened pin under and drill point matched to it. The jig is a better way unless you are someone that is really good with hand tools, can see level and square, etc. With the jig it is EASY to make point A come out at point B, even for someone that isn't that handy. No way in H would I do a tang bolt or something else freehand again, pins I will probably do freehand because it's a lot faster and easy enough to get good enough given my ability.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I have drilled many hundreds of pin holes just blasting them through with a handheld electric drill. It ain't hard.. Only missed a few.

 

[Crow#21957]

I've missed a few not many. I don't want to miss anymore if I can help it. Thanks

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I have drilled many hundreds of pin holes just blasting them through with a handheld electric drill. It ain't hard.. Only missed a few.

Right on!
Additionally to make it even easier....... make the gun from a blank, then you are drilling into squared flat stock. This reply is not to bash the guys building from precarved, but to point out another benefit of building from a blank. A blank is more labor, but the only mistakes are your own.
Larry

 

[IanH]

If you what Crisco and I outlined, it doesn't matter if the stock is square or not. The method also allows you to hit an internal point exactly rather than going off of indirectly derived surface measurements.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

If you what Crisco and I outlined, it doesn't matter if the stock is square or not. The method also allows you to hit an internal point exactly rather than going off of indirectly derived surface measurements.

Do what you like, but a square flat stock lays right on the drill press table. No fuss no muss, just point the drill bit and go. Top of the barrel alignment against the vice doesn't work for a tapered round barrel either. Not knocking your way, but I still prefer mine.
Thanks
Larry

 

[IanH]

Do what you like, but a square flat stock lays right on the drill press table. No fuss no muss, just point the drill bit and go. Top of the barrel alignment against the vice doesn't work for a tapered round barrel either. Not knocking your way, but I still prefer mine.
Thanks
Larry

Well sure, IF you have square, flat stock to work with, which most people don't if building from precarve kits. I know some precarves come with the forestock still square, but what about the TG pins?

If you can't align a tapered, round barrel against a vice jaw that is because you don't know how, not that it "doesn't work". It certainly does work and is extremely fast and foolproof.

We all do what we do and that's fine, but please don't make assertions about things you don't understand. Someone searching the forum for this answer might take your incorrect word for it and lose out on trying a great technique.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Well sure, IF you have square, flat stock to work with, which most people don't if building from precarve kits. I know some precarves come with the forestock still square, but what about the TG pins?

If you can't align a tapered, round barrel against a vice jaw that is because you don't know how, not that it "doesn't work". It certainly does work and is extremely fast and foolproof.

We all do what we do and that's fine, but please don't make assertions about things you don't understand. Someone searching the forum for this answer might take your incorrect word for it and lose out on trying a great technique. A tapered round barrel does not butt up against a right angle fence that is set at 180 deg to the adjusment screw. That is where I am coming from. There also is no flat on the barrel to keep the stock at 90deg. I also stated that I was not knocking your idea, I just preferred mine. Others can read and choose for themselves which method they prefer.

Ok, let me rephrase: A round barrel does not align automatically against a flat surface and maintain the top and bottom of the barrel (at 90 deg) by placing it against the fence like if there were a octogon flat. Barrel taper will also skew the barrel a tad off 90 deg. You say your way works, OK, but let the boys choose which way they want to do it.
Peace brother
Larry