Boyd's Featherweight Thumbhole-Bedding Job
Aug 28, 2010 19:42:57 GMT -5
Post by boarhog on Aug 28, 2010 19:42:57 GMT -5
About a month ago, I got an email flyer from Boyd’s Gunstocks, that listed their FW Thumbhole stock @ $78.00, finished. I thought that was a pretty fantastic price, and since I wanted a TH stock for the 50 Savage ML10-2 I got from jhm, I ordered one. The total, including shipping, was a little over $91.00.
I was very pleased with the looks and feel of the stock, but realized that it didn’t have any pillars installed, and would take quite a bit of work to finish. I had a few pillars I had gotten from Rossman40, but did not have one to use for the screw that goes through the front of the trigger guard. I contacted Rossman40, and he shipped me a Care Package of a couple of sets of pillars.
In the meantime, I pestered Richard and Rossman40 with questions about how to go about the job, and what tools I needed. Richard directed me to his post on bedding, and Rossman sent instructions, suggestions, and pics. These two guys are a treasure trove of knowledge and experience, and the best part is, they are happy to share the wealth. At the same time, I was ordering any tools and supplies that I didn’t already have.
The trickiest part of this entire job, was drilling the third pillar hole through the stock and action. I started with a small cobalt drill bit, lined up the stock with the barreled action screwed into it, and dotted the action bottom just enough to mark the spot. I then removed the metal from the wood, checked the mark to make sure it was lined up with the other two holes, then used a punch to make a good dimple for the drill to start in. Everything looked aligned, so I switched to a #3 Cobalt drill bit to drill on through the action bottom, and put the metal back into the stock so the hole through the wood could act as a guide. Naturally, when I started to tap to fit the ¼ - 28 screws, I realized that the hole was about a half a hole off center!! I don’t know how it happened. I didn’t put much pressure on the bit, until I felt it start a good hole, and all seemed aligned. The bit must have walked some before it started cutting metal. The stock hole was straight, but wouldn’t line up with the screw hole. Now what???!!!
I considered taking the mess to a good welder friend, to see if he could fill the hole with something, but decided to try using a piece of cutoff stainless button head screw to fill the hole, and try to re-drill a better aligned hole. If that didn’t work, I would try the welding. Again Rossman came to the rescue with advice to use my “manly man” center punch, to get a really good spot to start drilling, and I used my Makita cordless carefully, until I got a good hole started. I was surprised that the bit didn’t follow the hole already drilled, but the stainless screw must have been just about as tough as the savage action steel. I then used a Forstner bit to open up the holes in the stock to the size needed to fit the pillar mushroom head. The shake, slop, and wobble of my drill press chuck resulted in oblong holes as you can see from the pix posted, but from there, it was just a matter of setting the pillars with Devcon Plastic Steel one at a time. Then I used my Dremel tool to hog out some of the wood around the pillars, so that the bedding compound would end up being approximately 1/8” thick, then dobbed a generous slathering of the Devcon into the stock, and screwed the action in place.
I was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs all night, worrying if I had permanently bonded the action to the stock, but it popped right out when I hit the barrel with the heel of my hand while holding the stock with the other. I had quite a bit of work to do to get everything to work again. Put the Accu-trigger back on, and chiseled out any bedding compound that happened to get where it shouldn’t be. I still have to fit the Limbsaver recoil pad, and touch up the stock finish a bit, but I think the bedding will work OK.
This isn’t the prettiest job I’ve ever seen, and it’s a good thing I’m not charging someone to do it! Guess I’ll see how things go when I get a chance to shoot a bit. One thing is certain! Whatever Richard, or Rossman 40, charges to do a bedding job like this, is a real bargain!
Boarhog
I was very pleased with the looks and feel of the stock, but realized that it didn’t have any pillars installed, and would take quite a bit of work to finish. I had a few pillars I had gotten from Rossman40, but did not have one to use for the screw that goes through the front of the trigger guard. I contacted Rossman40, and he shipped me a Care Package of a couple of sets of pillars.
In the meantime, I pestered Richard and Rossman40 with questions about how to go about the job, and what tools I needed. Richard directed me to his post on bedding, and Rossman sent instructions, suggestions, and pics. These two guys are a treasure trove of knowledge and experience, and the best part is, they are happy to share the wealth. At the same time, I was ordering any tools and supplies that I didn’t already have.
The trickiest part of this entire job, was drilling the third pillar hole through the stock and action. I started with a small cobalt drill bit, lined up the stock with the barreled action screwed into it, and dotted the action bottom just enough to mark the spot. I then removed the metal from the wood, checked the mark to make sure it was lined up with the other two holes, then used a punch to make a good dimple for the drill to start in. Everything looked aligned, so I switched to a #3 Cobalt drill bit to drill on through the action bottom, and put the metal back into the stock so the hole through the wood could act as a guide. Naturally, when I started to tap to fit the ¼ - 28 screws, I realized that the hole was about a half a hole off center!! I don’t know how it happened. I didn’t put much pressure on the bit, until I felt it start a good hole, and all seemed aligned. The bit must have walked some before it started cutting metal. The stock hole was straight, but wouldn’t line up with the screw hole. Now what???!!!
I considered taking the mess to a good welder friend, to see if he could fill the hole with something, but decided to try using a piece of cutoff stainless button head screw to fill the hole, and try to re-drill a better aligned hole. If that didn’t work, I would try the welding. Again Rossman came to the rescue with advice to use my “manly man” center punch, to get a really good spot to start drilling, and I used my Makita cordless carefully, until I got a good hole started. I was surprised that the bit didn’t follow the hole already drilled, but the stainless screw must have been just about as tough as the savage action steel. I then used a Forstner bit to open up the holes in the stock to the size needed to fit the pillar mushroom head. The shake, slop, and wobble of my drill press chuck resulted in oblong holes as you can see from the pix posted, but from there, it was just a matter of setting the pillars with Devcon Plastic Steel one at a time. Then I used my Dremel tool to hog out some of the wood around the pillars, so that the bedding compound would end up being approximately 1/8” thick, then dobbed a generous slathering of the Devcon into the stock, and screwed the action in place.
I was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs all night, worrying if I had permanently bonded the action to the stock, but it popped right out when I hit the barrel with the heel of my hand while holding the stock with the other. I had quite a bit of work to do to get everything to work again. Put the Accu-trigger back on, and chiseled out any bedding compound that happened to get where it shouldn’t be. I still have to fit the Limbsaver recoil pad, and touch up the stock finish a bit, but I think the bedding will work OK.
This isn’t the prettiest job I’ve ever seen, and it’s a good thing I’m not charging someone to do it! Guess I’ll see how things go when I get a chance to shoot a bit. One thing is certain! Whatever Richard, or Rossman 40, charges to do a bedding job like this, is a real bargain!
Boarhog
?
I'm trying to figure out what you mean by taking the "metal out?" Is that the action? I think where you went astray, was in the initial drilling. You should have drilled that #3 drill in one shot........thru the wood and thru the action. That would assure all holes being lined up. Now open the hole up in the wood to the outside diameter of the tap. (otherwise you have to tap the wood also 
