OT Bending a stock. UPDATE

[Nath]

I am about to try and bend a shotgun stock. I need to drop it 1/2".
I don't fancy the blow torch method but do fancy the electric paint stripper and loads of linseed dribbled over the wrist section.
Has any one here done it?

Thanks.

Nath.

[gamekeeper]

Nath, I used to watch Len Tisdale the stocker at Westley Richards.
He would wrap the wrist with "flax tow" and soak it with really hot linseed oil and apply pressure bit at a time.
That was back in the seventies so I can't remember exactly all the tricks of the trade that he knew!

[dr walker]

I know nothing about it but look forward to hearing how it works out for you.

[Nath]

I have been told that if I spend ages heating and spooning linseed oil onto a cotton wrap around the wrist I should feel it start to get spongy!
But do I take the iron guard off or leave it on ?

Nath.

[Coldfingers]

Nath...I have a few freinds that just love to bend wood.

the safest way is to use steam (to quote a guru "Steam is the train that heat rides to work")

Next best would be a heat gun.

I also know of fellers that ran whole lengths of Bodark through a micorowave with portholes cut in it

Clamp it good, hang a weight off the end, heat the heck out of it. (or build a form so you can apply increasing pressure with a clamp as the heat starts to work.

A pressure cooker, short hose, and length of stovepipe makes a quick and easy steamer.

Have Fun.

[Hobie]

Write 86er, last time this question came up he had the definitive answer (and he HATED my suggestion as to steam ) ...

[Nath]

Thanks cold fingers (get some gloves soon )
Yes steam, I did bend a rifle forend that was pressing on the barrel of a hornet years ago.
I made a jig and used a wedge of wood to apply pressure and inverted the lot over a large pan of boiling water, worked a treat.
In this case though I have to keep it fixed to the action!
Yes thanks big H, I'm waiting for 86er's experience to come to the rescue

Nath.

[marlinman93]

I've bent them sideways to get some cast off, but never tried up or down. Most stocks are cut across the grain in such a way that they will give much easier side to side, then up and down. I used the linseen oil wrapped cloth tightly around the wrist, and then mounted the gun (with metal attached) in my wood vise. Added lead weight to a old camera bag, which I hung over the stock. Then I gave it a good warmup with a heat shrink gun all over the cloth wrap. I took careful measurements from the floor when I started, and checked each day before applying linseed oil and heat. It took me about two weeks to get 1/2" of cast off at the buttplate.

[86er]

Use some cotton cloth in a couple inch width and a foot long or so wrapped around the wrist until it is built up pretty good. Ladle your oil on there until the wrap is soaked. You need to take the trigger guard tang off! Use the torch letting the cloth flame up for just a second before you quench it with more oil. Usually about 35 or 40 minutes will do it, you'll feel it start to move. If you're putting the action in a vise (properly padded with leather or lead, whatever) you can measure from a hard wall the amount of drop you need. Face the action towards the wall for more, away for less. Cut a 1" dowel the length you need. and put a V notch in the other end. Pad the V notch.b Pull on the stock and stick the dowel between it and the wall. Then shim it with little 1/16 opr 1/8 in shims until it is tight and moved as much as you need it. Leave it 5 hours or so. I use a threaded rod mounted on a wall plaque that receives the rod. Each turn of the rod is 1/8" based on the thread size. You can get it done with a heat gun but the oil will penetrate the heat through the wood better and more evenly. If you have any specific question, feel free to PM me.

[Ysabel Kid]

Sounds like a cracked stock waiting to happen. If I did it anyway! You guys are a lot more skilled - and a lot braver than I!

Good luck Nath. Take some "before and after" photos!

[Rusty]

Won't the iron furniture ( trigger guard) have to be modified as well?

[86er]

Usually with just a bit of cast, 1/4" or so - or in this case some drop - the tang can bend just a hair and be seated right back in the recess with no further issues. I've bent hundreds of shotgun stocks and can only recall three or four that needed the tang re-fit a little.

[Tycer]

86ers old post:

Here is the short synopsis for a pinned stock:
Supplies: 1 or 2 metal paint trays; vise with lead jaw protectors; white cotton T-
Shirt; propane torch; linseed oil; vegatable oil; large C-Clamp; 2 wood blocks
about 4"X4"X 2" high; large ladel.
KNOW YOUR C-CLAMP THREAD MEASUREMENTS. Ideally you want one that have
either 1/16" or 1/8" per full turn of the handle.
Remove the trigger guard/tang. Place your gun (stocked action only) with the
action held in the vise and the stock parallel to the bench. It is easier if the vise
can swing 360 degrees and the gun won't hit anything. Cut the T-shirt in long
strips. Tie the strips around the wrist of the stock -as close or overlapping the
action and all the way to the comb flutes (rise). Put the paint tray under the
stock and add about an inch of oil. Mostly linseed cut with 1/4 - 1/3 vegatable oil.
Ladel oil onto the wrapped wrist until it is soaked thoroughly. Fire up the torch.
Hold the flame 2 inches or so it is just touching the wrapping. Simultaneously and
continuously ladel oil onto the wrist. The wrapping might flame up a little -
extinguish it by pouring more oil on it. After 5 minutes on one side, go to 5
minutes on the other side. Heres where a rotating vise and 2 paint trays come in
handy. Instead of picking up a hot paint try you just put on on each side. In total
you want to heat an average stock 40 minutes. You will feel it start to soften by
grasping the butt and wiggling it. When it is softened, Take the gun out of the
vise and lie it across the wood blocks, one under the action - one under the butt.
The action goes towards the left for cast-on (left handed) opposite for cast-off.
Put your C-Clamp top over the wrist and the bottom under the workbench.
Tighted the clamp until it is snug. Now you turn the handle to get the cast you
need. If you want 1/4" cast-off and you have 1/8" thread you go 2 full turns.
Then, regardless of what you want, add 1/16 extra (figure out how many partial or
full turns). LEAVE IT for the whole day! DONE. If your gun has a through-bolt you
must first take the recoil pad/butt plate off and loosen the bolt 1 1/2 turns.
Depending on how much bend you need you may also have to make the hole
oblong so the bolt can move.

[Nath]

Many thanks guys.
Progress report!
I have used a heat gun with the gun over the sink and heated the wrist whilst dripping linseed oil over it.
I got it so hot I could not touch it and then clamped it to my loading bench upside down.
Using a sissor jack and length of wood carefully jacked to the required amount and then heated some more.
I have to see what happens when it cools now.
My stomach is turning some I don't mind telling ya
I honestly don't believe it is hot enough as there is some weight on the jack, I can twist the wooden prop some but I would of thought it should be really free.

Nath.

[Nath]

Many thanks 86er and others.
My second attempt looks far more promising.
This time I wrapped the grip in cotton and removed the iron.
Obvious now is the fact that with the bandage and loads of linseed oil I could hold the heat gun alot closer and get stuff smouldering hot.
This time I could feel the wood go soft and so to the loading bench and clamped her down and employed the jack again.
Moved easy, removed said bandage and now we wait.

Nath.

[Nath]

Well two weeks ago I went to this little place where some pheasant have made a home for them selves and could not hit a thing very well with my Greener and so I studied the fit of it to me and realised I was looking down on the rib to much and hence me wanting to bending the stock.
I went to the same place this afternoon and got me three pheasants and a duck for 7 shots, a vast improvement and I never noticed me looking down on the barrels.
I am quite pleased with the result and it just shows it can be done.

Thanks for the help guys

Nath.

[Coldfingers]

Good show Nath. Enjoy the fruits of your labors.

[J Miller]

Nath,

Congrats on a job well done. Now a question. Did all this oil and heating damage the finish on the stock?

Joe

[Nath]

No Joe,
It has an oil finish but it did need some gentle rubbing with some fine wire wool to smooth it of in places but not every where.
I wouldn't attempt it on a synthetic finnish.
I have to admit it I found this quite stressfull, my wallet was shaking I can tell ya and it took a couple of attempts but I learnt alot.

Nath

[86er]

AH - very good!

[nemhed]

Good job Nath, glad it worked out for you. I guess you'll have to keep that shotgun now since you probably voided the warranty.

[Nath]

Good job Nath, glad it worked out for you. I guess you'll have to keep that shotgun now since you probably voided the warranty.

It was made around 1958 I think, do you think it'll still have some warrenty?

It was a case of sell it or fix it and I got it at a good price a couple of years ago but I was never really happy with the fit and to shoot a shotgun any where near good it has to fit.

Nath.

[Slick13]

I studied the fit of it to me and realised I was looking down on the rib to much

That means the gun was shooting high (my personal preference, even in field gun, after shooting thousands and thousands of trap targets). You've already gone ahead and bent the stock, and it seems like that's worked for you, the but the proper fix would have been to shave some wood off the comb to lower your POI. Now that you've got the stock bent, you still need to check your POI. I assume you're shooting a 12 ga (and hopefully it has Mod or tighter chokes). Get some standard target loads (I believe they're 32 grams in Europe), put large crosses on large piece of carboard, like this: +++++ At thrirteen yards, mount the gun same as you normally would, making sure you get the same sight picture as normal, put your front bead on the center of a cross, and squeeze the trigger gently as you can. Repeat on the other crosses to confirm your findings. Since you're nice and close, if you've got a full choke, the pattern will be nice and tight, and you will quickly see if you are shooting, high, low, left, right. If you're shooting an O/U or SxS, shoot both barrels (seperately!) to make sure they've both got the same POI. With my trap guns, I like them to be at least 6 inches high at 13 yards, so the pattern is at least a foot high out at 30 yards where I'm breaking the targets. I'd want a field gun shooting at least 3" high at 13 yards. I always want to be focused on my target (and be able to see it) and the gun shooting up into it, and not have to cover the target up with the muzzle of a flat shooting gun.

~Michael

[Mutt]

More craftsmanship than I ever had. Good Job.
.........................Mutt...........

[Nath]

Done all that Slick however a sporting sxs is slightly differant than a trap gun, you don't get to shout "pull" very often to game or varmint and they go all roads
After the work mounting the gun with eyes shut brings the bead very close to target and on paper at 30yds mounting quickly as if surprised prints both barrels with say a third to two thirds the pattern above the spot.
Saturdy proved it with crossing pheasant and quartering going away birds too, I don't remember seeing anything of the gun or aiming

Nath.

[Ysabel Kid]

Excellent. Nath, this post really needs pictures!!!

[Nath]

Here is a picture taken ages ago, it don't look any differant now.



Nath.

[Ysabel Kid]

You're a brave one Nath! Glad it worked out so well!!!

[Slick13]

a sporting sxs is slightly differant than a trap gun,

Yes, but getting a shotgun to shoot where you want is the same, whether it's a target gun or a field gun.

Glad you're happy with your adjustments, and you're hitting your target now.

~Michael