doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Butt Transplant

Claire is right on. Shown is a 3/8" deep hole (gun) drill made from a 36" length of drill rod. This one has an extension to 44" for drilling ramrod holes. I've been using it for decades.

This is the cutting end.

And this is the 3/4" counterbore you need to go with the drill. This is with a 1/4" semi-floating pilot, I also have a 3/8" pilot.
I through drill with the lathe between centers. Both ends of the stock blank need to be perpendicular to the hole before starting. I usually drill half way from each end.

The counterboring is done with a drill motor and an extension.
Steve
BTW, I'd think about drilling the hole first, then fitting the transplant to align with the existing hole. You might be able to use a draw bolt to suck the two together for fitting.

That piloted counterbore is clever. Very cool. Is it something you designed?

GJZ, Truth is, I don't remember. More than likely, someone suggested it and this is what I came up with.
Steve

I just finished going through an assortment of Gunmaker magazines and in the Nov./Dec. '89 issue is a story detailing how to make one of those tools. Again, very clever.

Stephen,
The angle of the glueline is such that the drawbolt is at a shallow angle to the glueline. I ended up clamping the glue joint like this.



Since my graft is stuck already, I'm planning to mill out the lightening pocket first on the mill and then drill from the head to the bottom of the pocket.

Chuck,
I followed your original post with much interest, and at that time I thought I might have drilled the hole first, and set-up the tenon angles to match the hole angle. But I'm used to drilling first, and thankfully, have enough to do around here without getting in to repairing stocks. (I'm rust bluing a two barrel set for a custom project at the moment.)
I do look forward to seeing the results after drilling. You don't have much drill depth to go with the way you have set it up.
Think I hear the water boiling....
Steve

Another advantage is that you can often get very short pieces of exhibition walnut for very low prices.

I have a back action hammergun double rifle in .577 bpe that has 3 7/8" drop at heel. Is this method a viable alternative to getting a 2 1/4" drop versus a complete restock? If so, can anyone recommend someone to do it? I really don't have the time. Thanks

Yea, Mike, this is an obvious solution. BTW, there's a machinist guy in California that seems to have a degree of expertise in doing these things. Why not offer him one of those fixer-upper project guns you mentioned to me not so long ago as an incentive to take on another butt transplant? He seems the type to bite, IMO.

Great suggestions by Stephen and others. I had just had to re-drill a stock that come off a duplicating machine when the operator did'nt "drill first".

Chuck, I use a Foerstner bit for the first go-round. They tolerate uneven grain very well and dont wander either. Not a bad choice for making lightening cuts too, as they can be used to overlap another hole.

I find aniline dyes work very well to manipulate and match dissimilar stock woods. They dont muddy-up the figure like the particulate suspension in stains. They come in a variety of colors and compatability; I use alcohol or water-based inintially on bare wood then blend some oil-soluable in the finish coats for an alkenat root-type appearence.

Have fun and good shooting,

C. K.