lines on stock

[bonron]

I'm another new guy asking for help. On many rifles I have seen there is  an incised line running from the buttplate to the trigger guard area near the bottom of the stock. Measurements vary widely as to length and the distance up from the stock bottom. Can anyone give me suggestions what these measurements should be on an Early Lancaster? I have returned to BP after a hiatus of several years and am in the process of putting the finishing touches on my first build  . I bought this rifle in the white ( never again). Anyhow thanks in advance for your help.  Ron

[rich pierce]

Generally the placement depends on the rest of the buttstock, how deep it is, how much room below the cheekpiece.  A maximum on an early rifle might be a pinky finger width up from the toe at the buttplate and tapered down going forward.  On later rifles use you'r wife's or grandkid's pinkie finger.  Just indicating these things are not precise.  Draw some lines on there, compare to early rifles you see in books or on websites, and go from there.  If you do a search for "Dickert" here on the forum some pictures will probably pop up that would be helpful.

[bgf]

I second Rich's suggestion: look at a Dickert that is close to what you are doing.  That line varies in its termination from the back post of the triggerguard to up to the trigger(s) in some cases; from the pictures I have of Dickerts (few), it looks like the line terminates a the rear return of the triggerguard bow.  Don't look for a measurement, pay more attention to the relative placement on the stock of an original, although I think Rich's pinkie measurement is good to keep you from going overboard.  Also, most originals seem to have file marks in the buttplate coincident with those molding lines.

[flehto]

Just finished the 4th early Lancaster and the lower butt molding on all four had a width of 3/8" starting at the buttplate and tapered to 5/32" at the rear bow return and terminated w/ a radius to the edge of the toeline. Some had a cross sectional outline that was straight and some were concave w/ a bead, but there are a few other shapes which can be used. I make these lower butt moldings in relief vs just using an incised line.  Good luck on your "return". to building...Fred

[rich pierce]

Mark Wheland has a nice early dickert on hos website here
http://www.markwhelandrifles.com/lancaster-dickert.html

[bonron]

Thanks to you guys for responding. I think the best thing I can do is to use your suggestions and draw some different styles of the lines on paper, hopefully some where close to scale, and see how they look compared to my rifle. Unfortunately I seem to be better at drawing flies  than doing art work but maybe it'll help. I will try to post some pics after I'm done. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[keweenaw]

Just draw it on the stock with a pencil until you are happy with it.  If it's not where you want it use the other end of the pencil to take it off.  There's no right of wrong on this unless you get it too high on the stock.  Drawing it on paper really won't give you the correct idea as the stock is contoured while the paper is flat. Even guns by the same maker vary a bit .  On most of those early guns this is not, however, an incised line, it's a relief line with the wood relieved above it.

Tom