Re: How To Install BT17 Rail for Atlas Bipod in McM A5
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Quiet One</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ratbert</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ratbert</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dudes, seriously, a forstner bit is like $12 @ lowes and you could have it done before bedtime. You guys are really making a mountain out of a molehill here.
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And why the hell are you bothering with epoxy? What purpose is that serving? </div></div>
Hey Guys
In my experience the Counter Bore is going to leave a much nicer cut. Furthermore, the Forstner Bit will be difficult to get exactly lined up with the pilot hole. McMillan epoxies their T-Nuts, so that is good enough for me. To each their own though, I am a picky bastard!</div></div>
You're covering this up with a barrel, right?
Use a small (1/16 or less) pilot to start and it's gonna be pretty damn close with a 5/8" fortsner (or whatever size it is, I forget.) Have the bit be very slightly larger than the t-nut and it won't matter anyway; the tnut shaft will still align with the thru hole when you ream it out with the correct size bit afterwards. And sure, the counter bore might give a SLIGHTLY nicer finish on the bottom of the hole, but not much (we are talking about fiberglass and foam being cut by tools designed for much harder and less consistent wood) and you'll never ever see it again once you put the T-nut down on top of it anyway. Especially if you're bothering to epoxy it in for some strange reason (really, someone please explain what they think this accomplishes.)
I've done a half dozen of these and they look every bit as good as any of the pics posted here, many of them better because at least I indexed a consistent hole depth from the bottom of the stock so the t nuts are at the same height. And I don't have little blobs of epoxy sticking out the sides. Not that any of that matters because, after all, ideally you're going to cover this all up with a gun barrel and go use it as a rifle. I'd show pics as examples but for some strange reason I don't have any. Oh, I remember why: because it never occurred to me in my wildest dreams that any of this would ever be even the slightest bit newsworthy.
Listen, if you want to buy a counter bore bit then more power to you. I am certainly not going to start throwing stones on the subject of purchasing tools. But this whole "get in line, pass it around, wait 4 weeks until it's my turn" shit just seems downright silly. Particularly if you've got guys who, based solely on this thread, think that any of this is necessary to install a goddamn t-nut in a little piece of foam and fiberglass.
I mean, hell, you're using a fucking hand drill. Your slop from that is going to far outweigh any error using a readily available forstner bit is going to induce. If you're really this concerned about the quality of your cut, chuck it up in a proper mill with a Kurt vise keeping things nice a steady. At least then your perfect hole won't be canted off plumb by 4*
Of course, I'm still more upset that there are actually people out there allowed to operate a rifle who needed instructions in order to do this. God help them if their car's oil light ever comes on and there's no one around to show them where to pour more in.
