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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Latest Project


z1r

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Here is the stock for my latest project. my .338-06. Just finished applying the last coat on after i took the pic. I'll let it dry all weekend and send it out for checkering next week.

 

 

IPB Image

 

IPB Image

 

Gotta fit the barrel band to the barrel then rust blue it all in the next week or two.

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Very nice, Z.

 

How do you attach your forend tips? Specifically, 1) how do you square the end of the stock and the tip; 2) do you make the tip oversize and shape after attaching? 3) how do you attach (dowell?) if you use a dowel, how are you drilling both the tip and stock at 90* (I can handle the tip, but the stock is giving me fits)?

 

I'm right about ready to try to attach the ebony tip to my 30-06 stock and I just don't know how I'm going to do these things. If I don't get some advice I'm afraid I'll take my usual bubba approach and just do the way that occurs to me while I have the parts in hand. The damn stock is nice enough and the ebony was expensive enough that its slowing the bubba in me down.

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Very nice, Z.

 

How do you attach your forend tips? Specifically, 1) how do you square the end of the stock and the tip; 2) do you make the tip oversize and shape after attaching? 3) how do you attach (dowell?) if you use a dowel, how are you drilling both the tip and stock at 90* (I can handle the tip, but the stock is giving me fits)?

 

I'm right about ready to try to attach the ebony tip to my 30-06 stock and I just don't know how I'm going to do these things. If I don't get some advice I'm afraid I'll take my usual bubba approach and just do the way that occurs to me while I have the parts in hand. The damn stock is nice enough and the ebony was expensive enough that its slowing the bubba in me down.

 

I'm not z1r but......

 

1. I use a 10" chop saw to cut the stock. If the stock is already shaped, it takes some careful measuring and eyeballing to get everything square. If I'm making a stock from a blank, I prefer to attach the tip material while the blank is still square. I also use the chop say to cut my ebony. I have a 6" X 6" block so I'm able to cut safely.

 

2. I make the tip oversize and shape after attaching but I try to mount the tip so that it's top is very close to being even with the top of the stock.

 

3.I attach using two 1/4" dowels set about 3/4" apart. I mount the stock in a padded vice with the top of the stock level. I use an electric drill with a leveling bubble in it and eyeball the side-to-side alignment. Psst-and now the big secret- I use a 5/16" bit to drill all the holes. This allows the dowels to move around a bit in the holes and reduces the need for perfect hole alignment. I use Acra-glas gel dyed black to bond the stock and tip. Use enough gel on the dowels to fill the oversize hole. A bike tire inner tube is used as a clamp.

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Thanks all. Sorry I only got one decent pic but when I get back next week from camping I'll post some pics of the metalwork and maybe a better pic or two of the stock.

 

DT,

 

I use my table saw to cut the forend off straight. Then I make a straight cut on the ebony or whatever fore end material is to be used. That way the two surfaces are square. I then drill the stock for a dowel and drill the tip. I use epoxy to join the pieces. It works well on both Rosewood which is oily and Ebony. Ideally you would want to get the tops of both pieces square but truthfully I don't worry to much because I cheat. To hold the pieces I use a 24" clamp I got from harbor freight. I put a fitted block of wood in the inletted magazine cut out and then clamp to it and the tip.

 

Tips for drilling the forend straight. Clamp the stock to an angle plate on your dill press. this makes for about the straightest hole. No drill press? Ok, then like you say, the tip is easiest to keep square. Make sure it is. then when you drill the forend, it can be slightly loose. The epoxy will set up and fill the voids like M98 said. To ensure a better fit I drill some shallow holes in the faces of the pieces to be joined. 1/8" is plenty. Just something that acts like tiny dowels when the epoxy sets up. I've tried to beat a tip off with a hammer and the wood broke before the joint did. Modern adhesives rock. And, they allow for less than perfect fit up. You should try for perfect but good glues help when you don't have $20,000 worth of tools.

 

The ebony can be oversized since you will shape it along with the stock. Obviously this depends on how close to finished proportions the stock is. As for keeping the top straight, here's how I cheat. I clamp the stock in my mill. Indicate off the top of the stock till it is level then mill the tip to close to finished proportions. File and sand to spec. If you don't have a mill you can still do a fine job with the proper handtools. The less material you need to remove the better when doing it by hand.

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Finally Something I can comment on. I rework old mauser stock and becaue of cleaning rod holes, I make a lot of grip caps. To get a straight cut on a contoured stock I make a jig. I take a piece of 3/4 inch plywood, something suitable for a jig cut about 8 by 36". I draw a straight line down the center of the board then I drill a 1/4 hole (on the straight line) and insert a 4 or 5" dowel I measure the distance between the floorplate holes and drill a second hole about 3/8 ( I don't have one to look at right now) get a suitable dowel and hopefully you can pin a stock down to the board and chop it to the desired length. This works great on straight or 5 cuts. This jig is real handy. I added a hold down and can router out areas such as the rear swivel to fill it in.

For the cap drilling itself I take a piece of 2 by 2 about 3 or 4 inches long and bore a 1/4" hole lengthwise in it. I mitre on end then tack a larger piece of 1 by material to this. This allows you to use a hand held drill to install the cap. You buttthe jig up against the end of the stock or capwith the one by resting on the top of the barrel channel then you drill theough the 1/4 guide hole then you do the same on the other piece. I hope someone can understand this because I don't have any pictures.

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Z, Thanks for the tips. I think I can see a way to get things pretty close on the stock with an angle plate on the drill press and a level. Combined with the other suggestions (good glue) maybe I'll negotiate this without too much need for post-procedure-repair (which is my typical MO - but I really want this one to be nice).

 

hrc,

 

I get it!

 

Great jig idea! I think I can make one too. If I succeed I'll take a picture and you can tell me if I've interpreted correctly. This is particulary exciting because I've been scratching my head over a way to drill a hole for the magazine tube in a Winchester 94 forarm - your type of jig is just the ticket.

 

Thanks very much!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Z, great looking lines. Is this a GAGs stock? Particularly like the Jerry Fisher style fully rounded fore end. Also like the curve of pistol grip, extending curve rearward, avoids the dreaded Bishop stype M1911 pistol grip close curve. Finally all lines are crisp and sharp. Perhaps you could do an on-line clinic on stock layout. rough shaping, inletting, and final shaping in your "spare" time. (hee, hee, hee).

 

Also really pleased about all the helpful suggestions on capping a stock. Never been on a site where so much professional help is so freely offered, THANK YOU PRO. GUYS!

Bill U.

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Bill,

 

Good to hear from you. Believe it or not that stock came from Richards microfit. I had to do some serious reshaping. Took more than 2" off the forend. I removed the ebony from the grip and fitted a steel checkered grip cap. I had to really work on the grip shape to get a more open feel. Luckily the stock was about as thin as a 4"x4". All in all I had plenty of wood to work with.

 

Glad that someone finds these things helpful.

 

-Zed

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Guest_como_*

Very nice work. What type of finish did you use? I particularly like the 338 06 it has a much better bullet selection than the 35. Bill

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Very nice looking stock Z!

 

On a closer look I noticed that you left little "ears" of wood sticking up between the bolt release and the thumb cut on the left, and forward of the bolt handle on the right side. It would be much less obvious with the metal in plase of course. This was a topic of much discussion on another thread somewhere else. On mine I just mowed that part down flat. It's really a matter of personal preference, but I'm wondering what most others here do.

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