Buttplate holding jig

[Ken G]

Here's a simple jig for holding a 2 piece buttplate while brazing with a torch.  The buttplate pieces are held together with a rivet.  This gets the piece up in the air where it is easier to get the torch to and not set the bench on fire.   It's made from 1/8" rod.  The jig is spring loaded kind of like a paper clip and clamps down.
Cheers,
ken

[Rolf]

I like the idea. Simple but elegant!! I've got to try to remember this , if i ever try to make a rifle butt plate. How thick is the sheet metal you re using for the butt plate?

Best regards

Rolfkt

[RobertS]

Great question, Rolfkt, and I have one, too.  I'd like to know what kind of steel works best.  Maybe mild steel, like you see in the upright bins at Lowe's? 

[mike e]

Could you do a tutorial on how to make a buttplate like that?

[Ken G]

The steel is real close to 1/16" or .052 thick by my calipers.  That should be around 16 gauge.   I think it came from Tractor supply but it could be off the back of an old Maytag washer.      The best kind is the free stuff and I'm a scavenger.  Your going to bend it hot or anneal it so the type steel doesn't matter to me. 

Mike,
I'd be glad to do a tutorial but I don't think I have enough pictures to really explain all the steps.  I'll see what I can put together but there are several guys on the forum that are FAR more qualified than I to do a buttplate tutorial.  Hint, hint.
Cheers,
Ken

[msblacksmith]

looks good. well thought out and simple.

[blaksmth]

 That is a good idea you had I just made a butt plate for a Hawken  just the other day and it is a job to hold it i used adjustable welding magnets on the top of my vice and a lot of bad words and finially got it right to gas weld it , I make mine out of 1/8  steel and shape over a swadge block

[huntinguy]

Okay, you guys started it. IF I ever get my barrel in the wood, and.... and I ever get to the butt... How do you guys make them.

I want to use steel (not a brass kinda guy), how do you get the radius on the plate, then how do you bend it with the radius not going flat and how do you fit it to the wood.

Yep, someone needs to do a tutorial.

Oh, good idea by the way. Thanks

[blaksmth]

 The first thing i do is locate a butt plate i like and i will make a pattern of the top and of the butt section by wrapping a piece of paper over rhe top and tracing around it with a pencil and i do the same on the butt section, this gives you a good pattern to transfer to cardboard or alunimum if you want a wider butt  draw it wider or if you want more curve  it needs to be wider . make a center line on the inside and outside of the parts this helps when forming

  i saw it out of 1/8 steel and i shape what curve over my swage block by usind a piece of shafting on the inside of the butt and using a hammer to drive it in the groove in the swage, i shape the curviture  and then the cresant part ofer a large dish in the swage block hammering on the outside of the butt till i get the cresant shape i want. a lead hammer is handy here.
   i form the top the same but use a piece of 3/4 shaft to drive in the inside  , i then check to make sure its formed the way i want i then try the top and see how it fits to the butt.
if every thing is good i hold it with welding magnets and spot it with a wire feed welder if all is well i gas weld it with a torch or it can be brazed on the inside for a more traditional way.

  Now check that it is not twisted from welding  i f so twist it back i a vice.
i then grind the inside of the top  and the butt to get it level on the edges cause when you bend it it will have a sharp edge on the metal.
grind the inside where you welded it with a dremal tool,or die grinder, do the same on the outsibe to blend the top and butt where it is joined

 Inlett it to the stock in the same way as a factory one, if its twisted some it requires a little more work to inlet or a little tweeking in a vice, work slowly.
you can bet i will use the welding jig described on the next one!!!  I hope my directions arent too confusing

[whitebear]

Tutorial with lots of pictures please.

[blaksmth]

 If I can figgure out how to get pics on this site i will , I can build parts but am really up against it when it comes to PC

[PPatch]

If I can figgure out how to get pics on this site i will , I can build parts but am really up against it when it comes to PC

Here you go Blaksmth, a tutorial on how to post pictures to ALR:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=10.0

It is not too hard; basically you create a login to a picture hosting site such a Photobucket. Upload your photos; then use the URL created to post the photographs to ALR (or anywhere else).

dave

[David R. Pennington]

I shape mine with nothing but the anvil. Roll the curves in the step and on the horn. Form the convex curve on the butt first and then you need a really good heat, almost yellow and you can get the curve that follows the crescent of the butt backwards over the horn without loosing the other curve.Holding jig not needed as I rivet the two pieces together (like the originals). I usually use a little finish nail. Its easier to braze in the forge than with a torch. Just clean up the joint before you rivet. Bring a little heat on it and flux with borax. Bend a couple pieces of brass wire to lay in the joint and lay it back on the fire and bring the heat up a little till it brazes. Poof! It all happens at once like magic!