doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Heading up a boxlock

I have a Flues 1-1/2, 20ga that needs a new stock. Obviously it's not an expensive gun so I need to do as much as possible myself. Fitting a pad and grip cap, checkering and finishing are within my current capabilities.

My thought was to have a pattern that I prepare with good dimensions, duplicated, and do the rest myself, but I have never headed up a stock. Any advise, tool suggestions, things to watch out for, sequence of events etc..

TIA
Bill

Glass bed your pattern stock. Strip the action and start with the top tang. When you are about half way inlet begin looking at the bottom tang and working it as well. You do not want to get twisted inside the pattern. Apply your in letting black very lightly to avoid false marks. Good chiseled can be had on eBay very reasonably. Look for Addis or herring chiseled out of the UK.

A year or so ago I thought it would be fun to make a straight English-style stock for a 20 ga. Nitro Special. So I ordered an inexpensive semi-inletted butt stock. (I forget the supplier.) My biggest problem was cutting the pistol grip off so that everything would look right. With that solved I proceeded to make things fit (heading up?). It turned out pretty well and it was satisfying to accomplish.

My work experience is similar to yours, so I'd say your skills are more than sufficient to do the job. Just be patient, go slow, check fit often, and make sure you have really sharp tools.

I wouldn't waste money on any "custom" stock prep. I've worked with a number of "semi-inletted" stocks over the years without any serious problems and found them to be good value as long as you don't want fancy wood and have reasonable wood working skills.

R.

I'm not familiar with the flues Ithaca, but most boxlocks use the sloping face of the trigger boss to bring the wood and metal together under some tention. Be especially careful to get a good fit between these two surfaces.

I've done some Flues from GSI blanks. And another from a stick.

A Flues has nothing drawing it forward except draw boring.

Pitfalls include lack of parallelity in the stock tips that wedge behind the sides. And over cutting the mortices for the safety and hand pin.

When doing a Flues I over-dry the stock and remove the absolute minimum material from every area. It will swell after fitting And you can carefully remove material where it binds or obstructs
Conversely GSI's patterns may be cut too deep under the top strap and you end up having to fill in the mortices area.

So first its the stock horns, then the shoulders for parallel coming forward for stock to action back fit Then it's the downward inletting of the top strap for a tapered fit in the mortice.
Get any of that wrong ie not plumb or square, and the stock will be twisted to the action, leaving a shoulder high and the other below the action side.
From a raw blank there is much more latttude for elevation and squareness than a pretty machined blank.

I have 4-5 Flues to stock maybe we can work through one here
Though I caution, I am no expert. I've just turned some into sawdust is all.

Excellent info guys. That would be VERY cool CZ.

Maybe this thread will inspire others to save those low grade guns where the metal is still in good shape, but not worth the cost of a professional restock.

How about a short list of required chisel shapes.
My thoughts were:
1/8" flat
1/4" flat
1/2" flat
90 deg V
1/4 or 5/16 radius

Keep it coming!
If its like most of my projects, I'll do 20 times in my sleep before it's complete.

There are people that will nit pick the process, and truthfully IDC. Flues are common, stocks broken through the web even more so. A blank to try with is about $60.00

An armload of chisels, files, and scrapers is bout another $25

It's not the tools as much as it's the hands and eyes.

I hope that Ernie? The accomplished UK stocker and all around good fellow, will see this and bail us out when the water gets deep This is all for fun on a $100.00 skeet gun I've got laying around.

When I get home tomorrow, I'll try to take one apart and show where the problems always are.

I hope you go through with this, Ithaca, and keep us posted as you do. Don't be afraid to make a goof or two. They can always be corrected. Remember, you're doing this for your own pleasure so you can shoot that old Flues once in a while. I think you will have a lot of fun, albeit with a bit of frustration now and then, and a lot of experience.

Good Luck!! R.

R.
I have been in contact with a stock maker from the board who will duplicate my pattern. The pattern needs some comb work before I send it off. I'm also waiting to hear if he has a blank of the correct grade, or if I need to purchase one. If he doesn't have or want to provide one of his, I have one picked out.

This Flues has been a money pit but I really like it. 20ga, ejector, 28" damascus @ 5lbs 12oz..

Full speed ahead.

R.
I have been in contact with a stock maker from the board who will duplicate my pattern. The pattern needs some comb work before I send it off. I'm also waiting to hear if he has a blank of the correct grade, or if I need to purchase one. If he doesn't have or want to provide one of his, I have one picked out.

This Flues has been a money pit but I really like it. 20ga, ejector, 28" damascus @ 5lbs 12oz..

Full speed ahead.