I missed, Arrgh!

[fosters]

Well I missed my underlugs while drilling for my pins. I'm sure it was because I wasn't holding my drill level or my bit wandered. I grazed the bottom of 2 and hit one actually a little high. The high one shouldn't be a problem the two low ones make me depressed.

Any ideas on a fix?

fosters

 

[tallbear]

Just plug the holes and redrill.If your useing maple a toothpick works.

Mitch

 

[fosters]

Unfortunately it's cherry. My fear is if I plug it and try and drill again I may miss again, then I would have two holes in the wrong place.

What if I drilled the holes in the underlugs just above where I nicked them. Wouldn't the drill find the hole in the underlug? They are pretty flexible.

fosters

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hi,
Just silver solder the underlug holes, then drill new holes with the holes in the stock as guides.
Be sure to mount your rifle good and solid, prior to drilling.
A C-clamp holding your barrel tight to the stock helps.
Works real well!
Fred

 

[fosters]

Hey Fred,
Thankfully I just marked the underlugs so they are fine. It is the holes in the stock that are off. Racking my brain trying to paint my way out of this corner. As mentioned I think most people just glue in a toothpick and re-drill. I'd prefer to try and use the same holes in the stock if it's possible.

Thanks again all! I really appreciate the help.

f

 

[jdkerstetter]

So, you measured and the holes are in the right place on the outside of the fore arm but the bit dove in the wood and missed the lug.

Were you trying to drill all the way through in one pass? Perhaps the drill bit was left hanging way out of the chuck? The longer the bit the more flexible.

If that's the case then try putting the bit in the chuck with only enough sticking out to drill to the lug.....or a little less and do it in stages. A shorter bit is a stiffer bit and you may be able drill it straight. Then drill from the other side to the lug. Might work.

Don't forget to clamp the barrel in tight, as
Fred suggested.

Good luck, J.D.

 

[fosters]

Hey J.D.
Nah, I was just coming in from one side to mark the underlug. Than I was going to pull the barrel drill the hole in the lug and continue.

You think if I drill the hole in the underlugs just above the area where I nicked them with the drill bit the bit will find the hole in the lug? That way I could use the same hole.

Might work?

f

 

[jdkerstetter]

I don't know. You'd have to be mighty lucky I'd think. As you already have a hole likely the bit will follow the same hole and miss again.

Did you do both sides? If not, go from the other side more carefully and slowly. Once through that side and right, then ease the bit out a little at a time until you meet the other hole inside the off side.

If you already drilled both sides then maybe if you take a short length of toothpick and cut the end facing out at a steep angle and push it as far as you can into the hole. You would still have the hole on the outside but the hole would be partially filled and the angle on the end of the tooth pick would prevent it from deflecting when it hits it. Follow me?

Anybody have other ideas? J.D.

 

[George91946]

I gotta be the world's expert at fixing that type of error. I miss one on every build that I do. Usually the muzzle lug or the fore-end thimble. I just find a piece of same type of wood, and cut a peg with grain running the same direction as the stock, and tap it into the hole with some titebond or Elmer's glue. May need one peg on each side of the stock. Let it dry and re drill. Once you have finished the stock with a lye wash, and stain and then truoil, you will hardly notice the patch.

Lisle George

 

[pargent]

Plug the holes and redrill in the correct place the make or buy some nice inlets and fit them over the patch, make holes in the inlets to suit the pins so the pins can still be removed. Something like small brass washers can be fiddled with to look good .

 

[Joe Sullivan]

I did the same thing with my pistol. I got a little 110 wire feel welder. I made my underlugs out of steel. I put a pass over where it broke out and it put enough meat on to re-drill the same hole.

 

[Birddog6]

Plug it go on. Use a Drill-point fixture to drill the underlugs pins. Or mark & use a piece of angle iron clamped to the drillpress as a guide. Drill one side TO the lug & just mark it, go to other side & do same, then take the barrel out & drill the underlug hole.

Keith Lisle

 

[fosters]

Thanks all. I really appreciate the suggestions and support. I knew these were going to be a problem for me so I was so careful on measuring marking etc. and I still missed! That's the depressing part. I only drilled from one side so that's a plus. I wish I knew that trick about keeping the drill bit short. I had mine pretty close to the full length for some reason. I'm sure that didn't help.

I don't have a drillpress, but I will. I know I can't hold anything level as much as I try so one of those would be a big help. The angle iron is also a great idea.

Happy Thanksgiving!

f

 

[tallbear]

Drilling a second hole without plugging the first is asking for trouble.If you don't like the look of the plug you can always put an inly around the pin hole.I use one of the old eggbeater drills to drill pin holes as their length allows me to judge the direction I'm drilling better.

Mitch

 

[fosters]

Inlay is a great idea guys!

Tb, Nice work! I wish I knew how to engrave even close to that. One thing I do know is that I have the artistic talent of a 1 year old.

I've started working on an idea, will solve both problems maybe. 1 was my still tick loose underlug and 2 my missed holes. I'll post picts hopefully shortly. I think I'll incorporate inlays though, really like that idea.

f

 

[Birddog6]

Inlays or not, ya still have to hit the Lug. :wink:

Do the hole correctly FIRST, then do the inlay if you want one.

Keith Lisle

 

I'm thinking for this dumb Hungarian, I would have a better chance of hitting the lug than doing the nice engraving. In fact, I might have a better chance of performing a successful coronary artery transplant first.

 

[tallbear]

Simple oval inlays with no engraving would work just fine.My example is a fancier gun I did recently that I happened to have pics on hand.

Mitch

 

[fosters]

Ya Keith I would have prefered that as being an option myself. Still can't figure out how I hit one perfect, and just barely grazed the other 2.

Trust me Mitch, whatever I do it is going to be simple.

Well I guess I'll toothpick my holes for now and see how that looks. Might try dying the toothpick with Cool Aid or Cranberry juice or something just to turn them a little red. If it looks like dirt than the inlay option.

Thanks again all for the help,

f

 

[DanChamberlain]

Why wouldn't one drill both the stock and lug with the same pass?