2 piece early Hawken butt plate

[Dave Peelgren]

That looks great Dave way better than what you can buy.

[bluenoser]

I have been following this thread with interest and commend Dave on a job well done.
At some point in the not too distant future, I will need to make a two piece BP for a Southern gun project. I cannot help thinking it would be easier to do the brazing before the drilling and riveting.  We today have the advantage of being able to do the brazing with a torch, rather than a forge.  Would that be flawed thinking?

[Dave B]

No I think the use of an adjustable fixture would allow you to hold the piece in alignment for brazing. That way you dont have to worry about the deforming rivet shaft  causing the pieces to get wonky on you. I had to shift my alignment multiple times while riveting this second butt plate. The first was no issue due to how close to the end of the joint the rivet hole was.  Trying to hold on to the butt plate to file and tweek was helped by a fixture I whipped up.

I used some walnut and cut out the profile of the return and made a matching core section that fit the inside so when clammped down was rock solid and allowed me to torque out the  twist, shape on the anvil, file and prevent vice jaw damage as well as deforming the metal.

[smylee grouch]

Just curious but COULD a guy drill and tap a small as 5x40 screw  down from the top into the face of the but at the top, crank it down, braze the sides, remove the screw, rivet through that hole and finish brazing?

[bluenoser]

Thanks Dave,
I believe that is the approach I will take.  Jigging up will take some thought, but I don't see it as much of a challenge.

[Dave B]

T Albert,  I had rememberd I picke up a A SMR original butt plate some where and it was inface brazed with copper so it was done is some cases. The metal on this one is .o60 in thickness. The other TN butt plate is .080 in thickness but brazed with brass.