Using Bondo to position secure Butt Plate; acceptable or butcher job?

Scota@4570 said:

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I asked a question initially and apparently there builders that do use fillers for barrels, breaches, and buttplates in general.

Nobody who has any right to charge money does that, they do not get a pass. It is 100% not acceptable. Bedding a butplate in bondo is not something a competent builder should ever do. That is a shortcut that is covering up laziness or incompetence.

Let me put it another way. Building rifles is an art. Painting pictures is and art. IF you commissioned and "artist" to paint a portrait and they delivered a stick figure done in crayon, you be mad. Same thing with the rifle.

Is is OK to use a skim coat of epoxy in a barrel channel or on a breech plug area? Sure. IT is probably a good idea on heavy recoiling guns. It is not a shortcut.

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I agree reason I asked folks on this forum. For the money I would expected a 100 percent wood gun. I agree with you. It’s a short cut. At the time I got a small inheritance and was like a drunk sailor on pay day. I do feel I significantly overpaid even if it was all wood. When I speak to them again I will let them know our feelings.

I don’t think I understand the purpose of using Bondo or any other filler under a buttplate. Isn’t all you need to worry about is the interface between the wood of the buttstock and perimeter of the buttplate? Filling any voids where the sun doesn’t shine seems like an extra step that doesn’t provide any real benefit unless you’re planning to use your rifle’s butt as a sledgehammer

What is an OP or o.p.?

You say “bonds” are you sure it might not be accuraglass ? I doubt it’s real bondo.

brushyspoons said:

I don’t think I understand the purpose of using Bondo or any other filler under a buttplate. Isn’t all you need to worry about is the interface between the wood of the buttstock and perimeter of the buttplate? Filling any voids where the sun doesn’t shine seems like an extra step that doesn’t provide any real benefit unless you’re planning to use your rifle’s butt as a sledgehammer

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Exactly my thoughts. There is no filler around the edging so the use of filler to provide support seems like an added safety precaution to distribute loading.

Also, I question its automotive bondo. Polyester will not take a stain, which this looks like it has. I have seen lots of use of “plastic wood” though. But it’s still filler.

So the morale of the story is - bad people use pink epoxy on muzzleloaders and good people use clear epoxy on muzzleloaders?

Yes, exactly.

BTW, Bondo is polyester resin and filler, not epoxy. It is weak.

IF a person does not care, build your rifle any way you want. Inlet with with a chainsaw and a sharpened screwdriver, fill the gashes with plastic wood, paint it purple, it is your rifle.

When you pay up for quality work on your quality parts and get ripped off that is not OK. It is vandalism, they ruined your parts. The person who arranged the deal between the customer and the "builder" shares responsibility.

Some people seem to think that because it is a ML is it OK to have shoddy work. Just call it rustic. I disagree. Make your own choices.

beardedhorse said:

What is an OP or o.p.?

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Original poster - the person who started the discussion

What a dumpster fire........

The Appalachian said:

What a dumpster fire........

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Exactly poor judgment on my part.
I certainly would prefer it to not have had any of what ever filler was used but it does. However this is not 1776 and if using what ever it is they used does not distract from the structural integrity who am I to fault them. Yes I would have liked to know up front! I would have ordered other. I know the purists will disagree and I respect that I personally would not used a filler. Regardless until this issue with the crack the rifle was very nice to look at and required no sighting in they dialed it before they put it up for sale. So I was very happy.
I spoke to them for not one moment did I think they were trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I explained the shrinkage and asked them to evaluate if it could have been avoided; the crack that is. If it could have been then I’d like the rifle restocked. My feeling is that no matter how well it is repaired unless restocked it will have a negative impact on the resale should I decide to sell it someday. I don’t want to spend any more money on it that includes shipping it back to them. Though that i will pay if they can restock it for me. I’m hoping they will restock it.

Joemolf said:

However this is not 1776

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Your money, your rifle, whatever floats your boat.......

I build my own rifles. The journey from start to finish means more to me than the finished product. It's my small way to keep heritage and history alive. No, I don't adhere absolutely religiously to period correct methods, but I try to stay as true as I can live with. Inletting a butt plate, although time-consuming, is pretty much straightforward. Making wood fit metal isn't rocket science, or black magic voodoo.

The Appalachian said:

Your money, your rifle, whatever floats your boat.......

I build my own rifles. The journey from start to finish means more to me than the finished product. It's my small way to keep heritage and history alive. No, I don't adhere absolutely religiously to period correct methods, but I try to stay as true as I can live with. Inletting a butt plate, although time-consuming, is pretty much straightforward. Making wood fit metal isn't rocket science, or black magic voodoo.

View attachment 216538

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Beautiful and a lefty too very nice! I agree you are the person I would like building a rifle for me! I don’t know if it’s a blob or smear. I’m a novice and would not do it. That looks to be Cherry? Very nicely done!

“Exactly poor judgment on my part.”
Joe, stop beating yourself up. None of this is your fault, but there is another lesson here to be learned. I realize that guns for 300 years have been stored under all sorts of conditions, but it sounds like this was stored at a second residence or vacation home. Was HVAC off? Humidity can wreck havoc on wood, especially an already poorly fit buttstock stress pinned and screwed to metal.
Might want to consider this with next gun. Humidity flux in NH can be really tough on wood, just look at some old furniture.
Good luck resolving your problem

Joemolf said:

Beautiful and a lefty too very nice! I agree you are the person I would like building a rifle for me! I don’t know if it’s a blob or smear. I’m a novice and would not do it. That looks to be Cherry? Very nicely done!

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Maple

CuNosecap said:

“Exactly poor judgment on my part.”
Joe, stop beating yourself up. None of this is your fault, but there is another lesson here to be learned….

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Thanks much appreciated!

See how little I know LOL it seems to have the same grain structure as my problem cherry rifle. Regardless beautiful job and I like the piece you chose.
Joe

Rawhide67 said:

Bondo has a very distinctive chemical smell when sanded. Doesn't smell at all like sawdust.

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No joke here I lost my sense of smell with my first bout with Covid it never came back to where it was. I can smell some things vaguely. You can see in the picture where the drum sander differs the wood from the filler. Most importantly the vendor with no issue told me they use bondo type filler! Good night.

Dartwick said:

So the morale of the story is - bad people use pink epoxy on muzzleloaders and good people use clear epoxy on muzzleloaders?

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Good people dye it brown with the included color kit

Given the litigious nature of people these days I can understand your reluctance to name the maker. It sounds to me like they torqued the screw down in order to hide the Bondo which would create tension on the screw causing the wood to fail. The upside is the crack is in an area of the stock which would have collected a lot of crud over time so with a little antiquing you should be able to easily hide it.