inletting question(hawken build)

[Joe S.]

Keeping in mind it's a hawken longstock flinter.I have the barrel/tang seated nicely in the stock.My problem is the tang is down a hair in the stock in the rear and down a hair in the stock where it meets the breech.There's a slight hump in the middle,bout an eighth of an inch.My first thought was to lower the barrel/tang down three sixteenths into the entire barrel channel. This would have solved a couple problems.Would have helped take some of the slab sidedness off the foreend after taking off a little wood to get back the reveal between barrel and foreend.Next Going to be loosing an eighth of an inch off the comb when I'm done with the butt plate and would have got it back after lowering the barrel/tang.After measuring up everything I don't have enough web between the bottom of the barrel channel and top of ram rod channel so back to the drawing board.I will still be able fix the slabside with some reshaping.Would you folks now file that tang to level withe wood?wrist is good shape wise.The comb detail where it meets the wrist can be good if I more straighten it as it drops down to the wrist as seen in some originals instead of the angle and this will give the illusion of depth(think I'll be fine here)Now I now for sure that the tang does not seat down tight along the whole way of its inlett.Would you glue a strip of wood fitting the shape of the present inlet and reseat the tang so its solid on wood the whole way.Would you bed it on glass? would you go with it as is after filing down to match wrist.Or am I over thinking things talking about an eighth inch an eighth inch there.After reading the other fellows build  issues my problems seem trivial at this point.Thanks,Joe

[Acer Saccharum]

Golly, a picture would help so much.

I'm really trying hard to imagine what you're describing, and am having difficulty.

[Joe S.]

Ya I know,and will be trying to get the picture part figured out soon.Sorry about being so long winded with the post,sounded pretty good when when going from my brain to my two fingers typing but then it always does,LOL

[Joe S.]

Wow,my eye glazed over reading it.Lets just go with the tang inletting part.

[rich pierce]

I'm not sure how the tang being low at breech and end get fixed by filing the tang. Would seem you'd file the wood. If inletted too deep then glue wood into the inlet. Bend the tang less and re-inlet.

[mark esterly]

 are you saying that the tang rocks in the inlet?

[kaintuck]

 
1/8" IS  a big difference, if it re-shapes a area......

sounds like the tang has too much curve....but I can't see it~

marc n tomtom

[Joe S.]

OK let me try to explain.The tang being slightly below the wood at both ends is fixable by taking the wood down,would be done anyway,as any inletting. The hump in the middle,cant do much to straighten the tang.If I file the tang to meet the wood it will be a wee bit on the thin side in my opinion.The stock being a precarve had the inlet at 1/4" deep.After I finished cleaning up the sides the tang is tight to the bottom of the inlet at the rear and at the breech.I can't lower the barrel/tang so my only option would be to file the tang to the wrist profile and the fill the gap with either wood or glass so its solid,so when the tang bolts are tightened they don't pull the tang down into the inlet. After I file the tang to fit its only going to be maybe an eighth on an inch thick.Maybe I'm thinking too much,I'm not going to using this rifle  as a club nor will it be riding into the sunset on a horse so between what's left of the tang and the trigger plate it should be plenty strong.I think I'm over thinking things,thanks for your input

[Herb]

Bend the hump out of the tang.  Do it in a vise.  Bend it cold.

[kaintuck]

1/8" IS  a big difference, if it re-shapes a area......

sounds like the tang has too much curve....but I can't see it~

marc n tomtom

Tomtom said tang hump.....must bend tang, must be flatter......tang hump go away......

[Keb]

The tang will grow in length when you flatten the hump in the middle and it's possible your inlet will have a gap where it flares out at the end. Be sure before you proceed.  It may be better to just file the hump out. However, it's hard to tell without any pictures. Did anyone mention this before?

[Joe S.]

Bent tang a hair,split the difference.If I straighten it out to much two things where happening,one like Keb said I started to have a gap and two I'm too far above the wood at the end.Filed the hump out to just above the wood and will check the wrist for shape and when I have better light will finish it up.Will fill in any gap under the tang with glued shim and reinlet.I thinks things will be fine,looking good so far.

[rich pierce]

I'd widen the end of the tang by peening then file gently to clean up and re inlet. Re-bend the tang and good to go,  But it takes an experienced hand as it can cause slight angling off to one side or the other if not careful. 

Keep in mind that any wood removal on a precarve leaves no room for adjustment and you may end up with a wrist that is thin vertically.  1/8" makes a real difference and a 1/4" change is huge.

[eddillon]

Again, a couple of photos would help in finding a solution for your problem.  Email me the photos and I'll put them up.  It really is very easy.

[Joe S.]

I will try to get some pics up.I think its going to be OK.The wrist will be pretty much stay the same except the little wood removed for finale finish.After straighting the tang a hair and taking out the hump it looks good.I know its hard to explain without photos but there's now way of lowering it down into the inlet as it was.To do it I would have been forced to lower the whole barrel and tang(tang/w hooked breech)After seating the barrel/tang in the very beginning I did not have much wood to take out for it to seat nice the whole way down.I measured the web between the barrel channel and ram rod channel and would have liked to drop it but the woods not there.If I get some time today I will try to throw a couple pics up and see what you folks think and thanks for the help and support as always.

[eddillon]

Photos of Joe's dilemma.

[Joe S.]

Thanks for posting those Ed.This is what it looks like after I did the best I could to remove the hump.The tang still is a hair above the wood and with a little more work should be good.Does it look OK with you folks?The wrist is a good 1 5/8" thick,that tapes end is pretty bent down.Lock panels will need some work when that time comes.I will need to reshape them about to get the ends closer to the center of the wrist.

[Pete G.]

Take off what you need to; slim the stock and use a tapered ramrod if need be.