A venture

[Wyo7200]

My winter projects arrived today-

Boyd's walnut stock for the .260 Rem and a laminate in coyote for the 22-250 T/C.

The walnut is pretty bland and monotone except for the comb area where there is some figure hiding under the satin finish.

It's being stripped so I can pop the figure. Citristrip is awesome.

I decided to mess around with the T/C while the citristrip went to town on the finish. I am kinda bummed Boyd's didn't leave any room for a pillar up front. I know ventures come pillar bedded from factory, I just wanted some color and variety in the safe... Unfortunately, I'm thinking this one will be going back along with my restocking fee. Maybe get the plastic stock hydro dipped or something else.

 

[DrMike]

Interesting projects. Too bad there isn't more figure in the walnut. On the other hand, you may find some beauty hidden under the stain.

 

[truck driver]

I don't know if there is enough room or not in that stock for the front pillar. If you can use the magazine well as a dam it will work and the epoxy will be stronger than the wood. When drilling my stocks the wood chipped out as it got thin in places near the top of the holes where the bit came threw and I used extra epoxy to fill in these areas. When the Devcon hardened I used the dremmel tool to shape the epoxy and get the clearance I needed for the action parts. If you can't use the rifles magazine well you can build a dam with duct tape and clay just make sure you put release agent on the tape or skip the tape and just use the clay. Once it's done and the action is in the stock you can't see it and it is still very functional.
You should have seen the trigger area around the back pillar in my one stock after I drilled it out. In places there was no wood left since it had chipped out. I used every bit in my drill file to enlarge the holes step by step size by size till I got to the largest bit I needed for the final hole for the pillar. Extra work yes but it pays off to take your time and do it right and not ruin the stock getting in a hurry. The pillars will strengthen that thin area also.
Wish I was close enough to you too really see what you have since pictures don't always show what's there.

 

[Wyo7200]

Thanks Dr. I got the standard (cheap) walnut so I wasn't expecting much, but wasn't expecting it to come dyed either. I thought I ordered the unfinished option, which must mean dyed and no top coat. I like the natural colored look of wood so I am hoping that the oil will enhance some of the woods color character.

TD, I fell asleep last night thinking about filling in the void and just rolling with it... Boyds removed the material behind the pillar for the magazine to have a catch on the bottom... they could have done it from the bottom, 1/4" deep or so and it would have been ok but I guess to save some time they went all the way from the top.. :roll:

When I need to expand a drilled hole I try to plug the hole with a tight fitting popular dowel and then drill it out to a larger size. I can glue a sacrificial block to the stock behind the pillar hole to avoid tear outs and then either chisel out the block or devcon it in. Maybe bed the magazine too since it's just floating in there.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[truck driver]

Wyo7200 your welcome. Unfortunately we get what we pay for. Body's is making a mass produced stock on machine that needs to be set up by human hands and the faster that stock can be cut the higher the profit line. I use to like Fajan stocks when they were available and Bishop was another one that was good.

 

[Vince]

I ordered a McMillan for my model 70.

There are less expensive synthetic stocks but,like wood, you generally get what you pay for.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[Wyo7200]

My M70 will be getting a B&C later in the year.

I did get these stocks for a project so I shouldn't be stressin over things that need some work.

The walnut was stripped and discovered a lot more figure and a little hint of sapwood hiding under the coating near the barrel channel. I really hope the oil makes it pop.

The T/C stock... will need some more work. Photobucket is down right now but I took some pics to show the gap that was cut out. It wont take much to fill it in. I've got 7 more months of winter so plenty of time

 

[cloverleaf]

Goodness! is that the barrel I can see through the Mag Well hole?!?!? Whats up with that? The release needs a 1/2 inch of inletting at most. So there is nothing behind the magazine? Maybe Im not seeing something right, but why leave all that open space? That's is ridiculous to expect you to think that's OK. Sorry not to be critical. But I expected better than that from the "boys back home". I have a boyds I like. It took 2 tries to get a stock that fit right but I assumed that was because it was a short run promotional for savage and I was trying to put an older mdoel in a "newer model" stock. hope you can make it work. CL

 

[Wyo7200]

Yup, that's the barrel you are seeing- (muzzle pointed down). There is a little tab that the magazine snaps onto- muzzle end is up for this pic.

The gap is just a little over 1/2" wide by 3/8's deep. If I lube up the magazine pretty well and tape it in place, I can probably use it as a dam. After playing with it without the action, I think they left it that big so the magazine can pivot to catch the top lip (pics to follow) and bottom mag release. 1/2" is a little much though.

The trigger well has a nice arc the same as a 1" dowel so I can use half a dowell as a dam to build the rear pillar up.

Pillar holes are 9/32 so I am going to have to sand some 3/8" down to fit.

 

[truck driver]

Before you do anything call Boyd's and ask what's up with the inletting. That doesn't look or sound right to me for a finished drop in stock. If they don't want to make it right with out extra restocking charge then I would go the route your pursuing but would go to a hobby shop and get hard wood dowel rods since poplar is very soft wood.

 

[Wyo7200]

Agreed- It is weird (to me) that they'd remove all of that material just for the magazine catch tab... taking a closer look behind the pillar, the laminate is crumbling. I'd say that is a defect, no?

The dowels will be drilled out when the pillars are enlarged. They are just used to center and guide the brad point bit rather than trying to center the bit over a hole and get the right amount of material removed from the entire diameter. Some of the smaller diameter bits tend to walk in the drill press so if I am off just a little in the beginning, the bit will follow the path of least resistance and may be crooked on the other end. Hope that makes sense...

 

[truck driver]

Yeah that makes sense since you will drill all of it out. I did find the laminated wood in mine was brittle and hard like some plexi glass I've worked with. Higher drill speeds is your friend in this case.

 

[Wyo7200]

Walnut is stripped and sanded. Looks like there is quite a bit of subtle figuring on one side and color variations running on both sides.

Picking up the ebony block for the tip and grip cap tomorrow if the roads are good.

 

[Wyo7200]

Waiting to hear back from Boyds and couldn't let a good weekend go to waste so I cut out the dams/spacers for the stock just in case Boyds says no on the return. Emailed them yesterday some pics of the stock inletting shortfalls.

Didn't get the ebony yet.

After some more sanding, I think I'd glue this one in, drill out the pillar, then bed it into place using the magazine as previously discussed.

The action and trigger still fit and function with that half dowel back there.

 

[truck driver]

What you have looks good to me. If Boyd's don't come threw I would do what you have planned.
I found another stock maker that mass produces like Boyd's that are producing the Fajen and Bishop stocks. They have some fancy wood that starts out as blanks and they will cut your inlet using your old stock to get the dimensions for the new inlet. Blanks range from $450 to $1200 depending on wood and grade.

 

[Wyo7200]

I'd love to make one from a blank someday... Someday

Boyd's told me I can send the stock back- for the engineers to evaluate it and either send it back to me, or send me a new stock, but cut exactly the same. Huh. Won't be giving them any more of my money.

Meh... On to pillar bedding!!!!

 

[FOTIS]

Good luck Jeff

 

[Wyo7200]

Thanks Fotis... I've been looking for checkering tools online for the past few days and am a little amazed that the Dem Bart's are sold out everywhere. Really don't want to spend 100 clams for a master set that I'd use maybe five times.

Checkering may have to wait.

 

[Wyo7200]

Kiddo had a sick day today so I got some time to work on the stocks.

I glued the dowels in along with the extra wood where it needed to be.

After a few hours, it was game time. I don't have a 5/8's bit yet, but I had a 15mm so lucky me, that was the width of the trigger guard inlet. With cheeks clenched, I made the non-returnable. There was a little chipping of the sacrificial wood, but it was easily glued back together.

With the pillar holes drilled, I started to adjust the pillars length. I drilled a 15mm hole in some scrap wood to help me keep the file flat. Also colored the top to see where I was filing.

End result- Just a little proud, maybe shy of 1/16... Should I take it down further?

I had to glue a washer to it so it wouldn't be too short.

Here's a shot of the mag catch and where the wood chipped out while drilling. The magazine is taped up and will be used to help form the mag well bedding will put some wax on it to ensure a release. risky!!!

 

[truck driver]

I wouldn't make them any shorter. I had to use a washer on one of mine on the first stock I did because it was too short and didn't want to remove any wood too make up the difference and have the trigger guard sitting too low in the wood. The idea is to have the pillar flush with the wood so the trigger guard bolts up flush and there is no compression of the wood.
Remember to put epoxy in the pillar hole as well on the pillar to have enough coverage and no air space around the pillar.