Bending tang?

[peterbh]

OK, My first M/L. I have made maybe 20 modern rifle/shotgun stocks but never any metal work. The stock is inlet for barrel and lock. Perfect so far. The tang is timed to the barrel. The tang is straight and I need to curve it. How do I do that and not soften the threads? Second question, when it is time to drill the touch hole, does someone make the touch hole plugs anymore like on the fancy old pistols? I think they used platinum in the old days. This is a Lancaster, but I thought it would be a classy touch.
Pete

 

[Birddog6]

You got the cart ahead of the horse........ :nono:

Email me & I have the steps already typed up.

I also suggest ya buy "The Gunsmiths Of Grenville County" builders book & read it before you go one step further. :wink:

[email protected]

 

[Stophel]

First thing you do is cut the tang down to about half its thickness. Makes everything MUCH easier. Bending, shaping, inletting. :wink:

 

[bioprof]

To bend the tang, install the breech in the barrel and bend it cold. The metal is very soft and heat is unnecessary. I often file out the little web of metal between the bolster and the bottom of the tang to make the underside of the tang square. Makes it much easier to inlet.

 

[Zonie]

Before you start bending the tang, make a cardboard template of the shape of the wrist of the stock and include a straight area that rests on the top of the barrel.

This will be a valuable tool for showing you exactly where the tang needs more bending.

With the breech plug installed into the barrel, I place the tang into my bench vise and then use the barrel as a lever to bend the tang.
I do not clamp the vise on the tang but, rather leave the jaws slightly open to allow me to move the tang up or down a bit to get the bending force in the place it is needed.

I haven't seen a need to thin the tang before bending and actually, I don't know if this is a good idea or not.

I say this because no matter how careful you are with the bending, it will never match the exact shape of the wrist when your done.

By leaving some extra thickness to the tang when it is cold bent, there will be plenty of material there so the final filing of the top to exactly match the wrist won't make it too thin.

One word of caution though.
Do NOT drill the tang hole before the tang is bent.
I know this sounds obvious but way back when, when I was starting to build these rifles I did just that. Of course, the tang bent at the drilled hole and then broke off. :cursing:
Live and learn as they say. :rotf:

 

[Birddog6]

I do mine basically the same way, but don't use the template.

I inlet the barrel til the tang part is down on the wood, put a 1/4" spacer under the muzzle as the tang will be up about 1/4" as well. Look at the angle gap between the stock & the tang (side view), take barrel to vice & bend it, go back to stock & insert barrel, 2-3 times & it is ready to file a bevel on the edges & inlet. :thumbsup:

 

[joehenz]

Here's how I bent mine (see photo below), and it worked well. You'll have much better control and you won't stress the threads if you do is this way, instead of clamping the tang in the vice and using the barrel as a pry bar.

 

[Stophel]

Hey, Joe, I like that! I think I'll try it that way next time.

 

[Cosmoline]

Clever! That's a keeper.

 

[Birddog6]

That will work. But it will only bend at one place that way, the weakest place. Hopefully that is where ya want it bent.

 

[rich pierce]

I work it with a hammer over the anvil or a bick iron.