Need some advice from the stock repair experts

[Aragorn243]

I received the East India Company Musket the other day and have managed to get it nearly completely torn down. All in all, not too bad of shape but it needs some stock repairs where there were steel pins, etc going through it.

The expected repair will be similar to the Gahandra repairs, dig our the rotted area and insert a new block of wood to fill the hole. The pins don't present a problem for me as that's a simple matter of drilling a hole.

The problem is and I don't know the correct terminology, there are three holding pins. These are flat pins about 3/8th of an inch wide with a slot in the center so they don't get lost. These are pulled out as far as the holding pin will allow and then you can remove the barrel from the stock.

How do I go about cutting nice slots in the wood without mucking them all up?

Information

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[WarPig1976]

I think your talking about Keys/wedges? You what to make a rectangular slot in wood, a "Mortise"?
Pics would help.

[Daan Kemp]

Photos or it doesn't exist.

[Aragorn243]

Yes, keys or wedges. Opening would have to be about half an inch wide by a 32nd or 16th inch thick, very small. I figure if I have to I can use a drill and then a thin saw blade to trim it out.

[browningautorifle]

A small milling cutter in the drill press. You mill it out...

[WarPig1976]

Jim said it and you figured right. You drill it in a drill press. It's the same down and dirty way "normal" size mortises are cut. After drilling one comes in with a chisel and cleans it up. In your case it sounds like a Coping saw, Scroll saw, or a Jig saw blade could be used for cleanup.

[Aragorn243]

Thanks guys.

[WarPig1976]

Hey, if you grind the tip flat on a high speed bit it makes a poor mans Forster bit. You'll be able to overlap your passes, it'll basically work better.

[Aragorn243]

I don't have a drill press but my son-in-law does. I'm not anywhere near that point yet. Need to get the stock patched. Photos are up in black powder section by the way. Just before's. Barrel is still soaking. Heavy rust I didn't think would come off is starting to break free.

[Sunray]

How are your skills with a chisel? That'd be better than any saw.
"...Barrel is still soaking..." In what?