Great info guys,
Now I have an additional use for the pieces of oak flooring and old hickory Axe handles I have. I've been using them to make side grain inlets on butt stocks for the plate, usually when some boob has used an end-grain dowel that has eventually split. End grain dowels split and cause the butt plate screws to lose their bite, so often the stock itself becomes cracked, as folks keep tightening the screw. I usually have to drill out the old dowel, square up the hole, glue up the crack with an embedded brass cross piece (usually a brass screw with the head nipped off) inletted and glued across the crack. Then, I'm able to install the side grain inlet and provide a lasting base for the butt plate screw.
Ken
