Drilled hole crooked...

[dallas10c]

OK...newby builder problem. I drilled the top hole on the buttplate slightly crooked and when I screw it in the buttplate pulls away from where the comb on the buttplate meets the stock. What can I use to fill the hole in the wood and let harden and then re-drill the hole straight?

 

[Roy]

turn a wood plug(you can use a drill press), glue it in the old hole, may have to drill it out a bit... and when the glue dries your as good as new.

 

[Allan Gray]

Wood...match sticks, (heads removed), are the classic fix. Or take a piece of scrap, whittle it down to a pointed "peg" shape, a little glue, and tap it in :thumbsup:

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Make a plug out of a dowel and use wood glue to glue it in place, give ample time to dry and re-drill.

 

[dallas10c]

Thanks for all the helpful hints...I think I will wait till tomorrow to start on my fix. I am too mad at myself right for getting in this situation and don't want to work on it feeling like this.

My wife got me a Traditions kit for Christmas thinking it would be an easy one to start with before going on to something a little harder. Well so far the easy kit has been full of chanllenges...First and formaost is that wonderful 2 part stock, the two halves of which weren't cut at 90 degree angles so getting them to match was real fun. Then the buttplate that didn't even come close to fitting. I ended up ordering a replacement from TOTW and that one is almost ready to go. I had to pean it a little to get the correct curve.

Even with all the things along the way...I really enjoy my time at the bench!

 

[Zonie]

After you have your new hardwood plug in place and locate the butt plate in the right place, mark the location of the top hole carefully.

Remove the buttplate and determine the exact center of the hole.
Using a pointed scribe (or sharpened nail) place the point about 1/32 of an inch forward (towards the muzzle) of this marking and central to it side to side. Lightly tap the point into the wood.

Use a 1/16 inch drill to enlarge the little hole you made with the scribe. Then enlarge it using a 3/32 drill about 1/4 inch deep. Finally, use a drill that is the same diameter as the body (not the thread) of the screw in the threaded area to re-drill the final hole.

When doing this drilling, be sure to let the smaller holes locate the larger drill so the new hole will be in the correct place.

I like to then soap the threaded area of the screw (with Ivory bar soap) and drive the screw into the drilled hole to "tap" the wood.
After "tapping" the wood, remove the screw and replace the butt plate.
The slightly forward location of the screw hole should cause the screw to force the butt plate up tight against the stock.

 

[dallas10c]

thanks...

 

[MSW]

don't feel too bad. there's three kinds of folks. those who have made this goof, those who will make this goof, and those who have made the goof but won't 'fess up to it.

follow Zonie's advice and you'll be cool once again.

 

[bioprof]

If you drill it out and put in a plug, make sure that you aren't going to be screwing into the end grain of the wood. Your screw will strip out almost every time if you do. It's a little more work, but if you make a dowl so that the grain isn't running lengthwise, it will hold a lot better. I learned this the hard way on my first build.

 

[Dphar]

OK...newby builder problem. I drilled the top hole on the buttplate slightly crooked and when I screw it in the buttplate pulls away from where the comb on the buttplate meets the stock. What can I use to fill the hole in the wood and let harden and then re-drill the hole straight?

Cut a long plug to fit the taper of the screw but a hair larger at the big end, coat with Elmers Carpenter glue and drive it in. Not so big as the wedge the wood much but a tight fit. Longer than the hole is deep. Shear off or carefully trim, depending on the situation, care is always better, the excess with a chisel after driving it in. Elmers will set in 15-20 minutes in most cases and you can redrill. Drilling then plugging is just an extra, unecessary step. Will likely make the site weaker.

Dan

 

[Birddog6]

If you drill it out and put in a plug, make sure that you aren't going to be screwing into the end grain of the wood. Your screw will strip out almost every time if you do.

May be just me, but I have pluggd quite a few of them & have never had one strip out. However, I always use a piece of maple or a piece of Hickory RR or a piece of birch dowel for the plug, I never use anything soft for a plug.

:thumbsup:

 

[dallas10c]

Thanks for all the help. I picked up a dowel at the local hardware store today and plan on fitting and gluing it in tonight. I have an honest-to-god old fashioned hardware store nearby and they are great. If they don't have it they can probably order it! Went in and asked for small diameter dowel and he said...Oh Fixing a mistake in wood project! I started laughing.

 

[grey8833]

Recon:

Don't feel bad, did exactly the same thing. Follow what Zonie said and no one but you will know - I certaily don't tell anyone there is a hardwood dowel under my butt plate. Not sure that sounds right, dowel in my butt plate. Oh well...

Mike F