Lets see some Darters!

[ProfessorM]

yeah you can use dowel pins but are limited to specific sizes. You would probably be better off using the back end of a longer drill that way you can use a specific size drill you want and will fit your belly grommet and make your fixtures to fit your pins. You could use drill blanks too which would be a good choice. I just turn up the size I need out of stainless.

[eskimo]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

yeah you can use dowel pins but are limited to specific sizes. You would probably be better off using the back end of a longer drill that way you can use a specific size drill you want and will fit your belly grommet and make your fixtures to fit your pins. You could use drill blanks too which would be a good choice. I just turn up the size I need out of stainless.

Didn't know drill blanks were so readily available. 5/32" for $2. Perfect.
Blanks around 8mm are bit tricky as they are pricier then a 8mm drill.

[blondterror]

here's one I made last fall for a fund raiser... Tatoo Bob ended up buying it

[WoodyCT]

That puts the lead in my pencil Chris!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[ProfessorM]

you may want to try a drill blank about .003 or maybe even .005 below .156, if they are possible to find but may not be as they are usually just drill sizes which has got me wondering why I told you to use drill blanks, as it will most likely be very tight if you use a 5/32 drill and that particular hole is not as important as the belly hole will be so a small amount of play is ok and may make things work smoother. I actually use hardened gage pins of the specific size I want. The hole is really only supporting the rear end of the plug and you will find you want some play there. The belly hole is the important hole and where you want a pretty tight fit to your pin, a few thousands under, but not too sloppy as this is your locator for the whole machining of the plug. Again the hole you drill in the wood will tend to be smaller than the drill you use so you want to allow for the shrinkage. Just some food for thought. That is why the rear end of a drill may be a good choice as they tend to be a thousands or 2 smaller than the bushiness end of the drill.

here are gage pins but they are not chea, but come in any size you want. MSC will carry individual pin sizes. an example is below.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/eCommerce/...%26+Inspecting

http://www1.mscdirect.com/eCommerce/...rchandizedOk=Y

[eskimo]

If thats the case I might have lucked out on the belly hole as 8.7mm wasn't available and I had to order 8.5mm but I figured after I hydro it will swell just enough that .2mm wouldn't be much? I almost didn't place the order as I didn't want it loose and the back of the drills was perfect. I had no clue the drill changed diameters?

For the tail hole I can always go back to the same nails I use for pins for my lead molds. If they don't work out and I'm not feeling cheap I'll reorder the tail pins as they were only $1.50.

The pins you linked was originally what I was looking for but $19 I kept using the back of my drills.