Author Topic: Forging an Virginia iron mounted buttplate (Read 12267 times)

M Tornichio · « **on:** April 22, 2012, 07:19:34 PM »

After taking about 6 months of from forging due to an elbow injury. I am getting back into forging and rifle building. I have a squence of photos that show most of all the steps involve in forging one. The original rifle is iron mounted and very similar to rifles made by some of the sheetz family members. I am not making a copy, but I am attempting to build a rifle with many of the same characteristics.
I try to spend more time up front cutting out a blank to fit a pattern. It is not necessary, but I find that it saves time latter on when you actually make the buttplate.
As always ask if you have any questions.

M Tornichio · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:23:01 PM »

forming the blanks with the initial curves. These are formed in a swage block.

M Tornichio · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:27:52 PM »

Next steps are drilling each piece and riveting them together. You also have to file the two pieces so they fit each other before brazing together.

after brazing. I used yellow brass for brazing material.

after clean up.

M Tornichio · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:30:16 PM »

Installing onto the stock

I thought you guys might like to see the rifle as it is coming along.

Ken G · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:32:03 PM »

Great tutorial! Thanks for posting.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:33:55 PM »

Excellent! Very interesting and can't wait to see more of the rifle as it progresses.

alyce-james · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:43:32 PM »

Sir; Thanks for sharing. Interesting and helpful to newer ALF, I'm sure. I know I enjoyed the process. Looking foreward to completed project. AJ

C Wallingford · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:56:59 PM »

Mark--
What thickness is the material that you use?

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2012, 08:11:48 PM »

I wondered where you had been. Nice job on the BP and a good start on the rifle. Keep us posted, I look forward to seeing the guard.

Tim C.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2012, 01:32:04 AM »

Very nice butt plate. Is it Chevy or Ford??? ........ For some of us you have to start at the very beginning....

M Tornichio · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2012, 04:15:33 AM »

Quote from: C Wallingford on April 22, 2012, 07:56:59 PM

Mark--
What thickness is the material that you use?

Charlie, I used 1/8th inch material which is on the thick side. I used what I had on hand. I have forged them out of 1/16 th inch material and that works well. You just have to be right on. There is no room for error. I am planning on filing flats on the butt plate so thicker material should help.
Marc

C Wallingford · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2012, 02:08:37 PM »

Thanks, Mark. Very nice work.

deano · « **Reply #12 on:** April 23, 2012, 02:50:26 PM »

Nice step by step pictures, thanks for sharing. I hope you share a similar series of pictures as you fabricate the guard for this rifle.

Ken

okieboy · « **Reply #13 on:** April 24, 2012, 04:29:16 AM »

Thanks Mark, good tutorial and a nice looking buttplate.

coutios · « **Reply #14 on:** April 24, 2012, 04:44:47 AM »

Looks like another good one.................. If you come to the Cabin Saturday don't leave that rifle at home... Hope to see you there ... Again ... Nice work....... Dave

Jack Hubbard · « **Reply #15 on:** April 24, 2012, 05:40:21 AM »

good pictures...very nice work...Thanks for posting them....

Gaeckle · « **Reply #16 on:** April 24, 2012, 04:26:56 PM »

Hey Mark.....going tobring that to Lodi this weekend? Looks good, glad to see you're doing well..........

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #17 on:** April 24, 2012, 08:06:00 PM »

This will seem silly to some of you that do forge work but I haven't done anything like this and would like to know the best way to put the curve in the buttplate. I have the the return and the upper part of the bp pieces done but now I need to put a little rear-ward curve on the lower half of the bp. Right now I do not have any type of swage blocks, only an anvil, vise, forge to heat it with. The curve does not show up in the photo that I posted but its there and the convex parts stays at the top but gradually fades toward the bottom. Right now I am thinking about trying to bend it cold using a flat piece of lead for the backing and a piece of round stock laying inside then beating it out starting at the toe and working forward. Any better thoughts? Yes I am buying some swage blocks but I am not sure they would held with the curve.

I have the parts closely fitted but I will not try to braze them until I get the curvature right.
One thing I won't do again is to use such thick stock. The original is .125 stock and I had some .145 which is not much thicker but its seems much harder to bend even when hot. It might be the alloy, it came from the support leg of an old leaf blower.
Dennis

heinz · « **Reply #18 on:** April 24, 2012, 09:24:19 PM »

Dennis, if you heat the butt plate to a dull red you can bend it gently by tappping on the inside of the radius you want held over the step in the anvil. As you get the butt to curve it will draw some of the radius out of the putt plate hoizontally. Just flip it over and tap on the inside of the horizontal radius on the same step in the anvil. You can also put a curve in the buttplate by heating it to a little brighter red and holding the butt over the horn in the anvil and lifting with the tongs so the end is elevated above the horn and the part just beyond where you want the curve is on the horn. You hit where the plate is off the anvil horn and it will curve down. It helps if you have a cross peen or veritical peen hammer. The other option is to heat it up to dull red and drop it in the open jaw of your vise ( sort of open about an inch or so ) and bend it using your tongs.
I hope this made some sense.

John Archer · « **Reply #19 on:** April 24, 2012, 09:59:28 PM »

Dennis, here are some photos of what Heinz is describing. You'll need to take a good yellow heat ...you want the curved sides of the butt plate to stretch when forming the curve...otherwise they will flatten out.

It helps to have a template to compare the curve to.

John

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #20 on:** April 25, 2012, 12:45:04 AM »

Thanks guys I appreciate that. Yes I have a cross peen hammer. It looks easy enough. Hopefully I will have time to fire up the forge tomorrow and try it.
Thanks
Dennis

dannybb55 · « **Reply #21 on:** April 25, 2012, 12:59:28 AM »

Beautiful butt plate. Two comments though:

1 Hold the other end of the hammer, it will save your rist from damage and make the swinging easier.
2 Vice grips make really sucky tongs, Forge you a few dedicated tongs with 18 inch reigns and small jaws for holding the thin stuff.

Nice anvil too.
Danny

John Archer · « **Reply #22 on:** April 25, 2012, 01:48:15 AM »

Hi Danny,

This is no-effort, precise forging....the bend over the anvil is done with verrry light taps. I choke up on the hammer for this for more control. I'm probably only lifting the hammer a few inches at most.

I've got lots of light tongs but I prefer the vise grips for this. They allow your left hand to be nice and close to the butt plate. I've ground the jaws smooth so they don't mar the work. I use the vise grips for most of the small forging chores on butt plates and trigger guards.

John.

Robby · « **Reply #23 on:** April 25, 2012, 03:13:10 PM »

This is my first stab at forging the butt plate and trigger guard. Dennis, I didn't have a swage block either so I cut a piece of pipe lengthwise. It worked all right, but I think I'll spring for the block. I did loose some of the dome effect when I bent it to the final arch. Seeing this posting, I think I will do better next time, though this one is very comfortable to shoot.

Robby

heinz · « **Reply #24 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:32:06 PM »

John, excellent pictures, and worth that thousand words. You are correct on the heat but I usually recommend cooler for beginners.
I hold my hammer like yours for this job.
Go for it Dennis!

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Author Topic: Forging an Virginia iron mounted buttplate (Read 12267 times)

coutios

Jack Hubbard

dannybb55