Quote Originally Posted by flatshooter
Good replys... Bill and Charles...

I guess my mistake was drilling the holes with a twist bit completely through causing the holes to walk, like almost a 1/4 inch. The hole in the reciever were on the edge of the hole in the stock. So an endmill bit is the way to go? Or if I piloted the holes with smaller bits?

From the job you guys did, it look to me you have a lathe to make your escutcheons?

Well, using twist bits is OK, but you want to open the holes in steps with progressively larger sizes, not from a 1/4" to 1/2 in one pass for example. Also a bit with less angle, lets say a 30 degree instead of a 19 will bite and grab less in softer materials. Hardware stores generally have lock collars that you can use to control the depth of the cut. If the bit grabs a collar will stop it at what ever depth you have set to before punch'n out the other side. Those screw ups are easily repaired and filled in using whatever goop your using to bed-glue the pillars in with. As long as the exterior of the stock is OK the "wonder goop" can fill in the "UT OHs" that can't be seen.

Its funny. Back in the late seventies when pillars were rediscovered (Paul Mauser used the in the late 1890s&#39 we used Devcon F or F2. They came back in vogue with the introduction of laid up foam filled fiberglass stocks. Seems when the action screws were tightened they crushed the laminate and the foam, so pillars were the answer to prevent wreaking the stock. We would bed the action as normal usually with F and F2, open the holes, install guide screws, turn the stock upside down then pour either the F or F2 in and around the guide screws. After three days curing time we would turn out the screws and Wallah ....instant perfectly fitted pillars! Then we got lazy and stated using aluminum bar and glue.

Enough of this old goat's history! ;D

You can use a lot of different things, custom made pillars or even lamp rod. It doesn't matter as long as what your using doesn't compress or deform under the screw torque, the reason for pillars, they prevent stock material compression and maintain screw torque to keep the action tight and secure in the bedding.

Yes, having the machines and tools available makes the job easier and quicker, but if you take your time and use some care even with hand tools the job can be accomplished just a well, but you can't attack it like yer gut'n a hog, just take your time, think and go slow.

Bill