Budget build Sterlingworth 16

[Fox20obsessed]

Hey guys, been posting about this in other threads and wanted to kind of start a thread just on the whole build now. First post is just a few pics of where the project is right now. My bandsaw is not up and running right now so I had to use a handsaw to take the bottom of the stock and pistol grip off and get it close to where it needs to be. I used 3 different factory sterlingworth take-off stocks to get the proper angle on the underside of the stock and also the angle and location of the grip cap. I know it looks a tad rough, but it will finish out just fine. Also wanted to include a pic of the sweet grip cap I got for this project. All of the inletting is done on this and now just shaping things up so to say. I’ll continue to post as this moves forward and also do a whole wrap-up when it finishes up. Also, note the pencil line left on the front of the pistol grip...that is roughly where the grip will end up after I profile the wood down to the trigger guard and get the grip cap situated.
Thanks,
Matt

[Jeff S]

Looks like one heck of a project. Can't wait to see the progress.

[ROMAC]

Great work. I always enjoy seeing how talented a lot of our members are.

Me, not so much! LOL!

[vaturkey]

Very nice. The only talent I have is writing checks to people who have talent.

[Fox20obsessed]

Thanks for the comments on this build gentlemen. I greatly appreciate the kind words and feedback. I think the hardest obstacle that I have had to overcome in gunsmithing is the constant internal battle with my own impatience. I’m not the most patient man so it is a constant thing within my own mind. Unlike working on cars, in gunsmithing I feel a much greater need to plan out in my mind what I need to accomplish and how I will achieve that goal before ever touching a tool to wood or metal. After I posted the pics last night I block sanded the bottom of the buttstock back down into shape and also “flushed up” the underside of the pistol grip in preparation for fitting the new cap. More pics and blabbering from this hobbyist level tinkerer to follow. Thanks again for looking!
-Matt

[Brian Dudley]

Close studying of original guns and getting the lines correct is the most important thing. Custom work is custom work, but restorative work is a whole different ball of wax.

[Fox20obsessed]

Brian,
I agree 100 percent with your previous post. In years past when restocking I did not have many factory buttstock samples to work off of and it was always a guessing game....I could never get the lines quite right. Now I have several examples of factory stocks with split webs etc. and it makes it that much easier to mimic factory work and make things “foxy”. I recently picked up a contour gauge to try and get every little thing exact, but find it takes way too much time and effort to use. Now I’m just going by feel and using the factory examples as a model to work from. On this particular gun I will be leaving the stock cheeks/side panels smooth and understated as seen on factory sterlingworths while in the past it has always been my tendency to shape those buggers and add elegance, but it simply doesn’t look right on the sterlys IMO. I’ve about got the forend for this thing wrapped up now and slowly working on the buttstock. If I get back to it this evening I will try and post some pics as I seat the grip cap all the way and start shaping around the pistol grip. Thanks for looking!
-Matt

[vaturkey]

Matt, curious, where did you find that grip cap?

[Brian Dudley]

Brian,
I agree 100 percent with your previous post. In years past when restocking I did not have many factory buttstock samples to work off of and it was always a guessing game....I could never get the lines quite right. Now I have several examples of factory stocks with split webs etc. and it makes it that much easier to mimic factory work and make things “foxy”. I recently picked up a contour gauge to try and get every little thing exact, but find it takes way too much time and effort to use. Now I’m just going by feel and using the factory examples as a model to work from. On this particular gun I will be leaving the stock cheeks/side panels smooth and understated as seen on factory sterlingworths while in the past it has always been my tendency to shape those buggers and add elegance, but it simply doesn’t look right on the sterlys IMO. I’ve about got the forend for this thing wrapped up now and slowly working on the buttstock. If I get back to it this evening I will try and post some pics as I seat the grip cap all the way and start shaping around the pistol grip. Thanks for looking!
-Matt

That is a mistake that too many people make when restocking guns. They make the cheeks and combs too sharply defend. They think it looks better, or they don't have a clue to start with. When in the end, it just looks out of place and incorrect.

[Fox20obsessed]

Brian said it best, I agree buddy. Hopefully this one turns out nicely, I think it will. Tom, I sent you an e-mail.
-Matt

[Fox20obsessed]

Been a while now, but this project is about ready to have checkering cut. I wasn’t able to attend the Northern this weekend and as such decided it was time to get the ball rolling on this budget build and I stayed up till 3am sanding and shaping this thing. I have a little more “meat” to take off the sides of the toe line up near the grip cap to make things a tad more slender and a tiny bit more profiling to do on the wrist, but aside from that it’s dang near shaped. Probably going to rust blue these barrels and guard and then add an ivory bead also in the same fashion as “slims”. Chokes have been opened to IC/M too. This gun fits me very well and I think it will end up being a fantastic rainy day pheasant and dove thumper. Thanks for taking the time to check out another build!
-Matt

PS: the sharpied “arrow” on the forend escutcheon is simply to help me orient it during installation/removal until final reassembly...the escutcheon had a heck of a draft on it and no splines or identifying marks to help me reinstall it in the same way during shaping so I did that to make sure I could put it back in the same exact way each time to help me get everything nice and smooth. I have a piece of packaging tape over it so I don’t wipe it off accidentally during the process...the tape will be pulled and the arrow removed during final reassembly. The escutcheon is a NOS sterly escutcheon (thanks Tom!).

[jolly bill]

It looks good Matt. Good going.

Keep us informed as you proceed.

[Jeff S]

Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us.

[hihaven]

The 16 turned out very nice!

[Fox20obsessed]

Here is the budget 16 all finished up. Ready for the next 100 years. Turned out really nice I think.
-Matt