Adding a forend cap

[handirifle]

Has anyone ever added a forend cap like the one in this pic?



I saw a brief example on a Midway commercial but those are squared ends.  What about the ones like the Weatherby's the the bottom edge tilts back towards the shooter.

The Midway one used a dowel pin and glue.  But how would you get true alignment on the slanted ones.  I can't figure out how to drill the holes perpendicular. 

Suggestions?

[Rangr44]

Drill the dowel hole parallel to the top line of the forend, and separately into the tip material, before either are cut to the angle wanted. 

(It's OK, to square the ends off first - since they'll be cut off & discarded later    )

[gunnut69]

You can also drill the holes in the material before the angle cut is made. I use a board to clamp the stock and tip to and a pipe clamp the pull them together. the dowel s a bit undersized for the hole and the epoxy fills and bonds.. AcraGlass is the best agent although DevCon 5-tom works well also. Some woods such as rosewood can be difficult to get any adhesive to stick to. Usually acetone wipes/soaks will salve the problem.. Wood is available from several wood turning suppliers. They provide exotic hardwoods for the custom pencil makers.. Some of them are beautiful indeed..

[handirifle]

OK that makes sense.  I have some nice woods from the recurve bows I used to make.

Thanks for the tips, wll post a pic of the finished job.

[handirifle]

Well it being glued up but I don't have good feelings about it.  I think I drilled the hole too low in the stock.  This will really irk me if I screw it up cause this is a "J" series Savage and their stocks aren't easy to come by.

I'll know more tomorrow when I start cutting the excess wood off the tip.

[gunnut69]

As long as you don't get outside the stock you're OK. I try to stay in the center of the forearm and usually drill 2 holes. Two dowels better than one?? No reason really just a quirk... Be sure the epoxy fills the holes and allow the excess to squeeze out. Protect the finish with massking tape and news paper as even a hint of epoxy on the finish will damage it.. The dowels add shear strength but the epozy is why it works so well. The old gun books show inletted bolts holding the tips on. It works and I did some that way.. (remember I've learned from those books.. But the epoxy method works great and is a bunch easier.. Good luck and I'm sure it'll work out OK..

[handirifle]

Well it looks like it might work out OK, WHEW! I was sweatin' that.  I did some sanding today on the belt sander and I think I'll be OK.  only thing is I accidentally put a small divot in one upper edge of the stock .  I was being careful on the sander but didn't realize it was contacting the belt there.  It's not horrible, but like most of my projects, there always seems to be something....

Not worried about the finish since I had sanded the entire stock, since the finish was worn and scratched off in a lot of places.

I need to get some wood carving tools to cut out the barrel channel.

Making progress.

[handirifle]

OK got it done.   First off, I chickened out on the sloped one, I'll practice on something first.  I went with a straight cut, but I like how it came out.

Thanks for all the help.  I ended up using a piece of 3/4" board as a drill guide.  Drilled a hole in it and held it against the stock and drilled it out.  I drilled the cap with the drill press.

Used epoxy, and clamped a board on either side of the stock with a big c clamp, and used a bar clamp to pull it together.

This site is a BIG help for my projects.  This rifle got the stock shortened, to add a recoil pad, then the barrel lost 2" and got a recessed target crown, and last, the forend cap.

Big help from you guys on this topic and the mini lathe, as both helped to make it happen.









Not the best, the devil, as they say, is in the details, but overall I'm pretty happy.

I first got this rifle in 1974, in Germany from the PX while in the Army there.  It was a 243, now it's a 308.  The finish was nearly worn off, but now it's ready to hit the woods again.

[gunnut69]

Next you have to convert the checkering to cut checkering from the current pressed and maybe add a bit more checkering in the process. Sounds difficult but just a bit tedious.. Good looking project.

[handirifle]

I wouldn't mind learning how to checker.  I have a 338 WM I'm building and will be using a unfinished laminated stock for that.

[gunnut69]

I am looking for a new computer.. When I get one I'll take some pictures of a project as it progresses. It's not really too difficult.. I use a piece of paper stretched around the forearm and held tightly between the finger and thumb to create a pattern. A pencil is rubbed on the edges and the inlet and even the sling stud hole to help locate the pattern later. The paper above the stock is cut away and the paper is folded in half to locate the center line.. which is then also folded.. The pattern is drawn on 1/2 of the forearm pattern and evened out. the pencil drawn pattern is then refolded with the checkering pattern against the blank half of the template. Lay the folded pattern on a hard flat surface and rub forcefully with a hard smooth rounded tool, I use a smallish screw driver handle. This will transfer the patterns exact mirror image to the blank side. The pattern is then located back on the forearm and taped in place. The pattern is transferred to the wood with a very small Xacto knife blade. It's very thin and pointy. Don't cut the lines but punch thru the pattern with the knife blade aligned with the line. Round punches will show outside the line.. I connect the lines with a round bladed xacto and make the initial cuts fairly shallow. Include on the pattern your master lines. These should intersect the center line and be at an angle of about 3-3 1/2 to one. The long axis of the X should be from front to back.. Remember to cut all the initial grooves shallow to allow for deepening later.. I like the DemBart file type single line for laying out patterns though I switched to Doiron carbide cutters years ago for durability. To do the bulk of the wood remove I use a Gunline tool. It consists of a slightly curved piece of steel with saw cuts perpendicular to the 'V'. The cuts form the teeth of the tool and it can be resharpened very easily on a ceramic stone or diamond coated sharpener. A Dembart pull type cutter on a 90 degree S1 handle will also be needed. The spacer I prefer is the Debart as I feel the file type cutters follow with less chance of irregular grain leading one astray..there'll be plenty of that..I prefer the Brownell 'Full View' handle for all but the S!. Not so much for the see trhu feature but for the handles added stiffness and angle adjustment on the cutting blade.
Does that make any sense??

[Rangr44]

The job could use a little "balance".

Now, cut a 5/16" thick slice of the wood you used for the forend tip and trim it to about an 1 1/2" by 2 1/2" oval, flatten the bottom of the pistol grip with a file or sanding block & glue it on as a contrasting grip cap.

Finish sand/level the surface that will go against the stock wood, prior to gluing.

You can do the final shaping after it's on/dried, or do most of the preliminary shaping first - and make the cap shape either domed, sharp-edged or hooked - whatever.

[handirifle]

The job could use a little "balance".

Now, cut a 5/16" thick slice of the wood you used for the forend tip and trim it to about an 1 1/2" by 2 1/2" oval, flatten the bottom of the pistol grip with a file or sanding block & glue it on as a contrasting grip cap.

Finish sand/level the surface that will go against the stock wood, prior to gluing.

You can do the final shaping after it's on/dried, or do most of the preliminary shaping first - and make the cap shape either domed, sharp-edged or hooked - whatever.

Just re-visited this post.  Good idea, will give it a look see.