Greetings all,

I am working on a small project for my neighbor, and am stumped. He
inherited an old shotgun from his grandfather, and the butt piece was
broken. I am making him a new one and need advice. I already have the
shape roughed out and detailed, however the part that has me scratching my
head is that the butt piece connects to the trigger mechanism via a long
step screw (~3-4 inches) that goes from about halfway inside the butt plate
end and into the trigger mechanism. The angle that the hole needs to be
drilled, as well as the stepped diameter, appears to be very precise in
order to align with the inlay ears of the trigger mechanism. The butt piece
is a traditional shape, but I am having a devil of a time trying to figure
out the best way to drill that long of a hole, and get the angle needed for
proper alignment to the rest of the shotgun.

Does anyone in this group work on older guns that might be able to offer
some sage advice?

Thank you in advance for your time.

George

George Gibeau wrote:
Greetings all,

I am working on a small project for my neighbor, and am stumped. He
inherited an old shotgun from his grandfather, and the butt piece was
broken. I am making him a new one and need advice. I already have the
shape roughed out and detailed, however the part that has me scratching my
head is that the butt piece connects to the trigger mechanism via a long
step screw (~3-4 inches) that goes from about halfway inside the butt plate
end and into the trigger mechanism. The angle that the hole needs to be
drilled, as well as the stepped diameter, appears to be very precise in
order to align with the inlay ears of the trigger mechanism. The butt piece
is a traditional shape, but I am having a devil of a time trying to figure
out the best way to drill that long of a hole, and get the angle needed for
proper alignment to the rest of the shotgun.

Does anyone in this group work on older guns that might be able to offer
some sage advice?

Thank you in advance for your time.

George



How about fixing the hard part first and then working the easy part into it?

By that, I mean get the piece of wood that you intend to use for the
stock and leave it as a chunk of wood. No forming. Oops, I just reread.
You've roughed the wood out but it may still work.

Line up the hole approximately, and drill it.

Then form the rest of the stock. Or am I way off base here?

Tanus

--
This is not really a sig.

"Tanus" wrote in message ...
George Gibeau wrote:

snip

How about fixing the hard part first and then working the easy part into
it?

By that, I mean get the piece of wood that you intend to use for the stock
and leave it as a chunk of wood. No forming. Oops, I just reread. You've
roughed the wood out but it may still work.

Line up the hole approximately, and drill it.

Then form the rest of the stock. Or am I way off base here?

That's not far off conceptually from the way we did things in the Gunsmith
Shop at Colonial Williamsburg, VA when I worked there... For example, when
we made gun barrels we started out with the hole that was created when the
barrel was forge welded around a mandrel. The barrel was also forged roughly
(though not crudely!) octagonal as it was welded up. Then the barrel was
reamed out. After the bore was reamed the outside of the barrel was filed so
that the hole was in the middle at the muzzle and breech.

When it came to stocks, the barrel was inlet, then the ram rod channel,
lock, butt plate, etc., were fitted relative to the position of the barrel.
Finally the stock was shaped to line up with the barrel, lock, and brass
furniture.

John

I truly dread those moments when you find out you've just done something
that should not have been done.


"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

"Tanus" wrote in message
...


How about fixing the hard part first and then working the easy part into
it?

By that, I mean get the piece of wood that you intend to use for the
stock and leave it as a chunk of wood. No forming. Oops, I just reread.
You've roughed the wood out but it may still work.

Line up the hole approximately, and drill it.

Then form the rest of the stock. Or am I way off base here?


Actually Tanus, you're right on the money... except as you noted, George
already got past this point. When building gun stocks the first thing you
do is get the mounts done... precisely. Only after the mounts are done do
you start taking away everything that's not a gunstock.

--

-Mike-

Hedley wrote:
I truly dread those moments when you find out you've just done something
that should not have been done.


Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on how far the OP got on "roughing" out the
stock. Maybe he can still use that idea.

Or maybe he can do what I'd do to save face. I'd say "Ok, this is a good
stock that doesn't fit. GREAT practice. "

I use this technique just about any time I make sawdust. SWMBO almost
believes me at times.

Tanus

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...
"Tanus" wrote in message
...

How about fixing the hard part first and then working the easy part into
it?
By that, I mean get the piece of wood that you intend to use for the
stock and leave it as a chunk of wood. No forming. Oops, I just reread.
You've roughed the wood out but it may still work.

Line up the hole approximately, and drill it.

Then form the rest of the stock. Or am I way off base here?

Actually Tanus, you're right on the money... except as you noted, George
already got past this point. When building gun stocks the first thing you
do is get the mounts done... precisely. Only after the mounts are done do
you start taking away everything that's not a gunstock.

--

-Mike-







--
This is not really a sig.