Over the Comb Tang

[Ken G]

As a follow up to my post on drawing the tang out.  I got around to inletting the tang and thought I would post a picture or two.

[Beaverman]

That turned out real nice! is this replicating an original rifle or just something you've been wanting to do? either way it turned out nice, lots of work!

[M Tornichio]

Thanks for sharing the pictures. I always wondered how you guys inlet those.

[flintman-tx]

Man!!! That looks HARD !

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

well done ken.  i'd be very pleased with that outcome.

[angus]

Looks like you are making excellent progress.

[Ken G]

Thanks for the nice comments guys.  The over the comb tang is replicating guns made in upper E. TN. although the gun will not a copy of any original.  I'm sure there are several ways to inlet one so don't take mine as THE way.  It would easier to have more wood to work with than the pre-shaped stock I'm working on.  More wood would be more forgiving. 
Ken

[Brian Jordan]

That is something else! I can't wait to see the finished product!

[gibster]

Thanks for posting the pictures Ken.  It's great to see work like this in progress.  Can't wait to see pictures of the finished rifle.
Gibster

[Steve Bookout]

'Dawg, Looks like a good job.  Hope that didn't take more than 3 hours to inlet fully.  If it did, looks as if there will be a Moon Pie penalty due.  Cheers, Bookie

[Birddog6]

Looks good Ken !   Kinda scary when ya take off down that wrist with a blade.  On mine I was thinking "Well, if this don't work I can mark this up to one of the Dumbest things I have done in  a while".  ha ha ! 

[Brian]

That is wild Ken!  Very nice.  Well beyond my ability.

Just out of curiosity, how long is that tang in total?

[Ken G]

Thanks for all the nice comments.

Brian,
It's about 10 1/2" long.  Mine only goes about 1/2 down the comb to the buttplate.  I wish Birddog would post a picture of his.  Hint!  Hint!  His goes all the way to the comb plate. 
Ken

Bookie,
I recon I'll be mailing a case of penalty Moon Pies your way.  I'm afraid it took longer than 3 hours. Heck, I scratched my head for hour. 

[Don Getz]

Ken....you are good......how did you do that without leaving any black burn marks  where you burned it into the stock?
Nice job, you are a brute for punishment.   That's the kind of thing you like to show off, gives you a lot of satisfaction to
pull it off.................Don

[Birddog6]

Here is the one I am messing with.  I have to turn the screw heads down a bit yet but you can get the general idea.  The tang extension will butt up to the buttplate & be cut off there, and the piece cut off will be welded under the existing tang with about 1/2" extension going under the buttplate to retain the end of the tang.
This is a Getz 13/16" straight barrel & it had a flared tang & I made it straight tang  & then welded on the extension.  It is not replicating a rifle I have seen, I just wanted one with the tang all the way to the buttplate for myself, just something a little different.



In this you can see where the buttplate will go.



It made me a little nervous inletting that long tang, as if you accidently bend it & then bend it back, the dang thing gets longer. When you have a eye (I call it) in the middle of it, you can't have it changing lengths, it HAS to stay the same to the eye & up over the comb or when you go back with it the piece is longer than the inlet & then possibly a gap in the inlet.  It is coming along pretty good I think, but tedious at times.

On this one, the front tang bolt is into the triggerplate, the rear tang bolt is a wood screw made to look lik the front tang bolt,  & the screw at the tang eye is thru the wrist & threaded into the triggerplatel, so the wood is kinda sandwiched there. I figured if I was going to put a screw down thru the wrist & one up thru the wrist, may as well make them one & thread thru the triggerplate & possibly reinforce that long thin wrist a tad.  But after studying it, it may not make any dif. at all.........

 

Keith

[roundball]

You guys are true craftsman.

Never having heard of anything called an "over the comb tang", as I began scrolling down through Ken's #2, 3, and 4 photos I was thinking that rear piece sticking up in the air might be some sort of long range rear peep sight bracket or something
 

[Brian]

It made me a little nervous inletting that long tang, as if you accidently bend it & then bend it back, the dang thing gets longer

See, I'd never have thought of that - and so I'd have been in trouble right off the mark even if I HAD been able to actually inlet it that nice.  I understand exactly what you are saying - now - but I'd have not thought of it in time to save myself a lot of trouble.  Thanks for the tip!

Beautiful job you guys!  I sweat blood over the thought of trying to make a 3" tang look good - and you fellas make these look easy! 

[LynnC]

Ken - Awsome Inletting there!

Tell me about your method with the up-turned tang at the nose of the comb.

When I did mine (Read that ONE  ), I bent the entire tang to match my drawing & stock and made fine adjustments untill fully inlet down the comb.

If this is an easier way, I want to know about it.  Is it bent up just to get the forward tang inlett then gradually or full bent to go down the comb?

If I can learn sumpin' lay it on me!.......................Lynn

[Collector]

Ken,  A beautiful piece of work.  These mountain rifles have a way of growing on you. 

Q. How do you handle any castoff in the stock with this kind of detail? 

Q. Do you transition at the rise in the comb off of the wrist or just before the rise, while the inletting is still in the wrist?

[Ken G]

Thanks for the encouraging words.
Lynn,
For me it was easier to worry about one part at a time.  Just getting it inlet down the wrist was my first concern so I bent the tang straight up and inlet everything to that point.  It simplified the process to me.  
Then I made the comb bend and inlet it across the top of the comb.  If I was following an exact layout, bending it all at once would work but I had not made my buttplate at that point and the comb line was still a varible if that makes sense.  Being as my forged buttplates tend to varry a little.  The comb angle will change so I'll still have to tweek it a little.
Ken

G.Hansen,
It does have a little cast off.  Maybe a 1/4 or so.  I handled that mostly at the top of the comb.  It turns a little at the top of the comb. 

[PINYONE]

Well my hat hat is off to anyone doing these tangs, a lot of work. I look at them and think they look like alot of work if you pull the breech plug, being so long. Does anyone ever make them 2 piece so that only the breech comes out and the extension stays in?

[LynnC]

Thanks Ken - I may try your method next go-round.

G Hansen - Tang centered on wrist & nose of comb & centered on top of comb pointing at the cast off.  It's bent just a tiny bit and you really can't tell it's bent at all.  I think I put my cast off in at the nose of the comb.  Been a long time now.............................Lynn

[Dave K]

Wow, is all I can say to these guns. I also have to admit, the Tenn. style certainly does have a drawing power to it. I like that long tang look.

[Steve Bookout]

Birddog6, I believe that you will like the sandwiched wood as you call it.  That sandwich was the only thing that saved my rifle after falling about 3 feet to the floor.  The stock broke, but was easily salvaged after drying my eyes. Cheers, Bookie

[Birddog6]

Well, one thing for sure, I would have a top & a bottom guide to hold it in place while the glue dries.  I sure hope I don't have to find out tho !!