doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com can you bend a stock up

I have been bending then for 4 years, and none back so far for a re-bend......

How many have you broke in 4 years ?

Zero......but I hate saying that as it is always possible. When your are bending them you can feel the resistance. Some you could push with a single finger I swear, others are very difficult to move but those are usually the fore mentioned pistol grip/American walnut guns. The Brits have been doing it for hundreds of years and some folks think they know a thing or 2 about stock work on fine doubles across the pond.
Steve

Stock bending, and gun fitting, are fairly routine in England (and among a growing group here). Still, it should be addressed with caution 'cause "it is always possible."

My experience is that sideways is easier and more successful than up. And, experience is helpful.

I've had a few bent without any problems...but I hear they don't always stay bent.

FWIW, most of the gunstocks I have bent in the past 15 years stay put. However, some wood can be stubborn. Lately I bend about four to five gunstocks a month. It pays to be patient. The bending is accomplished and then left to rest for seven days to make sure there will be no movement from stress. If it moves...I go through the bending process again until it stays put. Nothing worse than an unhappy customer. To date I have had to re-do my own work four times in 15 years... one learns from disappointments. Yep, they may be bent......carefully.

I bent a stock on an east German Sauer straight grip using 250 watt amber color heat lamps. I have read that 11 or 12" is the correct distance. I had to bring it down to 5" (after two or three hours of getting closer and closer) and it still did not seem to loosen up. At 4" the Canola oil began smoking and I lightly burned the stock in the wrist area. It was not bad and I was able to lightly sand and oil and only I would know. At that point the stock would not move by hand but I was able to use the screws to crank it over without much trouble. It seems to have stayed pretty much where I put it. I left the heat on for another half hour and that may be why it burned. After a half hour I pulled the lights back an inch and left it for half an hour. My thoughts were it would help let the fibers adjust. If I had only stayed at five inches I probably would not have had any damage. I removed it 12 hours later.

I would love to hear comments on the lamp distances and the fact I had to crank it to bend as I have been told to use my hands on the butt and then tighten the cranks to hold it from going back.