doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Montana Custom Gunmaking Seminar 2012

Steve is the guy holding the torch. His long, lost third cousin by marriage from Oklahoma Nick Hughes brought the High Wall project and did work. Nick is owner of J-S Machine, a quite accomplished custom metalsmith and a more that competent craftsman.


Rasping the grip to the finished tang


Robert beginning his first skeleton grip cap installation. Note the precision tool...

BTW: Robert's grip cap inlet came out very nicely, all done with hand tools, as was the focus of the Seminar.
Cap and inlet.


Using a scraper Robert made the previous day.


Another job well done...

Brent, I've found that the main key to a successful bend is to heat the steel to a red heat and hold it there while bending. Before the tang is heated it's often rather brittle, as you have seen. The factory bend does not begin until behind the tang's machine screw position and Bubba obviously doesn't know this, also Bubba apparently doesn't believe in heating/annealing the tang before and during the bending process.

IMO Steve is doing the single-shot community a GREAT service by sharing his pics with us. I wish more smiths were skilled enough (AND confident enough in their skill level!) to share their tricks as Steve is doing, but all too many of them don't.

Brent, please don't stop asking questions! Hey, I just gotta ask YOU one: haven't you ever told your students that old (but still tried-&-true) chestnut about "The only dumb question is the one you DON'T ask!"?

And also remember that anyone who resents your questions or even your challenges is probably not very confident in his ability to justify his position, ergo his position may be somewhat weak when examined closely (grin). Cast your memory back to another forum.....
Regards, Joe

Thanks for your support JD. I can be frustrating to post a picture of something actually in process and have someone question the methods based on imagination or hearsay. I've heard about bending jigs as well but have never seen one.

I have an original deluxe High Wall stock for comparison, but this tang was being bent to fit a pre-machined stock so a new cardboard template was made. It was compared to the original stock as well.

The tang was slightly under-bent the first time, partially inlet, then tweaked with a bit more bend and a touch of cant to straighten. Two heatings total, and plenty of cooling time afterward.

While I've made plugs to fill the multiple holes of a Win. 73 tang, I haven't found it necessary for a High Wall. In fact, clamping the "salmon tail", protected with a fold of copper sheet, lessens the possibility of heating and distorting the wood screw hole at the end.

Each Model Winchester or Marlin tang requires a bit different procedure for pistol gripping. Experience is the final word.

Best,
Steve
BTW: plans are being made for next year's Seminars...

Oh for cryin' out loud. Quit the whining. I was only asking a simple question. Why post it if you don't want questions. Or is all about collecting adulation?

Bending jigs are something that I know two well regarded gunsmiths use. If you don't more power too ya, but don't get so high on your hobby horse that you get dizzy from the lack of oxygen up there.

From my own perspective, when I asked the friggin' question (which is NOT to say I was QUESTIONING YOUR METHOD), it was only to see if you were fine tuning a bend to a particular curve after having first done the major shaping in a jig or if you were simply free-hand bending for some obscure shape that suited your purposes.

Anyway, have fun up there, but don't expect me to be licking your boots anytime soon.

Brent

PS. I think JD was RIGHT ON THE MONEY when he said, "anyone who resents your questions or even your challenges is probably not very confident in his ability to justify his position".

Sorry I hurt your feelings commenting on pseudo techniques by unknown experts.
I'll try to be more sensitive towards your criticisms in the future.
(Your depth of jealousy is quite surprising.)

Thanks for the apology. I'm sure it is heartfelt.

I've seen enough of you two guys on various forums over the years to know that both of you are ENTIRELY too prickly! (grin)

And believe me, it takes some mighty off-the-wall behavior to prompt such an opinion from ME, since in the past I've been the notorious poster child for Provocative & Infuriatingly Embarrassing Confrontations! (VBG)
Regards, Joe

And I think several of us on here remember that previous forum.smile. whitey