Screw angle

[tallPercshooter]

I bought a very nice custom fullstock percussion rifle a couple years ago. Everything is excellent EXCEPT one thing which is bugging me - it has a long breechplug tang and the screw near the end - which threads into the end of the trigger plate - the head of the screw is cocked at an angle, and sticks up above the tang metal. Any way to fix this? Can't change the angle of the hole through the wrist. Maybe carefully try to countersink the tang metal on an angle so that the screw head seats flush? Tang hole is already countersunk, would have to enlarge that on an angle. Any other way to fix this?

 

[oldwood]

Get an appropriate length oval head screw . Oval head screws don't have to be perfectly aligned as do flat heads to look , ok. Countersinks can be fudged enough to perhaps look proper.

 

[flntlokr]

I would just grind the high side down to the right contour. I've seen more than one lop-sided tang screw. Once it is sin there, there's no reason to remove it again.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I bought a very nice custom fullstock percussion rifle a couple years ago. Everything is excellent EXCEPT one thing which is bugging me - it has a long breechplug tang and the screw near the end - which threads into the end of the trigger plate - the head of the screw is cocked at an angle, and sticks up above the tang metal. Any way to fix this? Can't change the angle of the hole through the wrist. Maybe carefully try to countersink the tang metal on an angle so that the screw head seats flush? Tang hole is already countersunk, would have to enlarge that on an angle. Any other way to fix this?

oldwood has a good suggestion.
Also: If the angle of the countersink and or depth can't be adjusted to look proper, then you might be able to modify another screw head to conform to the situation. We don't have a photo so can only guess at this point.
Larry

 

[waksupi]

Need a picture.

 

[2 shots]

a threaded insert under the tang at the proper angle?? kind of like the t/c woodscrew fix.

 

[billraby]

Hammer down the high side of the screw. That will form the bottom of the screw head to fit the countersink. Quite possible that it will close up the slot so you have to stop, take out the screw and recut the slot if that starts to happen. Miss that part and the screw will never come out again. Once you have screw set down into the countersink you need to remove it. Chances are that it will be tough to get out and you will likely mess up the slot. If so then fix up the slot. Then put the screw back in and file it flush with tang. Polish and its all done.

 

[tallPercshooter]

Should have said it IS an oval head screw. One lower side of the head touches the countersink, the other is cocked up so big gap between countersink and screwhead. The hole through stock is OK, just countersink was done at wrong angle. Will try to get a picture.

 

[Scota@4570]

I just had to deal with this. I indexed the screw slot and lined up the low side for depth. I then filed the screw flush with the tang. I then filed a fake relief on the filed off side to make it look like the screw fit properly. Shhhhhh. : )

Countersinks are not my way to make the recess for a screw. I make piloted cutters of the correct dimensions for that exact screw. I like to have a small 90* recess for the screw to fit into. A hardware store countersink will not do that. It looks bad to me.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

You can peen the side that is high, if that's the problem, and sort of custom fit the head to the hole with some filing and maybe recutting the slot. A picture would help. Scota above got it right.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Harbor Freight has jigs that can be used to ensure that drill bits enter the work at a perfect 90 degree angle. The problem with these jigs is they only come with a few "standard size drilling ports, or they're somewhat awkward and cumbersome to use.

Two of the holes that are fairly tricky to get lined up perfectly (or spotted / located correctly) are the tang bolt hole, (a common mistake is to position them too far aft, which results in the forward edge of the bolt head being proud to the tang) and the touch hole liner (or percussion drum). If they go in at anything other than a perfect 90 degree angle, there is going to be a slight gap on one side or the other, (or a proud edge of the bolt head) which is a place for either a gap under the percussion drum, an unsightly black line, and corrosion to start working its' deviltry.

It's really hard to position a barrel on the typical relatively small drill press table to get that perfect 90 degree angle with 3'+ of barrel hanging off to one side so the entry angle is perfect otherwise. Maybe some others have another technique that can help lessen the "pucker factor" in drilling these holes?

 

[Rob M.]

Wish you could tighten it up then file it flush but obviously you dont want to f%$# up the finish . Tighten it up , , arrange slot so you can put it back to same position each time , and the high spot mark with a marker ...take screw out and file that mark off ....return bolt and tighten it down , mark high spot, color it , and remove and file that off . Continue to do this until it is to your liking . The screw head you can dip.in cold bluing and it'll be good to go . Go slow , best of luck ....

 

[SDSmlf]

So a photograph is out of the question….

 

[Gtrubicon]

It’s a lot of trial and error, judicious filing and sanding will get yo where you want to be. Depending on thread pitch, I try to clock the screw first then a full turn out of position usually leaves enough room to file or sand to fit. I like using only 360 degree rotation of the screw to see where to work. A good vice to hold things steady is pertinent.