Another question for you stock makers with pictures?

[erickrschaefer]

I am the guy working on the nice quilted maple stock for a Remington 660 and have another question for you guys. I got the forend to a length that looks and feels good to me and have a nice ebony grip cap and forend tip installed and am now ready to work on my butt pad before I do the final shaping and sanding. I originally intended to put a Pachmyer Old English Brown recoil pad on the gun and that got to thinking that with an ebony grip cap and forend tip, why not make a nice ebony butt pad to keep the theme. Once mounted and after it was finished I would have the pad checkered to provide some grip on the shoulder. Is this something that can be done, should it be done, and what is the proper way to mount it and finish to protect the end grain if I do it?  Would it be better to mount a 1/4 to 1/2" piece of ebony as a spacer and then mount the Old English?
The gun is a 6.5 Remington magnum and I am far from recoils sensitive finding my 350 Rem. Mag to be quite pleasant from the bench so how do you think recoil would be with a wooden butt pad?
Here are some pictures of the stock with the only thing missing being the recoil pad. I have decided to go with an Old English Presentation model in black. After I mount the pad the only thing left will be to glss bed the action and float the barrel.


 

[Dirt Bag]

Mornin' Erick;
    Been smoking this over the last couple days, and waiting to see what you'd get for an answer. Have never tried it.....only forearm tips that we put on with spiral dowels and black acra glass. End grain to end grain. We think you would want the grain in the plate running heel to toe against the end grain of the stock. Trouble is, it would have to be able to move a bit. (We found this out the hard way making maple cutting boards when we glued the end caps on rather than pegging them on with dowels allowing them to "float".) The guys on the woodworking forum would know a lot more about this. Don't want to tell anyone to try something that we haven't done ourselves.
  Bet that if you were to put on a black pad with the black base, you'd get the look you want.  Might also be able to mount an ebony plate with oval headed screws set in a countersunk recess and nearly flush... like a horn or plastic plate.
    Glad to hear that the rifle is coming along well and looking and feeling right for you.
                                              Have a good one;
                                                                             D.B.

[erickrschaefer]

Db,
I didn't even think about the orientation of the grain in relationship to the buttstock. The only reason i was considering using wood was that I just picked up a 1960's or so Remington 700 BDL in 222 that someone replaced the factory grip cap, forend tip, and butt pad with really sharp looking leopardwood. In the pictures it looked very well done and quite pretty. I will have the gun in my hot little hands early this week and will take a look at the butt pad to see how the grain aligns and how it was attached.
 
Erick

[41 magnum]

the Pachmayr 752 is black w/ black base and no white line tween the base and pad.........just so you know.

[gunnut69]

I've nver seen a wood butt plate but it could work. A steel plate would  be more normal or a rubber pad as has been talked about. then is also always the option of a dark horn plate??

[erickrschaefer]

ttt

[tacklebury]

I think I would use a Buffalo Horn scale.  They are sold at knife manufacturers and that's what the traditional rifle makers used for their buttplates quite often. 
 
http://www.knifemaking.com/product-p/is907.htm

This won't split like wood might when thin.

[james]

I've put checkered wood butt plates on .22s and one mauser .308 and it does give them a custom look.   Being a wood worker all you will lose is time if it doesn't turn out to suit you.  A dark plate and grip cap would really set your stock off although it already looks really nice.

[Rangr44]

The ebony will work fine as a buttplate, and can even be checkered nicely if not a PITA to do so - just don't adhere it to the stock.
IDK about oil-finishing (whatever) the ebony, though - I usually just polish the untreated wood.
 
I always apply stock finish to the raw stockwood in hidden areas like inletting, and under the BP & PG cap - if they're screw-attached, & not adhered.
 
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[gunnut69]

You can attach with glue but the grain must run end grain to end grain or moisture will cause movement and adhesive failure. That said a black/black pad can be doweled and glued to the butt of the stock for a clean look. Horn plates should probably be screwed not glued.. I'd be inclined to go with the pad if just for the decreased slipperyness..