Bending a cast steel trigger guard

[Maurice]

  Beginning to inlet the trigger plate and guard for my fowler. The guard is cast steel which is tough to bend based on my searches of this site.
  To get the guard to conform to the curve of the stock my plan is to #1) heat the guard in the taped white area of the bow and #2) heat the curved area immediately to the left of Tab A.  Hoping the bend in #1 will move Tab B forward and off the trigger plate.
  I have never bent cast steel before so comments on how hot to get the steel prior to bending and whether #1 or # 2 should be done first are requested. If there in a better way overall to get the guard to follow the stock curve I would like to those suggestions also.

[Mike Brooks]

I'd get a different trigger guard.

[Spalding]

I bend them cold, carefully and slowly, alternating the bend points in my vise, but I’ve never had to bend one nearly that much. Mike might be right.

Bob

[Bob Roller]

What is your heat source? A Bernz-O-Matic won't do it and as Mike said.try to find a more compatable guard. some of this thin cast stuff is brittle as glass and is made to sell an using it wasn't in the palns.
Bob Roller

[Mike Brooks]

I have not often seen a trigger guard cast that straight.... I'd probably at least try to bend it. I'd have my woo-woo stick handy though.

[Jim Kibler]

Why in the heck did they cast it straight?  I'm sure you can bend it.  If it were me, I'd try cold first and see how springy it is.  If it resists bending you can either anneal it thoroughly or heat and bend.

Jim

[Jim Kibler]

Also, just a tidbit of advice...  Don't worry about shaping beavertails etc. until the whole stock is shaped.  There's a ton of material to come off.  It doesn't work  to shape them first.

Jim

[Maurice]

Thanks for the comments.
Figuring I had nothing to lose I tried bending. First, I applied heat on the areas mentioned earlier. Net result - seared finger with no gain in the curve. Afterwards, I bent the guard cold in a vise using steady, even pressure. Worked surprisingly well. See updated photo w/o trigger plate. Still some work to do but I think it will fit the curve eventually.

Jim thanks for the advice. Will use it on my next project from a blank. This was a pre-carve so the tails were already there. 

[Jim Kibler]

Even if they are there, remove them while shaping the stock.  They are of no good to you.  Remember there is a ton of wood to remove on the stock.  These can be formed later with a carving approach. 

[Gaeckle]

I'd get a different trigger guard.

Mike, why would you use a different trigger guard, I'm just asking from curiosity

[Mike Brooks]

It's so straight I figured it would break trying to bend it. I'd want something a little closer to the curvature of the stock. But, it looks like it's going to work out.

[Steeltrap]

Be careful how many times you bend\shape it. Ask me how I know......

[Goo]

I have never experienced a positive outcome cold bending cast steel parts, I heat them first then bend while hot.  You just never know what the steel will do.   It takes some extra time and it is a pain but so far have not broken anything since I started taking the time to heat first.  If I am in a hurry I allow them to cool down to around 300 degrees before quenching, that low of a temp doesn`t seem to make much difference unless it is intentional in the heat treating process.   

[Daniel Coats]

I don't think the project is ready yet for bending the trigger guard. I would use it as a general reference only while the gun gets closer to it's final shape and other parts are inlet. Don't stress it too much by bending multiple times.

[Bob Roller]

I don't think the project is ready yet for bending the trigger guard. I would use it as a general reference only while the gun gets closer to it's final shape and other parts are inlet. Don't stress it too much by bending multiple times.

Get a straighter stock .WHAT was/is the reason for some of the radical curves in these old guns??And the deep crescent buttplates were for what reason.Seems as if these long ago makers went out of the way to make a rifle that wasn't comfortable to hold and fire.
Bob Roller

[Ross Dillion]

I agree with you Mr Roller about the deep crescent buttplates. I make and sell a lot of them and they do look good on a rifle but I personally prefer something with a bit less curve. I never could get comfortable shooting with the buttplate out on my arm like the crescent style requires. Just my personal choice and I applaud those that use the traditional deep crescent and are comfortable with them. They do really make a SMR stand out.
Ross

[HSmithTX]

Most of these castings are complete garbage and need to be treated as such to prevent breaking them.  I have broken a cast steel tang looking for that last 1 degree bending cold I won't do it again.  You (me in this case) can bend it a mile with no issues and then need to move it just a smidge and snap it off. I heated to bright and let it air cool prior to the bending, that wasn't enough to anneal the bad grain and inclusions to allow it to bend that tiny bit more. Even bending hot I found porosity in the triggerguard, luckily it didn't break and I could fill it after grinding out the garbage.

[Bob Roller]

Most of these castings are complete garbage and need to be treated as such to prevent breaking them.  I have broken a cast steel tang looking for that last 1 degree bending cold I won't do it again.  You (me in this case) can bend it a mile with no issues and then need to move it just a smidge and snap it off. I heated to bright and let it air cool prior to the bending, that wasn't enough to anneal the bad grain and inclusions to allow it to bend that tiny bit more. Even bending hot I found porosity in the triggerguard, luckily it didn't break and I could fill it after grinding out the garbage.

A lot of these cast parts are made to sell,not to use and I remember lock plates hard as glass that broke even faster when I tried to straighten them,Frizzens that could not be drilled even with carbide drills and no amount of annealing helped.I think the attitude of
the foundries AND some sellers was "It's for a muzzle loader and quality control has never been an issue.
Bob Roller

[oldtravler61]

  I hate cast steel parts.. Period....their more trouble than their worth to me... I've replaced more than one cast trigger guard with ones made by Ross Dillion for people for their kit.  To me they look better. It.only takes a little in letting and grinding... But to each their own....