Inletting Entry Thimble

[George F.]

No questions on this, just an anecdote.  I just finished inletting the entry thimble. I hve a tendency to leave alittle extra wood on the bottom of the lower forestock until I start to shape it. Well these cast steel thimbles, like the cast steel butt plate have no give in them, well, I kept on inletting in until I finally got the 3/8" rat tail file to slide into the forestock. I just kept on going, For awhile I was afraid I was gonna need a visa to China.      Sorry,  I couldn't help myself  ...Geo.

[erdillonjr]

Entry pipes are a real SOB . Hardest part on a gun to inlet. Ed

[Don Getz]

Here's a little helpful hint on inletting that awful thing.    I have a piece of 3/8" ramrod about a foot long, tapered so that
it will easily slide thru the ramrod pipe.    I also have a notch cut into the large end so that I can take a screwdriver and
drive it out if it tightens up.   I merely use it to check my progress with that entry thimble.  After I get it inlet far enough
and the ramrod slides in easily, I feel great.   I also use it to hold the thimble in place while I drill the pin holes.   Simple
little thing but very useful..............Don

[George F.]

I really don't mind inletting the entry thimble, yeah, I do complain about it though. To me, the most time consuming part is either a swamped barrel, a lock, or a butt plate. I inlet the whole buttplate with a chisel. Really time consuming for me.  The lock, because I try, key word try, to inlet it to make it look like its laying on the lock panel. This rarely happens, there's always a slip with a chisel, a misread smudge somewhere, or just plain everyday sloppiness. What it really comes down to is this...I'm just your everyday, slow working, complaining gun builder, oh yeah, sometimes sloppy gunbuilder.  ...Geo.

[Pete G.]

I hate that particular job because it seems to be so difficult to determine just where to remove wood. It helps a lot to inlet one of the upper pipes in place of the entry first. Then you only have to be concerned in getting the tang on the entry inlet.

[B Shipman]

I shape the wood in the area almost to finish demensions before inletting the entry pipe. A lot less wood to remove. Goes pretty quickly.