I've sort of inherited a nice kit, it has a Haines style maple stock from TotW, along with a .50cal swamped barrel. So here's the issue, it's the highest grade stock but the previous owner got a little aggressive with fitting the barrel. He recognized the problem before he got too far and quit working on it. It sat for a long time, and now it has wound up in my hands. If it were an average grade stock, I would ditch it and buy another. Since it is an M4, I'm inclined to try to save it. I have an idea of how to approach this, but wanted to get some other opinions before I start. What do you think?
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Rescue a stock.
- Thread starter mbseto
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First of all "Welcome" to the forum!
Your description needs to be more informative. Will you be able to cover up the mistake? If it is going to be a cosmetic error when finished, you need to decide if that is a gun you can live with. If you have a beautiful piece of wood, but end up with a rifle that looks like it was tooled with a chainsaw it is not worth messing with in my opinion
Give us some more information
Flintlocklar :wink:
Your description needs to be more informative. Will you be able to cover up the mistake? If it is going to be a cosmetic error when finished, you need to decide if that is a gun you can live with. If you have a beautiful piece of wood, but end up with a rifle that looks like it was tooled with a chainsaw it is not worth messing with in my opinion
Give us some more information
Flintlocklar :wink:
We need pictures of the problem area.
It is possible that the stock can be saved, but we have to see what has to be dealt with.
It is possible that the stock can be saved, but we have to see what has to be dealt with.
The problem is pretty straightforward, I'll describe it and if pics are still needed, I'll post pics.
The channel was carved too wide by about 1/32" on each side. Not for the entire length, but I think once you've gotten too wide at one point it's a done deal.
The channel was carved too wide by about 1/32" on each side. Not for the entire length, but I think once you've gotten too wide at one point it's a done deal.
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welcome to the forum ... there are many wise folks here (not me - I am well known as a curmudgeon, but not a wise curmudgeon) ... the forum is a great source of information and support in all areas regarding muzzle loading guns.
Grenadier1758 is right ... we need photos ... from what you describe, I dense a bedding solution, but that's a guess at this point.
Grenadier1758 is right ... we need photos ... from what you describe, I dense a bedding solution, but that's a guess at this point.
Probably an over simplification but you could fix that by glass bedding, staining the epoxy to match your final stock color. It's not going to be noticeable if it's only 1/32" without looking close.
Stophel
75 Cal.
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Don't "glass bed" it. Cut long, thin strips of wood, and fit and glue them in place (not with epoxy) to fill the gaps. You may even be able to use the barrel itself to clamp the strips tightly into place. If not, just clamp them on with lots of little clamps and re-inlet the barrel when dry. :wink:
rich pierce
70 Cal.
If still square on the fore end, for 1/32 I would be tempted to soak the wood, hit it with the heat gun, and clamp it till the gap closes.
I agree with Rich. I have heat corrected more bow wood than I can remember so I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
I have posted this before; I sent a stock blank off to be profiled, the barrel was misplaced and it came back to me less the barrel and a 30 degree dogleg in the forestock.
When the barrel was returned I heated it too almost to hot to touch, heated the forestock with a heat gun to about the same temp as the barrel and put the barrel in the inlet. I used zip ties to hold the barrel and stock together, hit everything a little more with a heat gun and let everything cool off. When everything was cool I pulled the barrel and the dogleg was gone.
In your case if I used the above technique I would do as Rich suggests and wet the inlet with a wash cloth, then wrap the barrel and forestock with a tight wrap of some kind of strap webbing to get complete pressure on both sides of the inlet.
I have posted this before; I sent a stock blank off to be profiled, the barrel was misplaced and it came back to me less the barrel and a 30 degree dogleg in the forestock.
When the barrel was returned I heated it too almost to hot to touch, heated the forestock with a heat gun to about the same temp as the barrel and put the barrel in the inlet. I used zip ties to hold the barrel and stock together, hit everything a little more with a heat gun and let everything cool off. When everything was cool I pulled the barrel and the dogleg was gone.
In your case if I used the above technique I would do as Rich suggests and wet the inlet with a wash cloth, then wrap the barrel and forestock with a tight wrap of some kind of strap webbing to get complete pressure on both sides of the inlet.
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don't you have a problem with springback? sounds like a useful solution, but for that potential pitfall...
hmmm
hmmm
Thanks for the welcome and the suggestions. I was considering gluing in the strips of wood and refitting, and was hoping someone would endorse this as an acceptable technique. Didn't even think of steam bending the wood around the barrel. Those are both similar to guitar repair techniques, which is where I am pretty comfortable already.
No springback, I just moved the stock wood back where it wanted to be.
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thank you, sir. I'll have to remember that trick.
:bow: :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
:bow: :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
Col. Batguano
75 Cal.
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Do you wax up the barrel, or wrap it in thin plastic to help prevent rust during the process?
I have a slight gap between my barrel and bottom of the MC I want to close up as well. I've put some strips of tape under there (forming a bit of a wedge) and then dry clamped it, but after a couple of days it seems to spring back.
I have a slight gap between my barrel and bottom of the MC I want to close up as well. I've put some strips of tape under there (forming a bit of a wedge) and then dry clamped it, but after a couple of days it seems to spring back.
This is a short process, just a few hours, I didn't have any rust.
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There is 1/32 to much wood removed on each side of that portion of the barrel, if I got this right and your saying to heat bend the wood radially to fill the gap on either side? Huh, might work, if it doesn't crack, never tried it before.
I like that notion!
When shot gun stocks are "steamed" for cast off/on and toe in/out they are wrapped with rags, soaked with linseed oil and given the heat gun treatment while in a jig that applies pressure and let cool.
They usually take the form pressure and stay bent. The heated linseed oil absorbed by the walnut makes the wood fibers flexible so the stock does not crack under the jig forming load.
I don't know how well this works with maple or cherry but good dense walnut takes the bend very well. I'm told American black walnut is one of the worst to heat bend but English, French and Circassion walnut takes heat bending like a dream.
I like that notion!
When shot gun stocks are "steamed" for cast off/on and toe in/out they are wrapped with rags, soaked with linseed oil and given the heat gun treatment while in a jig that applies pressure and let cool.
They usually take the form pressure and stay bent. The heated linseed oil absorbed by the walnut makes the wood fibers flexible so the stock does not crack under the jig forming load.
I don't know how well this works with maple or cherry but good dense walnut takes the bend very well. I'm told American black walnut is one of the worst to heat bend but English, French and Circassion walnut takes heat bending like a dream.
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I don't care for the water soak as the wood should have an even moisture content through out to resist latent cracking and warping which is what the heated linseed oil in stock bending avoids.
The stock won't endure much radial movement as the grain run is length wise and cracking is a real possibility initially or long term.
Glass bedding is a good idea for any stock no matter what as it is both water and oil proofing and strengthening to any wood fiber. If done correctly it will blend very well and be almost impossible to see unless the barrel is removed.
The stock won't endure much radial movement as the grain run is length wise and cracking is a real possibility initially or long term.
Glass bedding is a good idea for any stock no matter what as it is both water and oil proofing and strengthening to any wood fiber. If done correctly it will blend very well and be almost impossible to see unless the barrel is removed.
eggwelder
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mine is glass bedded, not because of gaps, but for added strength as the long foreshock was 44 inches of floppy when the barrel is taken out.
i did make a few errors, but as the stock is straight grained dark walnut these were quite easy to hide with judiciously and scrupulously fitted patches
i did make a few errors, but as the stock is straight grained dark walnut these were quite easy to hide with judiciously and scrupulously fitted patches
I find the "usually" qualification interesting. :hmm:
But, if it does bend, stay out of the rain. Wood likes to go back to it's natural state when wetted. Non-gunsmith here, recommends using the fill method with small strips of wood. Or get clever and artistic and use something like silver.
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