Drilling Ram Rod Hole in Stock

I Have the lock on the stock and inlet and working with trigger operational.
It looks like the next step is to drill the hole in the front of the forarm of the stock for the ram rod to slide into. ( if drilled wrong could ruin the stoc ) ::
So I have stoped on the rest of the stock till I get this done.
Where can one get a drill long enough to do this task, and how do you know where to stop before you drill into the trigger and lock area??
Any help and advise will be greatly appriciated.
Woody

 

[Stumpkiller]

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/tableList.aspx?catID=15&subID=87&styleID=961

48" Ramrod hole drills from Track of the Wolf. Don't know nuttin about usin 'em. I don't even own a drillpress and I'm pretty sure you don't want to free-hand it. :: Be surprised what you can do with a bit-brace and a carpenter's square, though.

I imagine holding the bit up against the stock and marking the desired depth on the shank of the drill with a piece of masking tape will work - same as for drilling anything else.

 

[tallbear]

Woodhick
You can get a bit from Track of The wolf that is long enough.It's also slightly over size for whatever rod size you will be useing.The romrod should end just in front of the lug for the triggerguard which should also be the length of the front of the breechplug to the front of the barrel.I usually mark it with a piece of tape on the drill bit.I turn mine with a brace and clear the shavings often.IT KEEPS THE BIT FROM WANDERING!!!!!!
Mitch

 

Thanks guys
Stumpkiller has been helpful in a few questions I have inquired about.
Thanks again,
Woody

 

[albert]

When I drill any ramrod holes, I get a block of scrap wood that I clamp onto the forstock to act as a guide while drilling. I have used both wood brace, and electric drill, the main thing is to go slow and easy.

 

[B.Habermehl]

You can also drill some witness holes from the barrel channel side about 5/64 dia. by 1/4 deep to keep an eye on your web thickness and catch a wandering hole so you may correct it by carefully bending the stock as you drill. You are shooting for a web between 3/16 and 5/32 thick between the barrel channel and the ramrod hole. Clear chips often, go slow. For your next project drill your ramrod hole before you inlet your lock mortice, it usually causes less problems that way. Terminate the hole between the breech plug face and the rear of the barrel. I like the hole to be as deep as possible to allow as long a rod as I can get. The front trigger guard lug will be the stop for your ramrod after it's inleted anyhow. BJH

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Woodhick,
If you are craftsman enough to build yourself a rifle, you can make your own drill bit. I made two different styles. The first one I just bought a metal rod that was the diameter that I wanted my ramrod and then filed an Irwin style flat paddle bit on the end. The smaller paddle bits are more pointed than a square ended, larger size, having a point just in the center. The second bit I just bought a new machine type steel cutting twist bit and either silver soldered or welded it on the end. It ain't the hard. Just get an angle or channel steel and lay both the rod and bit in the corner and you have automatic line up. You just have to make sure that when you weld or solder you do not get heat distortion. The boys ahead of me indicated they use a carpenter's brace and I highly recommend that process. It takes longer, but you have better control and feel. Frequent clean out of shavings is a must. I also assume that you are doing a full stock,(with the ramrod groove alread finished) which in that case you would be holding the bit down with at least two blocks of wood that match your ramrod groove. Being careful and patient will get you a lot.
Flintlocks Forever
Lar :redthumb: :m2c:

 

[Zonie]

Suzie at MUZZLELOADER BUILDERS SUPPLY also has drills for Ramrod holes.
She has always gone beyond expectations in all of her dealings with me.

I guess this is the place to mention something to the other folks who want to build a gun from scratch.

IMO, it is a REAL good idea to drill the Ramrod hole Before you install the lock.
My reason for this is, the location of the ramrod hole will have a bearing on the position of the lock plate, and even more so on the location of the front lock screw (if your guns lock is going to have one).

Having the forward lock screw pass thru the ramrod hole is a frustrating experiance and I suspect that drilling a ramrod hole so it doesn't hit the forward screw will be even more of a challange.

As for drilling the hole, it is suggested that the ramrod groove in the forend of the stock needs to be finished (or almost finished) so it is running parallel with the barrels centerline, and is at the correct distance below the barrel.
Make sure its centerline is pointed exactly where you want the ramrod to go.
The ramrod drill will lay in this groove, using it as a guide. Several blocks of wood should be used to keep the drill in this groove as it is rotated and moved down into the forearm. (some soap makes a great lube where these blocks rest against the drill).

As was mentioned, go real slow and back the drill out often to clean the chips out of the drill flutes and the hole.
If you let the chips build up in the drill flutes because you failed to clean them out, they can bind up in the hole and make removing the drill very hard at best, or crack the stock at the worst.

Good luck.

 

[Terry Zboril]

Just what Zonie said.
The ramrod groove WILL determine where the hole will end up.
Also a bit of beeswax in between cleanings will help lubricate the cut.
Regards,
Terry

 

Thanks for all the help.
One more quick question on this if I may.
If I was to drill it to far, would it be possiable to plug the hole back up (at the lock end) with a dowel?
Take a short piece of dowel the same dia. as the hole and epoxy it in the hole. Am going to do my best to NOT drill that far in the first place. :winking:
Woody

 

[LSU TIGER]

I made my own drill with two pieces of 1/4" piano wire braized together and a 3/8" drill bit on the end. It was the devil to get it straight, but it works really well. Total cost: under $10.

 

If the ram rod is going to sit flush with the muzzle you will have to enter the lock area with the rr hole. The rr usually ends up laying below the mainspring.

 

[crockett]

Sometimes it may help to get a few words of advise from somebody that isn't a master craftsman(LIKE ME). Any drill can wander, the longer the bit, the more potential trouble. That's why some guns have belly plates, the maker went right out the bottom. The drill can also go from side to side. Get it too high and the RR hits the pins/tenons. Get the idea. I think that suggestion of check holes along the channel is a real good idea. If you get about half way through the job and drill is really getting off track, you can stop at that point a rout out a channel like on the typical moderately priced commercial stock.

 

[hcook]

It's been suggested to use beeswax or soap to lubricate the drill. Wouldn't this make it impossible to later stain the stock? The first hole I drilled, I clamped my stock to the workbench and it felt like I was going to turn it over but was afraid to lube it. Thanks.

Hank in WV

 

[Zonie]

Woodhick: I;m not sure why you would drill it so deep you would need to plug the bottom of the hole?
The depth should be about 1/2-3/4 inch deeper than the face of the breech plug in the barrel.
When the ramrod is inserted into it, the outter end can be cut off about flush with the muzzle of the barrel.
This will make the ramrod always stick out of the barrel when it's in an empty barrel.

As for contaminating the wood with lube, I can't say what beeswax would do, but bar soap is water soluable so it won't have much if any effect on the staining process.
If one was worried about it, they could rinse the soapy area with a few baths of water to get rid of it.

Bar soap by the way is great for lubing wood screws. It reduces the torque to instal them by at least 50%.

 

Zonnie
I been sitting here with the piece in front of me most of the day and a hundred head scratches later, see why people get a stock pre inlet, but then what fun is in that.
This piece I am working on is out of a board from
a tree I cut, sawed into 8/4 ( 2 inch thick), and dried.
Now I can see I did this back asswards , but that is what makes it fun doing these projects.
I see I should have done the ram rod hole before I did the
inleting for the lock. Hine sight is 20/20.
I feel I can get the ram rod hole in ok, straight and the right dept with everyones help so far on the forum.
What has me going bald from scratchin the ole noggin is this..... The front lock bolt has to go between the top
of the ram rod hole and the bottom of the barrel. Looks like it would be easy to have this bolt hit the ram rod.
This is why I put the lock inlet in first so it would be in the right position to the barrel.
If I hit the bolt hole with the ram rod I can safely bet I won't be the first one to have done it , nor the last,
I sure do really appriciate everyones help so far in setting me in the right direction.
Thanks again,
Woody

 

[Herb]

Woodhick- if your ramrod hole hits the front lock bolt, you can cut a notch in your bolt so when it is turned in tight, the half moon cut allows the rod to go past. If it hits it dead center, you can use a short wood screw to hold the front of the side plate in. You wouldn't have a bolt holding the front of the flintlock in, but if tightly inlet, you can get by without it. You should have a builder's book that helps you on this. One good one is "The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle" by Ehrig, Miller and Dixon. About $22, most suppliers have it. I make my own deep drills. You can get 5/16, 3/8 or 7/16 x 48" steel rods from True Value Hardware and solder (or weld) a bit on, as explained above. I use the next size larger bit to have enough clearance so I don't have to sand down the rod. That is, for a 3/8 rod, I use a 25/64 drill (.3906), and I also drill the pipes and entry pipe to the larger size. That way, a rod tip goes down inside the stock. And I drill mine to the tang bolt. Have to cut that front trigger guard tab shorter, off, or off and solder it on so it comes up in the side of the channel, allowing a pin to go beneath the ram rod hole. My rifles are built with rods clear back to the tang bolt, so the finished rod, in the stock and flush with the muzzle, is about 1 1/4 inch longer than the bore. I use an electric drill, slow, with soap or beeswax lube as explained above. I have never drilled peep holes to check on the progress, too dumb to, I guess. Have fit a wear plate when someone else drilled out the bottom on my stock (see "Belly Plates" in the General Interest forum). And, yes you can glue in a plug to shorten the hole if you need to. I did that once. I think all the advice you got from the others here was very good. Forgot to say: have the barrel installed in the stock to keep it stiff and aligned.

 

[scott k]

. You should have a builder's book that helps you on this. One good one is "The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle" by Ehrig, Miller and Dixon. About $22, most suppliers have it.

This book is a godsend when it comes to laying out a long rifle. It also gives a step by step order that makes a lot of sense. Everthing is real close around the lock and is easy to get lost. On my stock with the barrel and ram rod done the main spring broke into to ramrod hole a little and is right under the barrel.The rear bolt is up against the breech. I had to used a 8-32 screw in the front there wasn't enuf room for a 10-32 A tight fit! With out the book i wood have bin lost. The gun my dad built a long time ago has a front lock bolt that fits in one way. The ram rod does not go all the way in if turned wrong. He got the book when his was done! So It helped me alot on my first build I'm working on now. :thumbsup:

.....Lehigh

 

Well with the help from all you fine folks .........
THE HOLE IS IN!!!!!!! :thumbsup:
and the lock still fits and works!! :thumbsup:
I have put one kit together and now working on this 32 cal from a plank is a different story all together.
I just ordered the book ya'll recomened and will have it worn out reading it. ::
I am not sure what is more addicting... Building bang sticks....... or This Forum.
Thanks once again for all the info and help. :master:

Woody

 

[Zonie]

Woodhick: Congratulations!!! :applause: :applause: eace: :thumbsup:

It sounds to me like your addicted to both building and the Forum.
This is how it should be. ::

Keep us posted on the progress of your gun, even when things are going right. :thumbsup: