Making a butt plate

[Tommykid]

I was given this rifle as a gift and have come close to finishing the cleaning/preservation. Here's some before/after pics:







The problem is it was missing the patch box cover and butt plate. I was able to make the patch box cover out of sheet brass, but am lost regarding the butt plate. I don't want to touch the wood. I got a too-large butt plate and have been trying to shape it to the existing space, but it's not going well, (mostly because I don't know what I'm doing). It might not be much, but this is only one of 10 known examples, so I don't want to start in-letting to fit a repro butt plate. Has anyone ever taken a wax impression of an inletted stock and then made a butt plate for that space? Not sure it's possible/practical/cost effective. Thanks in advance and I hope I put this post in the correct area.
Thanks,
Tom

[490roundball]

Reaves Goerhing has one he calls the "blob"  it can be shaped to fit an existing inlet

maybe you can make a template to fit the inlet - then reshape a blob with that

nice clean up job - hard to believe its the same gun

[JPK]

Nice work .
Is that a Russian model 1851 ?

[Tommykid]

Reaves Goerhing has one he calls the "blob"  it can be shaped to fit an existing inlet

maybe you can make a template to fit the inlet - then reshape a blob with that

nice clean up job - hard to believe its the same gun

Thanks. I did make a paper template, then fitted one out of cardboard and transferred that to the butt plate I have. Limited talent and even less patience at the moment had me thinking about other options.
Tom

[Tommykid]

Nice work .
Is that a Russian model 1851 ?

It's a variation of a first pattern Brunswick rifle recovered in Nepal in 2003. What makes this unusual is that the barrel is about 9" longer than the standard Brunswick. It's .70 and has 2-groove rifling.
Tom

[bgf]

Is BP brass or steel?  It looks like you could just cut something out of 1/8" sheet and file it to shape/decorate.  I have made my last two LR buttplates out of steel, and I fit them to the rifle rather than the rifle to the buttplate (I hate tedious inletting, but like hammers). Yours looks like a flat sheet of brass is about all you need -- I don't see any return/comb extension?

This might do it:
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/0/1/SHEET-125-B

[smylee grouch]

Hi Tommykid, I think BGF has it right, you could make one with some thicker sheet brass and if it dont look good make another as the brass isnt that expensive. Good luck which ever way you do it.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I think you'll find that a Brunswick or Baker butt plate will fit very close.  Should be available from The Rifle Shoppe (TRS).

Remarkable job on the restoration.

[TPH]

Tommykid, good to see you here! You've done a great job on cleaning it up, keep up the good work.

While you can form one from heavy sheet brass, it may be beyond your tooling and the set of skills you have developed right now. I think that D. Taylor has made a good suggestion, try the TRS reproduction butt plate, it can be returned if it simply won't work.

[Jim Kibler]

The butplate from TRS may work, but since it has been pulled from an existing butplate, there may be shrinkage such that it won't be useable.   It can sometimes be stretched by hammering, but in fitting to an existing stock, this may not work.  It's worth a shot though. 

[David Veith]

Just a I deal if it is going to be brass. Make up a master out of bondo. and have it poured. I know someone that can do it. 
David

[Jim Kibler]

The shrinkage factor still applies.  If the bondo fits, the cast butplate won't.  Must be made larger.  Perhaps the bondo pattern could be made bigger?  Don't quite know how, but maybe.

[Tommykid]

Tommykid, good to see you here! You've done a great job on cleaning it up, keep up the good work.

While you can form one from heavy sheet brass, it may be beyond your tooling and the set of skills you have developed right now. I think that D. Taylor has made a good suggestion, try the TRS reproduction butt plate, it can be returned if it simply won't work.

You obviously know me if you know that making a butt plate out of sheet brass is outside of my skill set    As for TRS butt plate....I've looked into it and it's too small. Besides having a longer barrel, these variants of the Brunswick have a larger stock all the way around. My best bet is probably to stay the current course and try and shape the repro butt plate I have.
Thanks,
Tom

[Tommykid]

Just a I deal if it is going to be brass. Make up a master out of bondo. and have it poured. I know someone that can do it. 
David

It is brass....might be interesting to try it and see if perhaps it could aid in the shaping of the current brass butt plate I'm working on...
Tom

[Pete G.]

Whatever route you chose to go, don't hurry the process. If you get impatient you may save a day or two, but you will regret it every time you pick up the rifle for years to come.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Reeve's "blob" is sounding better all the time.  Filing brass is easy, and immensely satisfying.

[Acer Saccharum]

Filing brass is easy.......

......only if the file is sharp!

[Gaeckle]

The shrinkage factor still applies.  If the bondo fits, the cast butplate won't.  Must be made larger.  Perhaps the bondo pattern could be made bigger?  Don't quite know how, but maybe.

........here's how: make the pattern, spray it with spray adhesive, add aluminum foil....keep doing this to build up the area and then make the master from that. You would be basically wrapping the item in foil. Then contact Mr. Veith.