Stacker Shepherd Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Evening all, Having seen loads of threads and pages online of people restocking their shotgun I found myself some walnut and have set out to try fit it. I have never tried to do this before and am not an engineer of any variety by trade so please feel free to give me any pointers as I go if you think i could be doing something more efficiently. I had looked quite thoroughly for the restocking of an over under online but came up short, with restocking tutorials or guides almost exclusively involving SxS's. So the whole thing is going to be one long hard learning curve. I intend to change all the woodwork including the forend and will keep the thread updated as often as possible. A quick list of tools that I've got and used include all manner and grade of files, chisels and rasps. Power tools including drills, router, rotary multi-tools and sanders. Most of the tools are visible on the bench as I take the pictures and are not expensive examples as I'm northern and will probably have no use for them after im done. The gun that I will be stocking is a Sabatti Medallist. (please no comments on the gun I know its nothing special) This is the stock blank, obviously intended for use as a rifle stock and marked AAA on the side. I have no idea if this actually is a AAA grade but its nice enough and only cost me £40ish at auction. The stock once the forend has been removed from the stock. I'm quite pleased that the forend piece is oversized in length as my current forend feels a touch short. Action shape is going to be one of the hardest things to get right while inletting the head. I'm basically copying the head of the existing stock exactly apart from the overall width. It can be argued that I could have this machine inletted as a direct copy and just slot my action in and shape the rest of the stock to my own design but that sounds all too easy. Bit of a jump now from initial inletting to having most of the bulk inletting done and drilled the holes for the guide rods. Now ive got the action sitting flush against the head i will have to start shaping it which will close the gap between the end of the top tang and trigger group. This is where its starting to get tricky. Im having to simultaneously shape all aspects of the inletting in order to get the action seated all the way round and into the stock. there is a small screw head that protrudes by about 1.5 mm directly underneath the top tang and this is the reason there is a (wavy) channel running partial length of the action inlet. A couple of observations I have made while doing this is chisels are not very handy for shaping the inlet. The tools i have used far more than any other are the files and rasps. I have a couple of different sized half round rasps and these are really good at removing small amounts of wood without getting blocked like a lot of the finer files will. Anyone who has not worked with walnut before should know that it is incredibly hard and takes an awful lot of filing. Time taken so far approx 10 hours. I will upload some more pics in the next couple of days. Regards SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hi Great stuff good to see you having a go Didn't see your smokey candle I'm sure its there somewhere Great pictures thanks for sharing All the best Of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex C Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 I find stuff like this incredible. The fact that you have the patience to sit and shape a lump of wood into a stock is alien to me. I just wouldnt start, knowing that it would only take one slip to ruin so many hours of work. Plus i'm a bit ham fisted when it comes to delicate stuff !! I doff my cap to you and your skills sir. Keep the updates coming, really looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malmick Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Great start to a thread that I'll be following daily. Love this type of stuff. Looking like a winner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Shepherd Posted March 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Thanks for the comments, funnily enough im not using a flame through no reason other than with the amount of sawdust and dry wood in my shed id be paranoid about burning the place down, although very unlikely. I read quite a lot about inletting black and a few people had made their own using petroleum jelly etc. One post referred to an old gunmaker using lipstick and thats what i have gone for. Its pretty good as you can dab it on and spread it thinly and precisely on the areas you want it. This reminds me of another note that trying to mark anything on the walnut with a pencil is pointless as its really hard to see, any markings are best scribed on. regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBeaky Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Can't see any photos, unfortunately, but serious kudos for actually attempting the job in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 22, 2015 Report Share Posted March 22, 2015 Good luck with it , I look forward to seeing it progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Shepherd Posted March 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Can't see any photos, unfortunately, but serious kudos for actually attempting the job in the first place! I'm not sure why you can't see the photos? I think others can. can someone else please confirm whether the pics are visible. Good luck with it , I look forward to seeing it progress. Cheers fenboy I think luck will play a major part! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 These are some of my favourite threads, hats off to you for having the patience to give it a go. I have finished off stocks that had been inletted already, albeit roughly, I think that is the bit I would struggle with most. That wood looks good for the money too. And yes the pictures are there just fine, keep at it and keep the pictures coming please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBeaky Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 May just be my phone acting up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Good luck with that, I do not have the patience or skill to try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Shepherd Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 (edited) Here's a quick update with how the shaping is coming along. its incredibly slow going as i want the tolerance to be very small. You can see how this has closed the gap between the end of the top tang and stock. When the tang starts touching the stock I will have to start cutting it in at the same time as shaping the head. You can see the guides scribed on side. Edited to add: Both sides of the action look the same but are in fact subtly different, and so each radius has to be shaped individually. This will probably be the last update until the weekend as I'm off to Shropshire on Wednesday in order to shoot the Cheshire Shield on Thursday. I will take some photos and post them in the clay shooting section. Regards SS Edited March 24, 2015 by Stacker Shepherd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double10 Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 looks good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 worked with wood all my life 65 now just take it nice and steady you are doing a good job so far, don't rush it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shropshire_Lad Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Looking good, have a great trip to Shropshire and The West Midland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Shepherd Posted March 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 worked with wood all my life 65 now just take it nice and steady you are doing a good job so far, don't rush it. Thanks, I certainly won't be rushing it, spend too much time doing that at work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Looking good so far. All the more impressive if you don't have an engineering / wood carving background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Shepherd Posted April 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Evening , Sorry for the slow update i have been busy with work, the Mrs, shooting competitions and other excuses . Never the less here is a quick update! You can see the action is about 2-3mm from being seated all the way round and the top tang and trigger plate are similar distances away from home. It has been incredibly slow going and sometimes i have had to just put it to one side in order to return to it with a focuses mind. Once the gap is closed i will post again and then it will be time to drill the stock bolt tunnel . Im off to Purbeck tomorrow in order to shoot Thursday so may be a week or so before i update again. Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Shepherd Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Evening all, Finally, after what seems an eternity, I have got the action fitted to the stock. Hopefully you can see from the pics the fit is really close and im really pleased with it. I have started shaping the stock around the action but have yet to take pics of it. Any questions please feel free to ask. The technique I used for for shaping the curves was to hold a small round file like a pencil and push it back and forth using only a couple of the lines cut into it to gently scrape the surface. Sounds tedious... it was. Regards SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 keep going mate, looking forward to keeping up with this thread. all the best with it, lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossEM Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Fantastic thread, I used to have a 20g Medallist and regret selling it - the best mid-priced O/U by miles and don't let anyone tell you different! Also, you got a real bargain with that stock blank, the auction house I work for sells shotgun blanks regularly for £300+ Keep up the good work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Looking very tidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Great to see it coming together admire your patients Nice bit of wood 😋 All the best Of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay_Russell Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Fantastic, i really hope it ends perfectly for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonwolf444 Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Nicely done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.