Hello, short of a lathe I'd be interested in what methods folks are using to drill straight, accurate holes through butt stocks. Thanks and appreciate any tips on fixtures, methods etc.

Drilling to a point on a drill press will work as an alternate method.

Make a fixture with a point that mounts to your drill press and can be aligned with your quill and adjusted for distance from the chuck. Mark the spot on each end of your blank where you want the hole be, place one end on the point and line the other up with your drill bit.

Good luck!

I use my lathe between centers. No, the stock blank does not spin, but if you can't do that, drill from both ends. Some use a guide made from a board, grooved. Use a single flute/point bit. Do not use a twist drill. Also a forstner bit some guys use.

Jobs like this makes one appreciate using square blanks rather than outside shaped.

I drill the hole first, then you use a guide screw when doing the inletting . Can't help but be on the money

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
Jobs like this makes one appreciate using square blanks rather than outside shaped.

I drill the hole first, then you use a guide screw when doing the inletting . Can't help but be on the money

I drill the hole, then set my pantograph up so both pieces of wood rotate around the hole. It works great, takes some time to set up correctly.

I agree with Tom on the bit, I use a gun drill.

Yes, I assumed he meant drilling square blanks. Ok, not square, but you know what I mean. Triangle sort of....

Gun drill, the only way to go, I have two I made but I do it in the lathe like Tom says and start the hole with a drill both ends, same size as the gun drill but only to start the hole

Thanks for the responses. I've done only bolt action stocks to this point from a blank. I've found myself with an interest in Savage 99's. I've done a couple but they were from an old stock I made a pattern from and had sent off to a duplicator pretty much because I didn't want to screw up that hole. Doing it before any shaping makes perfect sense.

quote:

Originally posted by skb:
Drilling to a point on a drill press will work as an alternate method.

Make a fixture with a point that mounts to your drill press and can be aligned with your quill and adjusted for distance from the chuck. Mark the spot on each end of your blank where you want the hole be, place one end on the point and line the other up with your drill bit.

Good luck!

This!!! Has worked well for hundreds of years. Will work now. Sharp drill,clear your chips, don't hog it.

From the stock drilling I have seen a lot of swearing and arm waving is required.
We used a lathe. Drill in chuck, blank on carriage.

I've drilled many through bolt holes with these shop made gun drills. I first made them about 40 years ago to drill ramrod hole for muzzleloading guns so they are 3/8"x42" and 7/16"X42". I think 18" or 20" should be long enough for most buttstock holes.

The drills are made by simply milling a quarter flute on length of drill rod and in this case silver soldering an extension for length not needed for regular two-piece buttstocks. I harden the cutting end and draw the temper to straw.

I've also made large gun drills for drilling the magazine tube hole when making a lever action forend from the blank.

I drill the hole using a lathe, drilling from each end to meet in the middle. The key is making sure the ends of the blank are square to each other to start the drill correctly. It is important advance the drill slowly, clear the chips frequently and to lube the drill. I use bees wax for lube.

I've never failed to meet on center in the middle. (Knock on wood~) No swearing, no arm waving.

Start that homemade gun drill with a drill bushing to guide it, and there's no reason it wouldn't drill all the way through and come out on point. I should take the time to do one, and quit using my 3 bit system to do the work. Would be easier, and faster.

Thanks for posting that, SDH

You are welcome~~

Drilling all the way from one end is problematic because: the deeper the hole the greater the resistance, heat and length of travel in and out to clear chips.
Drilling from both ends somewhat alleviates those issues.
If all is set-up properly the holes meet in the middle.