I think I may have screwed up the toe...

I wanted to take a step back before I make anything worse, and ask for advise. So much for thinking that a toeplate should be an easy thing! I should have said from the beginning, this is my Kibler SMR.

The forward depth of the inlay is very close, if not just right. I thought that I had the area filed flat, but it's not. It appears, but I can be certain, that it's lower on the lock side. I tried to make sure my depth lines were even, but I haven't gotten to that depth.

If you look at the pictures, you should be able to see that it is low in the middle section. But I'm worried about if I should keep removing wood towards the butt to even it out. I just REALLY don't want to do real damage. I can live with small gaps if need be.

Ok, time to slow down a bit. It's very fixable. Slowly work the toe plate inlay to level as best you can. Even if you get a tiny overhang on the butt plate the edge will be filed and blended with the toe plate anyway. When it comes time for final assembly heat some beeswax, and while hot spread some (not a lot) on the toe plate inlet and butt. A little on the wood screws too. Once evenly tightened, fill any gaps with warm beeswax. You'll have a weatherproof seal that will look close to perfect whether it is or isn't.

I'm assuming you're making a rifle with a straight toe line, like a Lancaster, correct? If it's a curved toe line, like a Bucks or Lehigh that's a trickier fix.

The good thing is that mistakes with the toe area are in one of the least examined parts of the gun.

In that case you have several options;

1.) Get yourself a thicker piece of metal for the toe plate and just keep going deeper, or, bend it to the existing bowl shape and file it all flush with the existing toe line. You'll have a little bit of a thick spot there but it won't be all that noticeable.
2.) Inlet the forward part deeper somewhat below the existing toe line, and keep the toe plate parallel to the existing line. You will wind up making your butt a little bit shallower forward of the toe plate but keep things parallel. A little bit of butt plate will wind up coming off too
3.) Glue in a very thin piece of wood (it looks like 1/16" will do it) bent and then glued to the existing dimensions of your current inlet, and then take it down even to where it should be before you cut out the dish shape. That's basically a do-over.

The important thing is to preserve the straight line of the toe line with your toe plate.

If it were my mistake (and I've made plenty like this) I'd probably opt for # 2 or # 3.

Sorry, I should have made it clear. It's a Kibler SMR. I'll add that to the OP.

As @Col. Batguano said, if you inlet too deeply, use a thicker piece for your toe plate. All very doable.

Birddog1911 said:

Sorry, I should have made it clear. It's a Kibler SMR. I'll add that to the OP.

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Still needs to be on a straight line.

Birddog1911 said:

I can live with small gaps if need be.

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Small gaps are the challenges where true craftsmanship come into play. Fix, hide or eliminate, whatever it is you want to call it. No need to live with them. I have passed on purchasing a number of guns with obvious and easily correctable gaps and other blemishes. If the builder doesn’t have enough pride to correct what is obviously visible, hard to imagine what will be found in areas where you can’t easily see.

Anyone have thoughts on wood patch putty?

SDSmlf said:

Small gaps are the challenges where true craftsmanship come into play. Fix, hide or eliminate, whatever it is you want to call it. No need to live with them. I have passed on purchasing a number of guns with obvious and easily correctable gaps and other blemishes. If the builder doesn’t have enough pride to correct what is obviously visible, hard to imagine what will be found in areas where you can’t easily see.

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That is entirely true if your buying a gun from a professional builder. One should not expect less. But for someone building their first or second kit I believe some leeway is quite acceptable.

Birddog1911 said:

Anyone have thoughts on wood patch putty?

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You don't want that much gap to fill. Work with it until a thin layer of beeswax is all that's required. IMO.

SDSmlf said:

Small gaps are the challenges where true craftsmanship come into play. Fix, hide or eliminate, whatever it is you want to call it. No need to live with them. I have passed on purchasing a number of guns with obvious and easily correctable gaps and other blemishes. If the builder doesn’t have enough pride to correct what is obviously visible, hard to imagine what will be found in areas where you can’t easily see.

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Appreciate that wisdom.

Wood patch putty? Only for places that aren't seen, like behind the breech plug to get a strong full contact bedding of the breech plug. Inside the lock or under the tang for the same purpose. Avoid it at all costs in places that can be seen.

The stuff is also softer than wood, as there is no grain structure to it. It's like dry wall compound that way. Very prone to chip out. You can strengthen if by dripping super glue in to it, but it will never get the strength of a natural material like wood.

TDM said:

That is entirely true if your buying a gun from a professional builder. One should not expect less. But for someone building their first or second kit I believe some leeway is quite acceptable.

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I agree that beginning builders deserve some leeway, but not when they throw in the towel early and just agree to live with obvious ‘imperfections’ that they can see without someone pointing out to them. One needs to take pride in their work and strive to make whatever they are building the best that they can. Others will come long and point out plenty of things that the builder didn’t see or understand.

Birddog1911 said:

Anyone have thoughts on wood patch putty?

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Yep. Don’t use it. If you are boxed into a corner, consider a dyed epoxy like Brownells Acraglas if you must.

this! my first builds are what i call my 8 foot guns. they look great from 8 feet away! none of mine have been a kit like a Kibler so i don't have the monitary outlay, just a big chunk of my shortening life.
the good thing is as you progress with your builds you learn to fix the goofs you made on the early projects. there is no law that we can't go back and fix stuff. or if you are like me i just never stop tinkering for very long with any of my efforts.

SDSmlf said:

I agree that beginning builders deserve some leeway, but not when they throw in the towel early and just agree to live with obvious ‘imperfections’ that they can see without someone pointing out to them. One needs to take pride in their work and strive to make whatever they are building the best that they can. Others will come long and point out plenty of things that the builder didn’t see or understand.

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As I recall, there is a sweeping curve that changes from the lock to the toe. It's not really flat for a 3-4" length, even at the toe. I tried my best on my first Kibler SMR to keep the curve and file a reasonable inlet depth. Then took my rawhide hammer and gently put a bend in my German silver toe plate. Once screwed down and filed, I was satisfied with my effort. I thought it would look odd if I filed an inlet for a perfectly flat toe plate nearly 4" long. I would reconsider my screw placement in the future.

Remember though, I am very much a beginning builder.

Birddog1911 said:

Anyone have thoughts on wood patch putty?

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Ugly and obvious.

We all started somewhere, and we were all E-1's at some point in our careers.

The mistakes themselves are not that important. Recognizing them AS mistakes IS. Become your own harshest critic, and, trying to remember the thought process that you went through that led you to making them in the first place will help you to not make them again in the future. That's how we all learn. People that defend their mistakes (when they actually know they are mistakes rather than differences of opinion) are people that don't learn.

That is the nature of the Kibler SMR toe area since there is a built-in slight curve. When you position the toe plate in the inlet have you pressed the middle of the plate to see how much of a gap can be eliminated and how much the toe plate is disfigured by doing so? A slight bend in the middle may not be noticeable at all when filler of any kind may be much more obvious. Maybe post two pictures with the toe plate. One with it laying in place with no pressure and the next with you applying pressure at the low spot. It may not be as bad as you think.

Good point @Trapper Scott. Since I haven't received my SMR yet (should be here Tuesday or Wednesday) I wasn't aware of the slight curve, never noticed it. I will plan my toe plate accordingly.