Hunting knives and related projects
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Today was to see the trigger guard fitted so the first thing was to mark in the lines from the screw lugs on the wrist onto the stock bottom and start the removal process. At first I used a loose fit nail to hold the t/g into the wrist lugs rather than thread the screw in all the time but after I get down a little I use a neater fitted pin. I cut the head off a heavy nail and with it in the drill press filed it down so it was a slide fit through the screw shank hole and then filed a shoulder and narrower dia so it would slip through in to the threaded end. Because the t/g is in and out very often this saves on the screw head slot (although on most of these older actions the screw slot has had 'some' abuse) The centre line for the front screw hole is marked in and as the t/g is smoked and fitted the centre line is a guide to keep it going in the right direction.
The depth over the receiver ring and t/g plate in the parent rifle is a guide for how deep to set the t/g
When the whole guard is into the wood the centre of the hole can be marked and drilled You can see the heavier nail that I filed in this pic as keeping things tight is starting to matter by this stage
This is when the things can be screwed together
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I don't like to see the brass riveted pin that is used to reinforce the rear of the forestock on the military action so I do a hidden reinforce to save any future cracking through this area. I keep a bag of 2 x 1/4 gutter bolts for this and a few holes drilled and cleaned out has it ready to go into service.
With the epoxy mixed and a good pinch of walnut dust in with it the channel is filled, the threaded shaft is tapped into place. The channel is just under thread dia so the threads actually cut into the wood to aid in the hold with the epoxy. A good smear is left over the whole face, the action wrist given a coat of Vaseline as mould release and it can be put together to set.
So that is it for today with the next steps being the mag well and the butt plate.
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With a good score line marked in from the top and bottom using the action and t/g as guides the mag well can be opened up from the undersized holes that were drilled in at the start of the inlet. I have found that files or rasps are the best tool for this job and the fine side of a horseshoe rasp has been one of the better tools for this and other shaping duties I have found. The rat tail and the clean cutting of the 1/2 round are also essential. The corners of the recess are finer than the rat tail file and a chainsaw file neatens them up nicely.
The swivel vice is a very handy aid in getting the best angle both for the work and the light
After the mag will slip in without the action or t/g in place it can be refined to slip in with the metalwork in place.
Tick another item off the list
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The next thing on the list is the butt plate but first it has to have the sand casting connection ground off.
To put some cast into the stock a line is marked on to right of center but the bolt hole needs to be kept in mind as too much cast may cause the shaping to break through into the counter bore for the bolt head so a cautious cast is all that can be done
The same line is carried over onto the tip of the butt for a short distance so the beak of the butt plate can be placed on it with the bottom screw hole lined up with the scribed line and the start of the fitting can commence
It really is a two part fitting process as the beak needs to be inlet first and then the plate smoked into the curve.
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I run the sides of the butt over the planer for a short distance at this stage and hollow the inside of the plate area so the file to fit dosent have as much material to contend with but eventually it gets close enough to call it done.
To finish out the day I flattened off the grip cap area, cut the brass dowels and glued the grip cap into position.
With all the bits fitted into and onto the blank, the next step will be to start getting some of the square rounded off. This is where feel come into play.
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Be clamping a block on the planer bed I can set the part I don't want touched on the front bed and stop it from being kicked backward as the blade bite.
The butt can be turned end for end as I lower the rear bed by a 1/16 at a time and plane through to the cap area, stop and go in from the other end. It takes quite a few passes but it saves any tearing of the wood as some of the cuts are against the flow of the grain
So with it at this stage it is time to get serious with rasps, hand planes and finer files before the sandpaper comes into play
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First move is to smooth the lines in from the socket to the grip cap and flatten it a little over that area, then I can draw in the rear of the grip. This is possibly the most demanding area and many simplify it by simply rounding everything off but I prefer to have it as distinct and sharp lines. It makes the grip and butt area look like two different parts that have been made one (or at least I like to think it does.)
A round sharp toothed rasp is used to mark in the line and define where things will be shaped from
Then between a hand plane (and I use the rebate plane so the blade comes right to the edge) various half round, flat and the horse shoe rasp I get the general shape into the butt
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A good jib sanding block (dry wall or sheetrock for some of you) with 80 grit emery paper on it helps to keep lines straight and works to round off at the same time
Some time later it is sanded to 100 grit and with my neck telling me I have bent over thi enough for the day I can put it aside now and next up is the forestock to get both parts up to the same place in the process.
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With a day off for the Queen yesterday (Bless Her) I was back playing in the shed today and had a look at the forestock
It was easy to see that there was a bit to come off the parallel for a start so a goo mark around the socket gave me a guide to plane to
With it down to the socket marking (plus a bit) I could mark in the shaping lines
To mark these lines I have a piece of wood that is 1/4 thick and about 3inches in from the end I have a mark and it tapers from there to .1 inch at the end. I have placed white tape along the top side so it is easier to see (for you lot) The mark across the guide is placed right on the front of the receiver, with the other end right on the edge of the barrel channel. A mark outside the guide will become the forestock gross cut line
And outside the guide it is easy to see what needs removed.
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So with these bits cut off it is time to get some round onto the square
I find it easier to have the forstock attached to the B/A for this part as it gives me something to hold onto in the vise
Again a plane starts the process and them the horseshoe rasp gets things to a rough round
This is where having it attached to the B/A comes into its own as with a rest under the rear of the action a length of 60 grit emery strap is used shoe shine fashion until the marker down the centre is gone. That way I know I have a nice even round start to the underside.
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Turning it on its side it is clear that there is considerable flat so that is rasped into a gradual meeting with the round bottom
Then with it right side up The gradual round over in toward the barrel channel can be started and in the case of having the sight island in the way, each end is done and then with the B/A out of the way it can be reconciled through the centre.
I keep a few wedges so I have a good clamping parallel for doing the work on the forestock when it is off the B/A. The cutoff's from a previous stock stay in the drawer for this.
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The mag cutoff is next for some attention and with the b/a held loosely into the forestock it is easy to see where some changes are needed.
I did file off the staples on the trigger guard so I could slightly radius the edges and on the magazine as it serves no purpose now.
So with everything down to a 100 grit finish it is starting to look like a rifle
With everything fitted that needs fitted, the light clearance for the dust cover is filed in and it is time to look at the ebony tip and while there are two general styles that are seen on the Lee Speed, I like the style I usually do as it makes for a much nicer feel when the leading hand is held long with the fingers wrapped over the tip.
That is the end of the simple inlet and shape and now it comes down to finish shaping and there will be many (many many) times that it will be raised to the shoulder for an immediate "feel" of an individual part of the woodwork to see how it is in comparison to what I think it should be. There will lots of minor sliming done over the next few days but there is nothing worth showing in that process and in all reality a picture can not show the difference that a few file strokes may make as the feel is refined. The Lee Speed is a very fast handling rifle and there should be no wood where it is not needed.Last edited by Von Gruff; 02-03-2017, 03:10 AM.
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So the sanding and grain raising is all done and this morning saw the start of the oil/alkanet go on. I flood the surface and leave it for a 1/2 hour before wiping it off briskly with a cloth. (generally an old cotton t shirt).Then leave ity for an hour before repaeating. I will do this for three coats then let it dry for 24 hrs before the next phase starts.
I am about at the place where I can call the wood work about done so here is a pic of the starting point from these two main components and adding a little along the way.
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