March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online Now
7 members (SKB, Licensed to kill, Karl Graebner, bigblock, Borderbill, NCTarheel), 897 guests, and 5 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums10
Topics38,374
Posts544,019
Members14,391
Most Online1,258
Mar 29th, 2024
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#608976 01/06/22 10:10 AM
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 271
Likes: 20
LetFly Offline OP
Sidelock
OP Offline
Sidelock

Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 271
Likes: 20
I need to put a slight curve in a horn butt plate. Plate is 120+ years in age. Plate fits at toe and heel but is a bit high in the center, about the thickness of a business card. I want to put a very slight bend in the plate between the toe and heel. How do I best get this accomplished without chance of cracking?

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Last edited by LetFly; 01/06/22 12:06 PM.
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 99
Sidelock
***
Offline
Sidelock
***

Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 99
Maybe heat the plate in water until it flexes. Then screw in the plate and attach a strong rubber band to the trigger guard and over the plate at the gap...Geo

1 member likes this: LetFly
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 4,445
Likes: 201
Sidelock
**
Offline
Sidelock
**

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 4,445
Likes: 201
If you heat the plate gently( hot water, hair dryer), you should be able to put a small bend, down, in the middle ( block up the ends with small rod, and put weight or padded clamp in middle). Once you have this bend and the plate cools, the screws should pull the ends down, making a tight fit.
Mike

1 member likes this: LetFly
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 271
Likes: 20
LetFly Offline OP
Sidelock
OP Offline
Sidelock

Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 271
Likes: 20
I have read (on this forum) that a short soak in neatsfoot compound will soften the horn somewhat. Would this be advised before applying the heat? Or, after 120+ years likely to be ineffective?

Last edited by LetFly; 01/06/22 05:09 PM.
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 4,445
Likes: 201
Sidelock
**
Offline
Sidelock
**

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 4,445
Likes: 201
LetFly,
I didn't see that posting, so I can't say it won't work, there are a lot of people that know more than I. It's your plate, do what you think is best, it may crack regardless what you do.
Mike

Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,850
Likes: 150
Sidelock
***
Offline
Sidelock
***

Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,850
Likes: 150
I've always put the horn plates in boiling water.
Let it boil till bendable & pliable.

Quickly set them it place on the stock and you can press it into shape with simple hand pressure. But the hot matr'l isn't too pleasent to handle so some weight is the usual method to push the plate into it's new shape.

A partially filled shot bag works well on the face of the plate. It won't take a whole lot of weight if you get it on there while the horn is pliable.
It cools and stays in the new shape.

When the curve is so slight that you are trying to produce in the center of the plate,,you sometimes are farther ahead to slightly,,very slightly shim the ends of the stock face to produce a slightly exaggerated curve to the plate.
The same thickness of the business card that the plate needs as a curve in the center can be built up at both toe and heel. Any hard edge must be shaved or sanded off of the card or that will show when the soft horn is pressed into it.
The whole idea is to create a slightly deeper curve in the center by a few .000 and then the attachment screws will draw the plate down nice and tight.

Over kill perhaps,,but it assures that there is no gap when it's all done under the plate at the mid section.

If you use clamps and rubber bands and that sort of thing to pull it into shape, the smaller area contact pressure points of those things can often imprint into the rear face
of the horn where they contact and that leaves their mark when cooled as well.
If you use clamps or bands, spread their holding power over the area with something like felt or leather pads so you don't leave an imprint.

2 members like this: 82nd Trooper, LetFly
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,127
Likes: 1129
Sidelock
**
Offline
Sidelock
**

Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,127
Likes: 1129
If, for some reason, you are afraid that the plate can't be bent without cracking or breaking, there is another option. A little more work, but an option just the same. Put the plate on the gun with the screws, but leave the screws slack enough so that you can slip a long strip of coarse emery cloth between the plate and the wood, grit side down towards the wood. Holding the end of the emery strip with one hand, apply gentle pressure down on the middle of the buttplate with the other hand, and slowly pull the emery cloth strip out, allowing it to cut the wood as it comes out. You pull slightly up ("up", meaning that the buttstock is in a vise with the head down and the buttplate up) as the emery is pulled out. This slight upward pull prevents the cutting side from rounding off the edge of the butt.

This is repeated many times, until the places that need "relieving" have been cut away by the emery. The emery strip, having no cutting action on the top side does no damage to the back of the buttplate whatsoever. Done with patience, this method will result in as near a perfect fit as is humanly possible, with a very large percentage of contact between the two surfaces. This is the method I used to use when fitting brass or iron crescent buttplates to rifle stocks. I've used it on shotguns many times as well.

Don't take my mention of this as an effort to try to prevent you from bending the horn buttplate. Only you are able to look at it and decide it you are willing to go the route Kutter described. I only mention it as a possible alternative, that will require no refinishing of the wood or the buttplate, if done properly.

Best wishes with it!


May God bless America and those who defend her.
1 member likes this: LetFly

Link Copied to Clipboard

doublegunshop.com home | Welcome | Sponsors & Advertisers | DoubleGun Rack | Doublegun Book Rack

Order or request info | Other Useful Information

Updated every minute of everyday!


Copyright (c) 1993 - 2024 doublegunshop.com. All rights reserved. doublegunshop.com - Bloomfield, NY 14469. USA These materials are provided by doublegunshop.com as a service to its customers and may be used for informational purposes only. doublegunshop.com assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in these materials. THESE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT-ABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. doublegunshop.com further does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these materials. doublegunshop.com shall not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including without limitation, lost revenues or lost profits, which may result from the use of these materials. doublegunshop.com may make changes to these materials, or to the products described therein, at any time without notice. doublegunshop.com makes no commitment to update the information contained herein. This is a public un-moderated forum participate at your own risk.

Note: The posting of Copyrighted material on this forum is prohibited without prior written consent of the Copyright holder. For specifics on Copyright Law and restrictions refer to: http://www.copyright.gov/laws/ - doublegunshop.com will not monitor nor will they be held liable for copyright violations presented on the BBS which is an open and un-moderated public forum.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.0.33-0+deb9u11+hw1 Page Time: 0.081s Queries: 32 (0.061s) Memory: 0.8299 MB (Peak: 1.8988 MB) Data Comp: Off Server Time: 2024-03-29 13:50:41 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS