Gap Around Tang

[Bill Raby]

I just finished inletting a tang. The gap around it is a bit larger than I would like. So I am wondering what all of you think of this. My guess is that it is fine, but a second opinion would be nice. Should I fill it in with thin sliver of wood, or is this just going to swell closed when I do the finishing?

[EC121]

The gap looks pretty even all the way round.  Even is good.  I would leave it alone and let the finish fill it.  You could also beat it out some to fill the gap, but that could get uneven.

[smylee grouch]

Or you might consider the old steam and iron trick if you run out of options.

[Huntschool]

Wet it down and let it sit.  The wood will find the metal......

[stubshaft]

+1- On the steam trick.

[Bill Raby]

I have used the steam trick to take out dents, but is that going to work if the wood is cut away?

[Chowmi]

I have used the steam trick to take out dents, but is that going to work if the wood is cut away?

It sure ain't gonna hurt! 

You will only know if you try. 

Norm

P.S.  I wish my inletting gaps looked half as nice as yours.  At least yours are straight, neat and tidy.

[Long John]

Friend,

If you wet or steam the wood it will swell.  The gap will close.  But, as soon as the wood dries out it will shrink back to its pre-steamed size, unless of course, it got so wet that some of the wood cells next to the metal get crushed.  Then the gap will get bigger than it is now.  The same principal is at work when some one puts an axe in a bucket of water - the head tightens up while the handle is wet but gets progressively looser over repeated soaking/drying cycles.

I would use my hammers on your gun.  Take the barrel out of the stock and place the tang, top surface down, onto a smooth anvil.  Using many small taps apply a medium size ball peen hammer to the edge of the tang all the way around the perimeter.  The impacts of the hammer will cause the steel to flow to the side.  Concentrate your hits to the very edge - you don't want the tang to stretch lengthwise, and it will if you are not careful.  The bottom surface will expand laterally faster than the top surface so when it comes time to try the fit in the stock you will have to strike-off the burr at the bottom edge with your file and return the side draft of the tang.  Its probably a 1-hour job to move the metal enough to close-up that gap.  Ask me how I know!

Best Regards,

JMC
John Cholin

[smart dog]

Hi Bill,
I don't think I would worry about it.  I suggest you leave it for now and don't do any wetting or steaming now.  I suspect the stain and finish will close it all up permanently.  However, if you tighten the inlet now with water, you risk chipping away wood because you will be removing the barrel frequently as you build the gun. Later, when you will not be installing and removing the barrel very much, then consider those options but I don't think you will need them at all.

dave

[Frank]

It's fine. Leave it alone.

[okawbow]

I try to get a fit like that. After the stain and finish, my inlets usually get too tight. I worry about chipping out wood when disassembling.

Let it be.

[rich pierce]

I do not think it’s bad. And I agree with Long John that peening can work but in this case you’ve already filed down to the wood, making that doable but tricky.  But if you ever do run into a worse all-around gap you can file the whole tang .080” thinner or so, solder a wider piece of steel on top, then file it with draft to a slightly wider profile and re-inlet. This is the approach I’d use in a restoration of a missing tang on an original where a store bought tang may not fit for many reasons.

[Scota4570]

Your finish will fill that up to some degree.  IF you wax the tang and apply finish with it in place it might fill the gap completely.  I think it is OK.

[smallpatch]

You worry too much.  Nice, even inlet.  Leave it alone.  I'd say nicely done.

[Bill Raby]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will will just leave it for now. The gap really is pretty small. I am thinking that if the finish does not swell up the wood enough to close it, I can put a couple coats of finish inside the inlet. This is one of those long, skinny lollipop tangs so peening it would just cause other problems. I carefully read the early thread on here about inletting lollipop tangs without getting gaps in front of the round part. I still got gaps in front of the round part. Oh well. That got filled with wood. Good part is that the barrel inlet is EXCELLENT. Best one that I have done so far. First time I did a barrel inlet that does not need anything filled in at all. 

[Karl Kunkel]

Since the gap is slight, and seemingly equal all the way around the tang, I would leave it alone.

If it was a localized gap, or uneven width, I'd consider gluing in a shaving.  But I think yours will be fine. I will also aid in getting the tang out if the inlet swells from finish or humidity.

[Mark Elliott]

I would be tempted to leave it as is.   Finish may close it up so that it is not as noticeable.   I am not sure you would want to do it with the tang, but I fill little cracks like that with black wax after finishing.    If it was just one small area, you could hammer the metal to spread it, but to hammer the whole tang would bend it up and stretch it out longer.   You don't want that to happen.  Like someone else said, an even gap is not so noticeable.   

[M. E. Pering]

Have you tried wetting the area to see if the gap closed?

[Davemuzz]

If my inletting gaps were that even......I'd make rifles professionally!!   

[BOB HILL]

Go ahead and build your gun. Don’t worry about this right now. It will not be not be the problem you fear it is. I do appreciate the fact that you are trying to do the best job that you can. If you still feel that it’s a problem later in your build you can address it them.
Bob

[bob in the woods]

Looks good. I get a slight , but not really noticeable gap in a couple of guns every winter, which swells tight again come spring. Finish, and eventually grime will totally hide it , and at least you won't have to worry about chip outs.

[Mike Lyons]

The finished stock and barrel will darken everything up and hide a lot.  After you shoot and clean it a couple times, whatever gap you are seeing will disappear.  I wouldn’t consider that a gap. 

[mountainman70]

If my inleted tangs looked that good, it would be time for a snort o squeezins !!! Heck, I believe it is ,anyway. Looking good Bill. Dave

[Willbarq]

It's fine. Leave it alone.

I second that. The finish will swell it a little bit. You could especially work a little more finish into it.

[Dan Fruth]

As a machinist, I was taught how to "stake" a nick on the parting line of a mold. The process I was taught was to use a center punch and, in this case, the parting line would be the top outer edge of the tang where the gap is. Drive the point of the punch into the tang edge about 1/16 below the top, along the side of the tang. The object is to raise the upper edge of the tang. Then with a small dia. radiused punch (about 1/8) gently tap the raised metal down and away from the edge. Then when finished, smooth the edge with lite file strokes and stone the surface. To do an entire edge of a tang could be done, and would work fine in this case, BUT I would wait till you are finished with the build and finish, and see how it looks. The above process does not mare the finished top surface hardly at all, but to get to that place takes patience...Good luck