Ramrod hole too low

[webradbury]

Well, looks like I'm going to break through to the ramrod hole if I want the stock under the lock as then as it needs to be. I thought about gluing a dowel in and redrilling the hole but I'm not sure if I want to try that. I measured the location of the hole from the bottom flat of the barrel channel. I'm going to drill a little hole from the bottom side tomorrow to get a more accurate measurement and go from there. I may be making a trigger guard with a really long front tang!

[Pete G.]

.....or a wear plate. you won't be the first.

[M. E. Pering]

I have done the dowel thing before, and I have not been satisfied with the results... The drill still wandered, though to a different spot, still not where I wanted it to go.  On the bright side of your problem, the ramrod went to low instead of off to the side into the lock inlet area or up and hit the barrel.  If it had gone into the lock inlet area, there would be little choice other than to dowel it.  Wear plates or extended trigger guard tangs are totally acceptable solutions, as many of the ancient builders had this problem as well, and they often made these in attractive ways.  It all depends on how you look at... It is either a tragedy, or an opportunity to make something even better.

Matt

[webradbury]

Every "challenge" I have had with this first build has definitely been a learning experience!

[jerrywh]

 You can drill a small hole beneath the front extension of the trigger guard to gauge the thickness. You only need about .050 of wood at that spot.

[wbradbury]

You can drill a small hole beneath the frot extension of the trigger guard to gauge the thickness. You only need about .050 of wood at that spot.

Ok, great. I actually may be able to get by then.

[Nordnecker]

The trouble with a glued in plug is, even though you might drill the hole in the right location after plugging, the plug is still too low. On my last build, I just knew I had drilled too low and plugged the hole and re-drilled. When shaping the forend down I decided to cut it away where I wanted and just expose the plug if that happened. Low and behold I did not expose the plug, but did expose a small hole. Turns out my feeler hole went through the RR hole and into the bottom of the stock. So I didn't really drill too low after all. I was right and thought I was wrong.

[webradbury]

Well, I scraped the bottom down to as close as I can get to the ramrod hole without going through.  I still think it needs to go more. It would probably be ok as it is now, but I want it slender in this area.  I have decided to scrape it on down to where it needs to be, expose the ramrod hole and scrape it out from the bottom essentially moving the hole to where it needs to be and then gluing in a plug.  Maybe I can get the grain to match.  Will

[KentSmith]

Well here's my take.  Done this before.  Still get cold sweats when I drill a ramrod hole because of it. But the therapy of making more guns is curing me.

Tried the plug and as everyone will tell you, even if they always use precarves and have never drilled a ramrod hole n their life, if you still have the slab of wood you cut off the bottom of the blank and can match up the grain, then you can fit a nice wood plug/patch matching the grain and glue it in with epoxy or wood glue or whatever and if you do a good job you can hardly tell - hardly.  That takes some time - for me as much to find the slab I cut in the first place.  Anyhow I did this.  Then finished the gun, sanded everything - still good.  Then put on the ferric nitrate and blushed the stock with heat, and now the glue line pops up because the heat melts the glue.  Work that problem out and finally get it right but I know its there and so can see it and that is a problem, like a splinter, for me.  I eventually put a wear plate on and should have done that from the beginning. 

Those guys rode horses, used their gun every day, guys shooting dozens of deer every year not to mention all the other romantic stuff they did that we get off on thinking about it in the comfort of our 21st century centrally heated, air conditioned, in door plumbing lives.  Sometimes that sixteenth took a lot of abuse.

[kaintuck]

Just have it a little fat there.......kinda like complaining about a bellie dancer cause her feet look big.....
Marc n tomtom

[E.vonAschwege]

Will, Have you inlet the lock yet or cut the stock profile to exact shape?  Inlet the barrel deeper at the breech until the web is the thickness you want.  Won't take nearly as long as it will to plug the hole and re-drill it, or to install a wear plate. 
-Eric

[wbradbury]

Will, Have you inlet the lock yet or cut the stock profile to exact shape?  Inlet the barrel deeper at the breech until the web is the thickness you want.  Won't take nearly as long as it will to plug the hole and re-drill it, or to install a wear plate. 
-Eric

That would be a good option but I'm already too far along. I see inletting a wear plate in the future!

[Dan Fruth]

There is also the option on gluing your patch on the outside of the stock. I keep scrap from the gun I'm working on in case I need to mend a mistake. I think that is how the antique rifle restoration guys learned their trade. How to patch up stock damage. In most cases these repairs are not visible if grain is carefully matched....And keep a supply of artist oil paint on hand to touch up colors.

[wbradbury]

I have patched the problem. I just cut out the bottom of the ramrod hole to expose it and scraped the hole out to where it needs to be. I then glued in a patch and sanded it down. It will suffice for me even though it doesn't match grain wise, exactly. I really didn't try too hard to match the grain as I will either cover it with a wear plate or live with it. This was a learning project and I have definetly learned a lot with it. I planned on keeping this rifle for me and plan on hunting with it, a lot, so it will be ok!