drilling a wood stock for pillars.

[gohring3006]

I'm thinking of buying a Boyds stock and pillar bedding before glass bedding. What method would you use for drilling the action screw holes so i don't splinter around the hole. And blow out a big chunk of wood? How do you guy feel about Boyds stocks?

 

[FearNoWind]

When driling holes in stocks I ALWAYS start with a forstner bit. If I'm just enlarging a hole a twist drill serves the purpose IF it's aligned properly in a drill press to ensure that all drilling is perfectly verticle.

 

[gohring3006]

Thanks for the reply. I will be enlarging the holes for pillars. I wonder which adhesive I would use for the pillars. I'm pretty crafty so I think I can do this myself. I will probably make some pillars out of brass or aluminium or maybe steel just depends on what I find that day.

 

[tinkerer]

Home made pillars from lamp rod seems to work well. I personally prefer aluminum from the ebay.

And I prefer to bed and pillar all at once so there is no added stress. And I like devcon.

Again, I refer to the tutorial.

Larry
Tinkerer

 

[gohring3006]

Home made pillars from lamp rod seems to work well. I personally prefer aluminum from the ebay.

And I prefer to bed and pillar all at once so there is no added stress. And I like devcon.

Again, I refer to the tutorial.

Larry
Tinkerer

good idea about the lamp rods I also read brass plumbing nipples work well. I think I'll do the same when bedding. Just do a dry run then epoxy the pillars and bed the same time..

 

[Hired Gun]

I like to make my pillars from 1/2 inch aluminum rod you can get cheap at the local Ace Hardware. Make them with a .250" hole to start so the screws fit them well.

I drill the stock with a 9/16 end mill. To texture the outside of the pillar to lock them into the epoxy I thread them with say a 13 tpi right hand thread and then go right back over them with a 13 tpi left hand thread. Cut deep in one or two passes raises up plenty of burrs for the epoxy to bite into. Marine Tex is my epoxy of choice to mount them. When the bedding job is done last step it to drill them to 5/16th to make clearance for the screws.

 

[gohring3006]

I like to make my pillars from 1/2 inch aluminum rod you can get cheap at the local Ace Hardware. Make them with a .250" hole to start so the screws fit them well.

I drill the stock with a 9/16 end mill. To texture the outside of the pillar to lock them into the epoxy I thread them with say a 13 tpi right hand thread and then go right back over them with a 13 tpi left hand thread. Cut deep in one or two passes raises up plenty of burrs for the epoxy to bite into. Marine Tex is my epoxy of choice to mount them. When the bedding job is done last step it to drill them to 5/16th to make clearance for the screws.

I need to take my time as I can see now. I never even thought about having the screw holes tighter during the glass bedding process then opening them up. That's a good tip thanks.....

 

[J E Custom]

I make all of my own pillars so I bought a piloted bit the right size and a few different pilots to match the factory holes.

This makes a perfect hole that is on the same centerline as the original hole.

I drill about half way through from one side and then finish the hole from the other side. (This keeps the drill from chipping the hole if you drill all the way through without stopping.

I use to use the 30 min epoxy but have found the Pro Bed 2000 really works good and is much stronger. It is a little thick when first mixed but with a hair drier it thins out and is very spreadable.

J E CUSTOM

 

[gohring3006]

I make all of my own pillars so I bought a piloted bit the right size and a few different pilots to match the factory holes.

This makes a perfect hole that is on the same centerline as the original hole.

I drill about half way through from one side and then finish the hole from the other side. (This keeps the drill from chipping the hole if you drill all the way through without stopping.

I use to use the 30 min epoxy but have found the Pro Bed 2000 really works good and is much stronger. It is a little thick when first mixed but with a hair drier it thins out and is very spreadable.

J E CUSTOM

thanks JE, That makes sense about drilling from both sides. I get this stock completed I might hit you up for a brake..

 

[Trickymissfit]

I did my first stock (a savage BV laminate) before you could buy the pillars off the shelf. Thinking about, the answer was easy. I dug thru the scrap tub at work for three or four 4 flute core drills that were about six inches long. I then ground down the first one inch or so to a diameter that was about the same as Savage drilled the holes in the stock. The pilot was long enough that the drill didn't wobble.

I made my own pillars, and that was not slam dunk! They have to fit the bottom of the receiver, and of course the screws have to be a good fit. I've used Hardemans and Super Belzonia epoxies, and both work very well. Buy good screws, as 90% of the heads are crooked to the threads.
gary

 

[CogburnR]

Ernie the gunsmith has tutorials on this and as everyone...opinions on how it should be done.
Trigger Springs|Aluminum Pillar|Pillar Bedding|Gunsmithing

 

[gohring3006]

Ernie the gunsmith has tutorials on this and as everyone...opinions on how it should be done.
Trigger Springs|Aluminum Pillar|Pillar Bedding|Gunsmithing

Thanks for the link

 

[J E Custom]

I did my first stock (a savage BV laminate) before you could buy the pillars off the shelf. Thinking about, the answer was easy. I dug thru the scrap tub at work for three or four 4 flute core drills that were about six inches long. I then ground down the first one inch or so to a diameter that was about the same as Savage drilled the holes in the stock. The pilot was long enough that the drill didn't wobble.

I made my own pillars, and that was not slam dunk! They have to fit the bottom of the receiver, and of course the screws have to be a good fit. I've used Hardemans and Super Belzonia epoxies, and both work very well. Buy good screws, as 90% of the heads are crooked to the threads.
gary

+1

The first few pillars that I installed I did the same thing, (Ground down a bit to make a pilot the size
of the original hole) and it worked ok. then I ground the cutting edge flat like a wood bit and that worked even better.

As long as I started the bit from both sides, it worked ok and didn't chip out the wood around the hole.

The reason I went with a piloted bit was that the existing holes were never the same from rifle to rifle. so with the piloted bit, I simply change the pilot to the proper size and it cuts true.

Over the years I have come to realize that if I use the proper tool for the job, the outcome is always better. I make a lot of my own tools, but sometimes I go ahead and buy them if I am going to need
it more than once.

PS: I also bought a larger piloted bit so that after I bedded the pillar, I could cut the pillar to the exact length and position the action and the floor metal exactly where I wanted them in the stock.

Just a few helpful hints/tricks for the guys that like to do there own pillar bedding.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Trickymissfit]

+1

The first few pillars that I installed I did the same thing, (Ground down a bit to make a pilot the size
of the original hole) and it worked ok. then I ground the cutting edge flat like a wood bit and that worked even better.

As long as I started the bit from both sides, it worked ok and didn't chip out the wood around the hole.

The reason I went with a piloted bit was that the existing holes were never the same from rifle to rifle. so with the piloted bit, I simply change the pilot to the proper size and it cuts true.

Over the years I have come to realize that if I use the proper tool for the job, the outcome is always better. I make a lot of my own tools, but sometimes I go ahead and buy them if I am going to need
it more than once.

PS: I also bought a larger piloted bit so that after I bedded the pillar, I could cut the pillar to the exact length and position the action and the floor metal exactly where I wanted them in the stock.

Just a few helpful hints/tricks for the guys that like to do there own pillar bedding.

J E CUSTOM

your setup is similar to mine. A core drill looks like a long four flute end mill. There's another style drill bit that actually works better, but a bear to rework. Each flute has a double cutting edge, and I've seen them in two, three, and four flute. Cuts very round holes unlike a regular drill bit, and like the core drill; it will seriously cut some metal. Core drills are easier to rework, than the other. Seems to be a little harder, and is hard all the way into the shank. I will say that the longer the pilot, and with the correct grind; your way ahead in the game.
gary