Stock to Barrel Gap

[BillF/TRF]

I am a first time builder and just finished inletting my barrel and breech tang into a Jim Chambers stock.  The barrel and tang fit nicely except for a noticeable gap between the stock and the barrel at the lock cut out next to the pan bolster.  The gap there is about .03 in. and then quickly narrows along the rail to about .003 in for most of the rest of the barrel length.  I have read about how to fix gaps in this Forum but wonder if wetting the inner stock near the bigger gap and compressing ( and heating?) the stock would be enough to close a gap that big?  My other concern is being able to take the barrel out of the stock afterwards as I have a tight fit now.

[rich pierce]

Not sure you can close a gap of that size by wetting.  I would plane and glue a piece inside the barrel channel then re-inlet the barrel.

[PPatch]

Not sure you can close a gap of that size by wetting.  I would plane and glue a piece inside the barrel channel then re-inlet the barrel.

I doubt the gap would completely close, and upon drying would open again, but not quite as much. Rich is correct, a wood patch is what is called for. Done carefully it will not be unsightly, do stain the parts (edges) that are to be inlet before gluing in place. In the following photo's you will see a repair I did along the barrel channel, your techniques will be similar but near the lock inlet, go slow, be sure. Always be test fitting as you go and do a clamp test before actually gluing in your piece.

The technique is to first fabricate a bit of wood to be inlet, then to chisel out the area you intend to glue it into.





Now is when you do a test clamping to work out how you'll proceed once you stain and add glue - to both pieces.







The repair (of a worm hole in this case) was successful. Once the stock was shaped you could barely tell it was repaired. Good luck Bill, and welcome to ALR. 

dave

[smallpatch]

Bill,
A photo would help us give better advice.

[BillF/TRF]

https://imgur.com/xalrlKGhttps://imgur.com/xalrlKG

The .03 in. gap shows on each picture and lessons as you move toward the muzzle

[Scota4570]

For only  0.030" I would use a plane or spoke shave to remove a thick shaving, or two, from the same stock in the same orientation.  Maybe up the fore-end.  Stain it dark with dye stain.  I glue in in place with medium CA glue or epoxy.   Others here use other glues, anyway, if I had a white line from the glue I'd draw it back with a micro fine black sharpie marker.  It would be nearly  invisible.   Gluing in a whole block as shown would be ugly and unnecessary

[PPatch]

https://imgur.com/xalrlKGhttps://imgur.com/xalrlKG

The .03 in. gap shows on each picture and lessons as you move toward the muzzle

Bill; The imgur link isn't working. Try copying and pasting the photographs directly into ALR. Remember, on imgur, you want the fifth option down from the top, just hit "Copy" at the right side of the code string displayed, then return to ALR and paste it in your post. The coded, link, begins with [img].

dave

[BillF/TRF]

The gap is greatest by the lock cut ( .03 in.) out and lessons toward the barrel.



Another view

[sleddman]

Bill,  you should have an extra piece of wood with your kit.  Cut a sliver from it and glue clamp it in.   Use a water proof glue. I see that it is so small of a gap that i would finish the gun as is. As long as your lock bolts up tight with the barrel. I do not think it is so big a deal .   Just mho.     

[PPatch]

That isn't too bad Bill. My fix would be to glue a sliver of wood on the inside of the barrel channel, once the glue is dry you can chisel and scrape the wood to a slight taper to conform to the barrel flat. Be sure to stain the barrel channel and the repair wood before gluing. Test clamp it, and if satisfied with the test then glue and clamp it for real and let it sit overnight. I use waterproof Titebond III for that sort of repair.

The repair should be barely noticeable once completed.

To answer your original question: No, that gap would never successfully close by wetting the wood and force clamping it.

dave

[smallpatch]

It almost looks like the stock was inlet for a swamped barrel, and a straight was used.?!?

[Scota4570]

The pad of material meant to be  grabbed with the vice during construction is a perfect place to harvest your donor shaving.