I need some help inletting a straight octagon barrel

[Trapper1993]

Just got a stock from pecatonica. Im guessing i need to chisel the rounded bit at the end of the barrel channel square? Also, the barrel seems to be more exposed at the back end than at the muzzle. Most contemporary guns ive seen have half of the side flats exposed so I take it I screwed up inletting the barrel? I was only using inletting back on the bottom 3 flats and sanding the left and right walls of the stock that were stained black so the barrel can fit into the stock, I haven't worked on the fitting the bottom 3 flats \_/ yet.

 

[BruceHH]

Square up the back first or before you go even further. You have a straight barrel, so no damage has been done at this point. You probably do have more barrel showing at the rear because they lift the router up when it gets back there resulting in that area of the bottom flat(s) usually being a little higher. Once you get it squared and the barrel mating at the rear, then work all of your flats as you go. You can work on the sides a little as you have done in order to get the barrel into the stock - but don't overdo it. Based on your picture, it actually looks like you have a fairly good contact on the bottom flat for a good portion of the channel - you are not going to get much better no matter how much you try, but you do want it even (color/contact transfer) for the entire length. Once that is done - make sure your highest exposed area of the side of your side barrel flat is at least half way down into the inlet and that the rear end of the barrel is below the wood line at the back where you will inlet the tang. Then, if you have a portion of the wood on the sides that is too high up the barrel flat - you can measure and lay out a line with a long ruler and file that wood away making sure to keep a straight wood line down the entire length. I do recommend you draw file the barrel before you start inletting also. Hope this makes sense and can help you. Ask more questions if you would like and someone will help.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I recently built a rifle with a Pecatonica stock. It was like the one you picture. It takes some squaring up at the breach end and the sides do need to be lowered. They seem to make the barrel channel a little undersize and the rest of the stock a little oversize. Believe me, this is the way a precarved stock should be since it gives you some room to match the rest of the parts. I've worked with stocks that had too much wood removed in the wrong places and it was a real pain. Things have gotten a lot better with the advent of better machines. BruceHH gives some good advise.

 

[Dave Dworshak]

if this is your first build-take your time

 

[Phil Coffins]

As Bruce said draw file the barrel and I always sand to finish any part before inletting. If you inlet a part then finish it then it is smaller and doesn’t fit as nicely. Also a rough part is harder to inlet. The back end of the barrel channel should be squared up first to place the barrel back where it’s going to be anyhow.
Someday if you do a swamped or tapered barrel this will really matter!

 

[1BadDart]

I recently built a rifle with a Pecatonica stock. It was like the one you picture. It takes some squaring up at the breach end and the sides do need to be lowered. They seem to make the barrel channel a little undersize and the rest of the stock a little oversize. Believe me, this is the way a precarved stock should be since it gives you some room to match the rest of the parts. I've worked with stocks that had too much wood removed in the wrong places and it was a real pain. Things have gotten a lot better with the advent of better machines. BruceHH gives some good advise.

My experience too.

I draw filed my barrel first, then squared up the breech area of the stock. The inletting at the breech end of the stock was really deep and put the drum/liner hole very deep in the lock plate so I used epoxy to fill the stock. Once the barrel was fitted, I used a 6" plane to cut the top down to get a uniform reveal along the side flats of the barrel.

 

[Trapper1993]

I got the back squared and the barrel is now flush with the wood. I might lower it a millimeter more since im going to be sanding the stock down for staining. I accidentally ended up with a small gap because i used a dremel too much.

 

[BruceHH]

A little more advice. Don't use a dremel tool in building these guns. I would only recommend sharp chisels or scrapers for inletting the barrel or any other part. You can still square that back up with a chisel. Put transfer color on the back of the barrel and push it (lightly tap it with a mallet) up against the wood and then slowly remove the wood that shows contact until you get complete contact.

 

[deerstalkert]

a dremel is a wonderful tool. but should be locked in a drawer when working on the stock. one can and will make ooopses with a chisel, but one can and WILL create disasters with a dremel.
follow Bruce's advice and you will have a very nice rifle.
and when he say's sharp he means SHARP.
the worst thing one can do when inletting is get impatient. i just finished a barrel that the first 6 inches from the breech is swamped octagon, then a wedding ring, then tapered round. has taken me 2 weeks. start getting hurried, i just put down everything and go do something else.
the joy of finishing quickly is soon erased by those glaring mistakes done by hurrying.

 

[Eric Krewson]

The next step is learning to glue shims in the gaps, they will never show, unfortunately I have had to become pretty good at it over my 5 builds so far.

Well, they do show a little if you look closely.

 

[1BadDart]

I used a Dremel to (very carefully) inlet the side plate on my rifle.

 

[Crow#21957]

Hey Eric I got good at the shims too.
OP that is looking nice. Like they said take your time. Think a move through 9 times then rethink it. Then slow down some more.
Nice work.