tenons

[jim/wa]

soldered underlugs to round barrel pistol started inletting into stock and being very careful got it inletted down where i had to file the lug down a little to fit thought i had it just a little bit morewood to remove and it broke into ramrod channel anyone else ever dothis i put a little sliver of wood glued up back in but my question is how do you measure down to get the proper distance to drill for pins not much room for error what size pins would you use

 

[rich pierce]

Not uncommon to break into ramrod groove. Your choice as to whether you make it a nice clean hole or glue as you did. Many originals show the lugs in the ramrod groove.

As far as measuring where to drill: measure the barrel with calipers or dividers, put the barrl in place, use a square to mark where the bottom of the barrel is on the side of the stock, and drill your holes 1/8" under that.

Use 1/16 to 3/32 drills for the pins. I am using hard finishing nails for the pins on a current project, having used 1/16" in the past. The finishing nailsare just under 3/32" and make a good fit.

 

[Voyageur]

Actually it's very easy to drill for pins.

Put a fence on your drill press behind the area where your drill bit comes meets the table.

Lay the barrel along the fence.

Bring the quill down until you split the difference between the bottom of the barrel channel and the top of the ramrod hole.

Put the barrel back in the stock.

Lay the barrel back along the fence.

Bring the drill bit down and it will split the difference between the bottom of the barrel channel and the top of the ramrod hole.

If necessary I can explain the proceedure, which only varies a little, if you are working with a rounded stock instead of a un-shaped flat stock.

What really helps is if the barrel is octagon.

 

[rich pierce]

What's a drill press? :grin: How do I move a fence? I have a hard enough time building them let alone moving them. If the posts are deep on the ground, it's a lot of work pulling them back out! :rotf:

Just kidding. I am enjoying building my latest project from scratch w/o any power tools. It's been a challenge and a leraning experience but I am getting so much better at drilling "on spot and level" with my eggbeater drill.

 

[Voyageur]

I agree with you Rich... I've built a few without power tools as well. I've made hammers and trigger from 'scratch' but I've never done the lockplate. I've seen it done a couple of times by a master gunmaker for a customer that wanted a completely handmade rifle. I'm glad it was him instead of me.

My first drills for this type of work were the old 'breast drill' and the old style auger. Both can be mounted upright in a wood jig and be perfectly correct for tools of the period. The fence can be wood although I typically use an ancient piece of angle iron.

By the way... an old piece of railroad track can be shaped into a fine anvil for those soldering, brazing and gas welding tasks... as well as the usual amount of pounding and shaping.

My father-in-law gave me an old, small farm forge and I keep a vise surrounded with lava rock in it for gas cutting and bigger gas welding jobs. (Now there's a topic in and of itself: You just can't have too many vises and you should always have a large vise.)

I have one metal vise near my wood vise that I use to temporarily clamp a tray that holds a number of small chisels, cabinet rasps and files for stock work. It holds the tray up high so I don't have to bend so much or search on a bench when I'm shaping a stock.

However, back to the topic at hand. An auger (or 'eggbeater' drill) in a wood holder mounted on a flat surface with a fence behind it. Perfectly correct for 'handmade' and much more precise than 'handheld'. I have to admit though... I haven't taken to sharpening nails to create the correct 'bit'.

 

[rich pierce]

I'd like to try to devise something to help me stay on target with either the breast drill (eggbeater) or the brace. if you have any references or pictures, send them along. Right now I have a bubble level attached to the eggbeater drill and am drilling everything horizontally. I do not seem to have any sense of what is correct when drilling downward. But when I get the work level on the bench and use the bubble level, it's coming out well.

 

[Voyageur]

I haven't set up any accounts to be able to post pictures here Rich... but I would like you to have a look at something (If you already haven't).

Eric Sloane has a number of books out that are just plain wonderful books. I have most of them because I just love looking at the drawings.

Now the book I'd like you to access (through your local library or book store) is 'A MUSEUM OF EARLY AMERICAN TOOLS' by Eric Sloane. Take a look at 'The Boring Machine' illustrated which is pretty much what we are speaking of here. If nothing else, the concept might spark an idea that is appealing to you personally.

But I warn you... Eric Sloane books can be totally addictive.

 

[rich pierce]

Thanks, I will check it out.
rp