Loose Pin Holes?

[Valkyrie]

Ok. I know it’s normal to have to take apart and put together parts and the barrel many times during the build process. I am finding that my pins are becoming loose. So much so that a few I am able to push in and out with my fingers.

Lightly peen the pin for final assembly? Slightly larger pins? Beeswax for the wood and maybe peen the tenon holes smaller?

I have a few months before I will see the gun again as I’m deployed. But I took all kinds of pictures and written notes to ponder in my off time. This is one of the things I want to solve. Is this normal or did I do anything wrong?

 

[martin9]

Have you finished the wood yet? Normally when the finish soaks into the wood it'll tighten the pin holes up. You don't want the underlug holes too tight. They should be slotted a bit and the wood really holds the pins in tight. Make sure your punch isn't bigger than your pins...this can make the holes loose as well.

 

[Valkyrie]

Have you finished the wood yet? Normally when the finish soaks into the wood it'll tighten the pin holes up. You don't want the underlug holes too tight. They should be slotted a bit and the wood really holds the pins in tight. Make sure your punch isn't bigger than your pins...this can make the holes loose as well.

Haven’t finished anything. A long way to go yet.

 

[nchawkeye]

I slightly bend my pins to secure them, slightly...

 

[Eric Krewson]

Put a tiny drop of superglue in the holes one side at a time and redrill them one side at a time from the opposite side. Don't do this if you have already done your final sanding because the superglue won't take stain, you need to have just a little wood around the holes to sand off so the only superglue will be in the hole. You can do the same thing to the pin holes inside the barrel channel to tighten the holes.

I do the superglue pin hole treatment on every gun I build to harden the wood around the pin hole so it is less likely to chip out in the future. Very thin superglue works the best.

 

[Ames]

Put a drop of water in each hole, on each side. The wood will swell, then dry, leaving you with tighter holes.

 

[Robby]

After the finish is applied and the gun is done, I take a piece of 1/16" weld rod, same material I use for pin's, with a dull point ground on it and a flat ground about an inch long, run it through every pin hole. The flat spot picks up any varnish that may have accumulated in the hole. Never had a problem with loose pins, or tight ones for that matter.
Robby

 

[user 34300]

Put a tiny drop of superglue in the holes one side at a time and redrill them one side at a time from the opposite side. Don't do this if you have already done your final sanding because the superglue won't take stain, you need to have just a little wood around the holes to sand off so the only superglue will be in the hole. You can do the same thing to the pin holes inside the barrel channel to tighten the holes.

I do the superglue pin hole treatment on every gun I build to harden the wood around the pin hole so it is less likely to chip out in the future. Very thin superglue works the best.

That is a really good idea. In giant scale RC airplanes nylon bolts thread into tapped plywood. Super glue makes the threads last much longer and makes them much stronger.

I make temporary pins out of music wire. The ends are tapered on a polishing wheel. they are bend to an L-shape. They do not wallow out the pins holes. I expect them to go in and out with hand pressure. If not something is not lining up.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Roll the pins over a file with some pressure on them to roughen them up some. Alternatively, you can put them between a couple of files and bang the top one with a rubber mallet, or squeeze then in a vice.