Any advice on how to go about drilling hole for bolt before I cut and drill ?Have been doing bolt rifles, but this is first two piece.

Still cant figure out how to resize photos on Imgur ?

gun seill in lathe

If it comes out the side, you made a muistake...But...guess you alrady figured that out!

Most stockmakers will drill is from each end, hope to meet in the middle....I'd start with a 1/4 bit,,,really sharp!...a Forestner is a pretty safe bet, a least as deep as will allow Then enlarge where needed.

You have it in the lathe already...between centers?

No lathe, just a drill press. Have a mockup made of two pieces of doug fir glued together , will try that one first.

You can modify a C-clamp or bar clamp to use as a drill guide.
A sleeve in place of the threaded rod will center your drill in the fixed end of the clamp.

Sort of like one of these:

https://imexvet.com/collection...versal-aiming-device

Unfortunately all of those suggestions will result in a hole out the side.
But Imgur first; on the lower left of the page you will see the size choices; click on "Large Thumbnail" and your picts will be correct.
Now back to holes. Do NOT use a twist drill, or even a Forstner drill. Those will follow a path of least resistance; a bad thing.
Use a one flute gun drill; you can make them from drill rod and harden the cutting end. One flute only goes straight. Also, do not try it free hand, or even in a drill press unless the wood is held solidly and the end is supported on a center where the drill will go.
Yes, drilling from each end is a good way to avoid mistakes. Then when your hole is drilled you can enlarge the butt end with a PILOTED drill, for the stock bolt head to rest in.
I do it in a lathe with the wood held in a cross slide mill vise, the drill in the chuck. Stright.

I agree with DPCD and I have two different diameter gun drills and two different piloted counter-drills specially made for this and the lathe to do the job

Send me an email if you like: Jkob60@msn.com

Long time ago a gunsmith told me anything but a single fluted bit was doomed to fail.

The ones I have been involved in it appears a lot of screaming and swearing is required.

I make my long drills from 18" long aircraft drills, and then regrind the tip into a brad point, and extend them in length by silver soldering the extension on

Also use a Forstner drill bit and silver solder the pilot in place and also extending the shanks, have several diameters for the larger part of the hole

Only been doing this way for about 45 years

James Wisner

Maybe a little background so y'all know what you're dealing with here.
Prior to taking up this hobby a few years ago the extent of my wood and steel skills consisted of bending horse shoes and cutting a 2x4 with a cheap chop saw. So, building a drill bit is way out of my skill set. As to the lathe, I've put a self imposed moratorium on buying new equipment until I learn to use the mini mill and small duplicator taking up space in my shop

If I'm correct, the main issue is to have a drill bit long enough that is designed so as not to veer off due to grain in the wood, along with being capable to hold the wood 100% secure.

Considering I do one and part of another stock per winter, my best option might be to send this out to someone and spend my time shaping sanding and practicing checkering

Now that I know there is such a thing as a one flute drill, would those be better for drilling out action screw holes?

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
I agree with DPCD and I have two different diameter gun drills and two different piloted counter-drills specially made for this and the lathe to do the job

Send me an email if you like: Jkob60@msn.com

Email sent

The opinion of two posters seems to indicate I've been doing it wrong for about 50 years!

However, Always ended up with the hole being where it belongs and NEVER came out the side .

Any method that inspires confidence for a happy outcome should be given serious consideration.

I'm curious, " out the side " keeps getting mentioned. Is that to mean out the side of the grip, out just not out on center?

Work between centers!
DO NOT USE A WOOD BIT! Use a 1/2" steel bit that you would use on metal, about 6" long. After it is entered it's length into the wood the direction of the hole is well established and the hole serves as a pilot for further drilling with a 1/2" bit. Then I finish the hole with the same type of 1/2" bit with a long enough extension to reach through the wood. I bush down on both ends to get my desired hole size. On about 5" the grip end I usually use a steel, thick wall, air craft tube epoxied in place. Nothing wrong with steel through a grip area! Nice wood!

Eny I know you don’t have a lathe but….
https://youtu.be/nQJt_o6e-TQ?si=bVQGtCcLdwL65jZV

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
I'm curious, " out the side " keeps getting mentioned. Is that to mean out the side of the grip, out just not out on center?

It's a joke...I can't see how anyone could ACTUALLY be so far off as to have the drill exit the side of the blank..Then again, I'm sure with enouogh perserverence it COULD be done

Metal's video is welcome since it brings out the fact that this is not the magic rocket science some proclaim.

Now the shaped stock that Metal used is no easy task..not much "whoops"room..Best done by a confident an experienced stockmaker such as he is.

Bet a Bic Mac he could pull it off "free hand"

When the side gets hot you are headed for trouble....so I heard...from a friend.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
I'm curious, " out the side " keeps getting mentioned. Is that to mean out the side of the grip, out just not out on center?

It's a joke...I can't see how anyone could ACTUALLY be so far off as to have the drill exit the side of the blank..Then again, I'm sure with enouogh perserverence it COULD be done

Metal's video is welcome since it brings out the fact that this is not the magic rocket science some proclaim.

Now the shaped stock that Metal used is no easy task..not much "whoops"room..Best done by a confident an experienced stockmaker such as he is.

Bet a Bic Mac he could pull it off "free hand"

Duane it’s not me in that video but I’ll accept your praise any day of the week!!!
The bloke in the video is Tony Small, a good Aussie gunsmith.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
I'm curious, " out the side " keeps getting mentioned. Is that to mean out the side of the grip, out just not out on center?

It's a joke...I can't see how anyone could ACTUALLY be so far off as to have the drill exit the side of the blank..Then again, I'm sure with enouogh perserverence it COULD be done

Metal's video is welcome since it brings out the fact that this is not the magic rocket science some proclaim.

Now the shaped stock that Metal used is no easy task..not much "whoops"room..Best done by a confident an experienced stockmaker such as he is.

Bet a Bic Mac he could pull it off "free hand"

I thought joke at first, but then i remembered there is so much more that I don't know than do know so thought Id double check

It means not on center; saying out the side just raises the dramatic visual effect.
There is a reason that drill rifle barrels with one flute drills. Of course drilling from each hand cuts your potential runout by .5. Probability, not a measurement.

quote:

Originally posted by metal:

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):

quote:

Originally posted by eny:
I'm curious, " out the side " keeps getting mentioned. Is that to mean out the side of the grip, out just not out on center?

It's a joke...I can't see how anyone could ACTUALLY be so far off as to have the drill exit the side of the blank..Then again, I'm sure with enouogh perserverence it COULD be done

Metal's video is welcome since it brings out the fact that this is not the magic rocket science some proclaim.

Now the shaped stock that Metal used is no easy task..not much "whoops"room..Best done by a confident an experienced stockmaker such as he is.

Bet a Bic Mac he could pull it off "free hand"

Duane it’s not me in that video but I’ll accept your praise any day of the week!!!
The bloke in the video is Tony Small, a good Aussie gunsmith.

Praise stands...seen your other work !

quote:

Originally posted by gwahir:
Work between centers!
DO NOT USE A WOOD BIT! Use a 1/2" steel bit that you would use on metal, about 6" long. After it is entered it's length into the wood the direction of the hole is well established and the hole serves as a pilot for further drilling with a 1/2" bit. Then I finish the hole with the same type of 1/2" bit with a long enough extension to reach through the wood. I bush down on both ends to get my desired hole size. On about 5" the grip end I usually use a steel, thick wall, air craft tube epoxied in place. Nothing wrong with steel through a grip area! Nice wood!

I like it!

some days used to drill 100 - 200 blanks a day
had a hydralic lathe with power head on both ends
tailstock motor was mounted on a hinge to flip up out of the way
blank held in cross slide with air pistons to hold
we studieded every possible drill bit made
conclusion boiled down to //////
anytime we drilled clear through the blank 12-18 inches in curly wood there was always a tendiency for drift with the small bit
we use a thick butterfly bit with a threaded tip to pull the bit straight -- large hole
we welded a large diameter shaft onto the bit 5--6 inhes
the large hole drills perfect straight every time
made a bushing sleeve about 3 -4 inches long same size as the large hole
weld washer on each end with a hole the same size as the small bit
that will now support the small bit
for the small hole the second best bit for drilling straight was a parabolic
the best and most accurate was gun drill
dead on the money every time
when drilling mod 12 etc buttstocks i would flip over the tailstock poewer head and fae off with proper bit
no need to flip the blank and try to realign
works good for different size holes in forearms - pump-- autos
powerheads both had air chucks to reduce bit changing time

Shop made deep hole drill. Extension shaft half blank+ Mine made from 36" Drill rod for drilling ramrod holes.



Shop made piloted counter bore. Used with commercial extension shaft.

Just to be clear, I need to drill from bottom of grip. I have a little slack from side to side, but I need all the wood in the but so if my angle is off much from top to bottom I could limit the amount of drop I need .

I've convinced myself that with the limited time I have and that this may be the only one I ever do like this that I would be best off just to find someone that knows what they are doing and has the proper tools to do it


Any Ideas who could do it for me ?

I did one with the help of the late tony Barnes on a Savage 99, The one thing Im sure of, its legal and morally correct to get the wood turned by a stylest and returned ready to file to shape, inlet, and sand..You would be surprised how many of our best gun stock makers do that also!!