200371 “Slim”

[vaturkey]

You have more talent then my and I think its a long hard process to do what you've done.

[Fox20obsessed]

Frank, John, and Tom thanks for the comments. I appreciate it a lot.

[Fox20obsessed]

Jeff,
I pulled out pretty much everything I use when inletting a fox buttstock from a semi-inletted to fitted/headed up. Things I didn’t include are drills and bits, and then some acraglas just to get everything as snug as possible. I try to get the wood fitted as tightly as possible though as it is extremely important. I use the yankee caliper for determining distance between the tangs at the rear tang screw “shelf”. I’m sure some of you will get a good chuckle out of my caliper. I haven’t bought a dial or digital caliper yet because as I hand fit these things up I get em real tight by clocking the rear tang screw and just taking off the tiniest bit of wood with each scraping until the screw indexes correctly and it is SNUG. Any questions, let me know. Also...anyone that has any inletting ideas and or suggestions please do post them...I’m always trying to re-invent the wheel. Will be continuing on that floor plate shortly and will post pics as it find’s it’s way home through the prussian blue.
-Matt

[vaturkey]

I used a Dremel tool about 30 years ago on a Fajen semi-inlet rifle stock. Found out that little bugger can be sum bitch to control.

[Fox20obsessed]

Tom, I agree with your comment...the dremel brand rotary tools have a lot of power and can get away from you real quick and turn a buttstock into firewood with the bat of an eye. That cheapo one I use all the time is pretty weak and that’s one of the reasons I like it as it makes it a little “safer”. I always brace my hand and have the work piece steady before using it.
Tonite I had enough time and energy to finish inletting the trigger plate and also get all three action screws fitted. Pretty pleased with the outcome. I will attach pics below showing the inletting process at the stock wedge interface and also the project as it sits now. Next up will be the trigger gaurd. I inlet the trigger guard just like how Larry Potterfield shows on the midway USA gunsmithing videos on youtube. During the “roughing in” of the trigger guard I scribe around it and then switch from the diamond bit to the dremel 194 bit to speed up the process. The first trigger guard I did with much trepidation, but since the guard is filed with a draft on it’s side the job ends up being relatively simple. Hardest spots on the guard are the very tip at the end and also maintaining profile where the rear of the bow meets up with the pistol grip. Inletting black helps seat the guard flat and flush at the end so it stays tight. Stay Tuned...and thanks for looking.
-Matt

[Fox20obsessed]

Ok so the inletting pics above are in reverse order: bottom pic is first try, second to last pic is after prussian blue marked wood is scraped out, and the third pic up from the bottom is as the trigger plate gets closer to being “home”.
Pics below are a close up of the NOS escutcheon I fitted in to the forend and then where I decided to stop tonight...still waiting to get the barrels back from my local gunsmith. After the trigger guard is fitted and I get the barrels back I will also show on here how to fit a forend to the underside of the barrels. Floor plate screw indexes straight, but I didn’t want to snug it all the way until the gun goes back together after finish.
-Matt

PS: almost forgot to mention that I damn near fell off the chair when I snugged the rear tang screw and it indexed perfectly the first try. The top tang screw under the lever required the tiniest bit of wood removed under the trigger plate wedge to get it indexed properly.

[hihaven]

Matt, That is some nice work! Thanks for the picture of your inletting tools I got a woodcarving set, screwdriver set and .120 thousands brass pin punch from brownells. I need to pick up some files yet maybe lowes or harbor freight. I was able to shoot 100 rounds of sporting clays this afternoon with the 20 ga. sterly everything functioned well nice primer strikes on the shells, now I can get on with the project. Thanks! Jeff

[Fox20obsessed]

Jeff,
Thanks for the kind words. Glad to hear that your 20 gauge Sterly performed flawlessly! I would love to see some pics of the project as it progresses.
-Matt

[jolly bill]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for taking the time to explain how you do things and all your pictures showing your progress.

I have never, and I don't want to start, restocking any gun let alone all the detail required in doing a side by side.

It's obviously an awful lot of work and always that possible "aw s - - t" along the way.

Congrats to you and others who do it so well.

The extent of my wood work is putting a tree on the ground, cutting it up, splitting it and chuck it in the wood stove when it's dry. I burn my mistakes.

Good for you and the other craftsmen who can do it.

Jolly

[Fox20obsessed]

Bill,
Thanks again for the compliments and taking the time to view the progress on 200371...I think the scariest moment for me during a restock is the initial tightening of the action screws. There is always some creaking if your inletting is tight and I’m always worried that something is going to just go pop. No surprises so far during this project, but will be keeping fingers and toes crossed. The tool chatter marks along the lower tang were there when I got the duplicated stock back from my smith, but now that the frame’s fitted up I can see that the trigger guard will seat below the level of the deeper of the two gouges and will clean up/disappear during the stock shaping process. I think things are looking decent, for an amateur that is.
-Matt

[vaturkey]

Bill,
Thanks again for the compliments and taking the time to view the progress on 200371...I think the scariest moment for me during a restock is the initial tightening of the action screws. There is always some creaking if your inletting is tight and I’m always worried that something is going to just go pop. No surprises so far during this project, but will be keeping fingers and toes crossed. The tool chatter marks along the lower tang were there when I got the duplicated stock back from my smith, but now that the frame’s fitted up I can see that the trigger guard will seat below the level of the deeper of the two gouges and will clean up/disappear during the stock shaping process. I think things are looking decent, for an amateur that is.
-Matt

Curious on the final shaping (because I know zero about this stuff). Do you cover up the action with painters tape and then secure the action to the stock and then rasp the wood to give it the shape you want around the inletting, and then work your way backwards?

[Fox20obsessed]

Tom,
I do all of my shaping with the action and stock put together. I don’t use much tape until I get real close and then pretty much only on the side panels. With the action clamped in a padded vise and a rest of some sort under the butt I usually start with the side panels. Take them down however you prefer and parallel with the sides of the frame. Next I take the top and bottom tangs down around the inletting but mostly with a sharp chisel, a rasp tears the wood fibers whereas a sharp chisel cuts them away and leaves for an easier surface to clean up and finish. Gotta watch grain flow when using the chisel here and make sure it is razor sharp. After these areas come down a good bit I bust out the ol’ yankee caliper and take the wrist down to factory thickness using a round file, and then sandpaper in progressively finer grades. After that comes the grip and that is done with a combo of all the aforementioned tools and a pencil comes in handy on a round knob to get it just right. Then the nose of the comb and flutes... So basically as you said Tom, start up front around the action and work your way back. A good padded vise and solid rest for the butt really come in handy. I just picked up a cheap contour gauge to ensure I get every aspect of this stock as close to factory as possible.
One must be sure to put the barrels back on the frame and determine the drop. I will probably cut this stock in my dewalt chop saw with a 90 tooth blade before taking the side panels down and make sure the blade stops before lifting the saw back up so as not to drag on the way back up...I’ve found this leaves a really nice and flat butt to mount your buttplate. This one will have the same pitch, drops, and LOP as the factory stock so that takes a lot of the guesswork out of this project. Straight edges and block sanding help keep everything straight when contouring the butt.

Stopped by my gunsmiths shop today and picked up the barrels....WOW what a nice job he did on the chokes. Gun is now choked IC/M...starting to get pretty excited.

Thanks,
Matt


*There are a ton of different ways to go about this. This is just how I do it, but also how I have watched several gunsmiths do it firsthand. I learned early on in this stuff that in order to learn anything of value I had to hang out with the older guys...I mean that in the most respectful way possible. At the shop today, my two gunsmiths are in their seventies and I am in my thirties, the three of us talked about everything from foxes to parkers to high grade walnut to ruger No 1’s for almost 4 hours and could have continued into the evening...It was a great day.

[snakeeater]

Thanks Bill! You must be the only one who approves of my work...over 100 views and just one comment. Leaves me scratching my head as to whether or not it’s even worth my time to take pics, download them here, and do the write-ups.
I won’t waste anyones time with future posts or pictures. Sorry to inconvenience some of you by posting a few things that I thought worthy of sharing. Apparently I was wrong.
-Matt

Matt, Please don't stop posting, I enjoy looking at others work. I don't reply or post much because I don't like typing on this machine. other folks feel the same I am sure. Love your work,keep it coming. Fritz.

[snakeeater]

Thanks Bill! You must be the only one who approves of my work...over 100 views and just one comment. Leaves me scratching my head as to whether or not it’s even worth my time to take pics, download them here, and do the write-ups.
I won’t waste anyones time with future posts or pictures. Sorry to inconvenience some of you by posting a few things that I thought worthy of sharing. Apparently I was wrong.
-Matt

Matt, believe me I understand how hard it is not to get discouraged when comparing number of views with number of comments, but I don't believe that's a good indicator of interest in whatever you might post. That seems to be the norm here, perhaps much more so than on other vintage maker shotgun sites. One aspect is the oft-heard comment that "I'm here to learn" and that often leads to reading and rarely writing even a simple thank you. Sure, the education is great for the students but not for the teachers who expect to get at least a few kudos to acknowledge their time and effort to post, and of course that can lead to doing lesser and lesser posts or even to go away. Those of us who've been here for a long time can think of many who used to post good stuff often but are no longer here. Then you have the collectors who seem to be in the vast majority. Nothing at all wrong with that, we all have our interests, but those who expect to get applause on their work on customizing or even restoring a Fox will often be disappointed. On the other hand someone who posts his/her latest find on a high condition all original rare Fox will usually be overloaded with thumbs up replies. IMO other vintage shotgun focused sites have attracted a better mix of collectors/shooters/technicians than we have here. I have my opinions why that was/is but I keep them to conversations with member friends.

I too have written on this subject several times mostly on our private Members Forum where presumably, the more serious members are to be found. But that's been largely a waste of time, very little change to my perspectives as I shared here. Bottom line, this proverb comes to mind ….. if the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain (to be happy when posting on this forum).

frank

Very true, well said.Fritz

[Fox20obsessed]

Had some free time tonight and got the trigger guard fitted to 200371...I’m pleased that two small tool chatter marks are above the metal after the guard seated fully...those will disappear. The small gap(s) at the point of the guard will disappear too. That point at the end of the guard is probably my least favorite part of this restock, but I always tend to have trouble with that spot. I first screw the guard into the trigger plate and then find where I want it set into the wood...I like to push the guard forward toward the frame as I do this...after the guard is seated and has the screw in I like to leave it ever so slightly “sprung” as I feel it ends up being a tighter fit. After the whole shebang is glassed not too much is moving anyway, but every little bit helps. Ok so once the guard is where you want it use a scribe to mark the wood around the guard. If you look carefully you can see this in the second pic. Next I get out my cheapo rotary with a dremel 194 bit and just go to town taking all of the wood out inside of the scribed line close to where you think the guard will seat. Sharp chisels, the rotary, and some inletting black are all that I use to sink the guard.
Once the guard is home I like to put the screw into the guard and set it next to the wrist so you can get an idea of exactly what angle the guard screw needs to go into the wood. Do not skip this step and just drill a hole or you will be sorry because if the screw is off even the littlest bit sharp edges and burrs will be there in your grip...not cool. I actually had to kind of realign the screw on this gun because after I snugged it up at first I wasn’t pleased with it, but it’s an easy fix.
So that’s the guard. Done just like Larry Potterfield does it in his midway usa video...I like his technique for this one.
Next will be fitting the forend to the underside of the barrels and then the inletting will be done (thank goodness).
Thanks for looking.
-Matt