doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Percent Wood/Metal Contact

What % wood/metal contact do you shoot for when inletting?
I was taught 80% on all recoil/bearing surfaces.

It's a great deal of work smoking things that tight.
Lot's of scraping, and needle file work.

I don't think many old guns were that precise.
Some of the machining is rough as a cob.
I can't see the plant getting much through-put with hand filed 80% contact.

What does "best" work show on examination?

I'm looking for when to stop, as much as when to go further.

I'm tempted to increase the draft angles on today's beast, just to get the metal smoother. A little filing and Emory paper might hasten the inletting.

How about "as much as possible".

For personal use, I'd agree.

I just wonder, (after reading the stock for a 410 Nitro thread) where does one stop on entry level doubles? How good is, "Good enough"?

It's the same amount of work fitting a $1,000 blank, as it is a free one.
I'm reminded that the last file stroke defines "best" quality work, and I can see where scratching wisps of walnut away under 10x magnification, is probably outside the realm of the Nitro Special.

I can see it being determined by time allowed, or % contact, or some other measure of pride in workmanship.

Inletting indulges my worst personality traits, and if left un-restrained, could easily lead to disaster. Certainly bankruptcy, if not psychosis.

I go for 100% on recoil surfaces and always come damn close. I have prided myself on my inletting from my very first stock. I never use a file on the inletting, just gouges and chisels. If you have a good quality machined blank it is not hard to get great contact on a boxlock. One key is knowing when to bring the trigger plate into the equation. I take the action about 2/3rds into the new blank, then start on the trigger plate. You do not want to get either piece canted but if you catch it early enough you can straighten it out. I built my panto-graph and it is capable of excellent tolerances. To answer your earlier questions, yes some file or stone work and increased draft angles can help. Glass the action after you re-shape it to your old stock to use as a pattern and hire someone who really knows his panto-graph.

Interesting thread.
I was talking to a Browning representative last week about issues with high grade guns and wood having issues with cracking.
If a stock is untouched and cracks Browning will honour guarantee for three years from new , if you alter your stock , bend it to fit , fit an adjustable comb , you then own it , any problem is yours to sort out.
Many cracks and splits are being caused by loose stock bolts , SO if you remove your stock to check wood to metal contact , what % are you looking for and how do you check ?
Smoke lamp , Jewellers rouge , lipstick ?

I use Prussian blue.

I use a smoke lamp on metal to metal, but inletting into wood I am a bit of a different bird. I chalk the wood inlet possible contact surfaces with purple blackboard chalk, then wipe the metal parts with a very thin coating of light oil. It shows brilliantly on the chalked areas and is not as messy as other methods I've tried. I was shown this by an old gun builder friend, long ago. He was an old tool and die maker, and exceedingly meticulous.

I'm no good at estimation percentage contact, I fear. I just do like Brian, and do the best I can. It's a blessing for those of us who have the luxury to take our sweet time and don't have to depend on our turnaround time to help support a household. I have great admiration for those of you for whom it is a profession.

I try to mark some of my work with a little "signature" eccentricity. I learned to inlet on muzzleloaders and dearly love inletting a sidelock. I like to leave the tiny piece of wood inside the sear spring (v spring). It has no particular function, but it usually gets attention by builders. I also like for my bridle screw heads to make contact on the bottom of the inlet to provide a bit more stability, and keep the edges of the lock plate from "carrying" so much of the bearing load.

You can see both in this Schillinger lock inlet in a "buffalo rifle".





SRH

Wow, that's nice work. I'd break into a sweat just thinking about where to start a job like that.