barrel pins

[Mike Suri]

I'm sorry if this has been covered before but I have a question regarding replacing barrel pins after the barrel has been removed for say cleaning.
Is there a way to reassure not pushing out the wood stock on the opposite side of the forearm as you drive the pin back into the stock/barrel?
Thanks for any help !

 

[Vaino]

The 1/16 dia music wire pins I use on all my builds are quite uniform in dia. and are a slight press fit in the holes, are below the fore end surfaces by at least 1/16" on both ends and have a long chamfer on both ends to prevent wood separation if they overshoot the surface when pushed in......Fred

 

[Col. Batguano]

Fred gives great advice. You should be able to chamfer the ends with a stone to make sure there are no burrs on them. In addition to this, you might think about taking a 1/16" drill bit to the holes (or what ever diameter your pins happen to be) to make sure you clean out any varnish or foreign material that may have obstructed them.

 

[Mike Suri]

Thanks Guys ! Time to shorten and taper !

 

[B.Habermehl]

I have always used music wire for all my pins. Chamfering the ends is the key. I prefer a larger diameter than Fred, I use 5/64 then you can use a 1/16 dia punch which you can buy at most hardware stores. Plus when building a gun the 5/64 diameter bit is noticeably more robust. I can't remember the last time I broke one. BJH

 

[Vaino]

I can see the use of 5/64 dia music wire pins and using a 1/16 dia. drift also makes sense....but, w/ a 1/16 web at the breech, the .062 dia music wire gives a little more leeway. The webs at the muzzle on my Bucks County LRs are 5/32" so the 1/16 dia. music wire just makes it.

Lately I do the same on the early Lancasters....the fore stocks are very slim and really look good......Fred

 

[Zonie]

Another vote for the 5/64 diameter music wire for pins.

Not only is the 5/64" drill bit more robust but it is usually longer.
This extra length is sometimes useful in making sure the drill bit passes completely thru the wood.

As for chamfering the pins, it doesn't take a big corner break to do the job.

A touch on a fine tooth grinding wheel or dragging it across a whet stone while rotating the pin is usually enough to remove any sharp edges it might have.

 

[crockett]

The music wire is harder than soft construction type wire however the soft wire can chip out wood. You are really better off with the music wire and round off the edges and polish very smooth and use a cupped punch the replace.

 

[B.Habermehl]

One other important detail is the lugs under the barrel MUST be slotted. A bent pin due to a unslotted lug and wood movement will definitely chip out the stock chamfers or not. This also is why I favor a little bit more robust pin. The highly figured wood a lot of people want today is much more prone to expand and contract significantly. Just a additional thought. BJH

 

[Col. Batguano]

You just hit an important point. Straight grain wood normally won't move vertically (or at least not very much. It WILL however move across the grain. With very curly wood the waves in the wood are going to effectively give it an ability to expand lengthwise.

It would be an interesting science experiment for us now in the driest months of the year) to measure our muzzle cap depth to the crown now, and then do the same in July-August. Put the notes in the patch box so you won't lose them. Whole you're at it, you could measure the overall length of the whole gun (just the wood) too.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
All good advice. I use round spring steel that I ultimately harden and temper so the end that is tapped with a punch never risks mushrooming and creating a lip. In addition, it is wise to make the pins a little short so the end that will be tapped to remove the pin is slightly below the surface of the wood. That way, when you tap it with a punch to remove it, the punch is inserted in the hole and constrained by it eliminating risk of slipping off the pin and denting the wood.

dave

 

[weum817]

How about drilling the pins, do you guys drill from each side or start and go all the way through?

 

[Vaino]

I do the drilling in a drill press and go all the way through.....Fred

 

[Zonie]

IMO, it is almost impossible to drill a pin hole from both sides of the stock and expect it to line up.

Even a location error of a thousandth of an inch can cause a misalignment that will cause problems.
(One thousandth of an inch is 1/3 the thickness of one human hair.)

The pin hole must be drilled completely thru the stock from one side for it to work.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The drilling from two sides should be of the drilling between centers process. I use the point of a plumb bob and set my drill press up so the drill point meets the point of the plumb bob. The desired entry and exit points are marked on the stock. One exit point is set on the plumb bob point and the pin hole is started at the other point. Once the drill bit passes the under lug, the stock can be turned over and the former exit point is now the entry point and the drilled hole is placed over the point of the plumb bob. The hole will line up.

 

[Black Hand]

IMO, it is almost impossible to drill a pin hole from both sides of the stock and expect it to line up.

Even a location error of a thousandth of an inch can cause a misalignment that will cause problems.
(One thousandth of an inch is 1/3 the thickness of one human hair.)

The pin hole must be drilled completely thru the stock from one side for it to work.

Not really.
If you drill pilot holes with an undersized bit from each side, you can then drill with the pin-sized bit and have them line up. I've also drilled with a 1/16" bit from each side and had them line up because you can "cheat" the bit once the tip is past the surface of the stock. For context - these holes were drilled with a hand-held power drill.

 

[weum817]

Thanks guys, I drilled from one side and came out where i wanted to on the other, after some careful measuring.
Do any of you know where to get 1/16th needle files to slot the barrel lugs so the stock can swell/ move with heat and weather?
I tried to center punch and just drill connecting holes but the 1/16th bit seems to walk toward the other hole.

 

[Larry Akers]

Do any of you know where to get 1/16th needle files to slot the barrel lugs so the stock can swell/ move with heat and weather?

I'd use a jeweler's saw.

 

[Vaino]

I use a small tapered round needle file to roughly elongate the 1/16 dia hole shading the slot towards the bbl side and then use a 1/16" rectangular file for the pin bearing side until the remnant of the hole disappears. Then a 1/16" thick needle file w/ a radius on the edges and safe sides on the flats files a radius on both ends of the slot. I acquired 100s of Grobet Swiss needle files as a tool and diemaker and they still do make certain tasks much easier.....Fred

 

[weum817]

Thanks, Where is the best place to buy a couple of these files?