can you bend a stock at the wrist?

[walruskid1]

o.k. - my question is can you bend a stock at the wrist to increase drop? i have a renegade with about 2-1/2 of drop. can this be increased? i don't want to take a wood rasp to the comb and i don't want to buy another stock. the alternatives are increasing drop or selling the rifle. i would like to keep it and make it more comfortable to shoot.

 

[George F.]

Well they bend spars in boat building using the steam process. But a boat's envoirement is wet one. Enough of that. A rifle stock is not the same. We purchase woods that are dried down to under 10% moisture content. I have never done that, and I've never heard of someone who has., dosen't mean that it wasn't done. In a past issue a few years ago George Shumway did an article on a rifle from years past that was built for a opposite dominte eye shooter. The wrist was offset alot, like 2", I would think it was steamed and bent before the installation of the mounts was started. I would attempt this on someting I didn't much care about. You would attempt this on an already built rifle. The finish would have to be removed. A male female set of forms made and a steam box made and an available amount of steam to saturate the wood fibers enough to aloy them to slip past each other. Some woods steam better than others. White oak steams better than Red oak. Ash is bretty good to. Maple bends quite well also. Walnut not as well as the ones I've named. This is not something to be attempted by a novice without experence in steaming. If your interested still I have a bookFINE WOODWORKING ON BENDING WOOD printed by THE TAUNTON PRESS....63 South Main St. Box 355 Newtown CT. 06470-0921.....Best I could do for you. ........George F.

 

[Mike Brooks]

It's done all of the time with hot oil. Allen Martin has done this several times, I'd contact him.

 

[walruskid1]

thanks for the info, i know that they bend shotguns to fit. i know that the wood would have to be stripped.

 

[davy]

o.k. - my question is can you bend a stock at the wrist to increase drop? i have a renegade with about 2-1/2 of drop. can this be increased? i don't want to take a wood rasp to the comb and i don't want to buy another stock. the alternatives are increasing drop or selling the rifle. i would like to keep it and make it more comfortable to shoot.

Well ... perhaps you need to read this thread from a while back ... BEFORE you leap to do it! Just wanna inform from my own meager experiences ...
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/186206/hl/renegade|davy/tp/1/[/url]

Davy

 

[walruskid1]

davy, what was the final outcome? sounds like we have the same issue about getting punched in the face when you shoot.

 

[Bill Bounds]

The guy I saw on TV used hot oil, he had plastic wrapped around the stock, he had indicators of where the stock was positioned and where he wanted it to go. the front area was kept solidly secured and the butt end was bent. The oil was heated and a circulating pump kept it pouring on the plastic wrapped wrist area. pretty slick. after it was heated it didn't seem to take much to bend it where it had to go.
Bill

 

[davy]

davy, what was the final outcome? sounds like we have the same issue about getting punched in the face when you shoot.

Well my outcome was it bent very little .. less than 3/8 of an inch after 5 hours with the method I chose to use. :cursing:

I have since procured a walnut blank from Dunlap Woods and am in the procees of determining the future configuration of a new stock.

The burned area on the old stock although still useable I guess ... could only be corrected to a certain unhappy degree.

I am now currently considering my options with the new wood blank. At the very least it will have more drop.

Davy

 

[bouldersmith]

stocks can most definatley be bent, and usually no need to refinish. Its all about the set up and letting the heat fully pentrate the wrist. This is not that hard to do.
Steve

 

[davy]

stocks can most definatley be bent, and usually no need to refinish. Its all about the set up and letting the heat fully pentrate the wrist. This is not that hard to do.
Steve

I have no doubt ..I just did not find it! :cursing: Wish I did! :hmm: BTW do you have some persoanl weapons that you have done and can show us? Or would like to put to the test?

Davy
:hatsoff:

 

[bouldersmith]

I have bent my own shotguns sucsessfully....depends on the grain and type of wood. English bends better than black. There is a great article in a back issue of american gunsmith that covers the how too's. I'd be glad to look it up for you if you like. It worked for me.
Steve

 

[davy]

I have bent my own shotguns sucsessfully....depends on the grain and type of wood. English bends better than black. There is a great article in a back issue of american gunsmith that covers the how too's. I'd be glad to look it up for you if you like. It worked for me.
Steve

Send 'er on! I love to learn from my mistakes! I outta have a PHd in Mistak-ology by now! :cursing: :shocked2:

Davy

 

[walruskid1]

i'd like the info too. before i try to increase drop in a renegade.

 

[taylorh]

Please email me a copy of this article or just post it on this string. I also have a renegade thats hitting me in the face.
Taylor in Texas
[email protected]

 

[bouldersmith]

I have it in pdf format and can forward to anydodies email that wishes a copy.
Steve

 

[davy]

I have it in pdf format and can forward to anydodies email that wishes a copy.
Steve

Hey Steve .. I sent you a PM regarding this ...

Thanx

Davy

 

[davy]

Great information Steve, thanx for sending it to me! I can now see a couple of points that address potential problems I had with my bending attempt.

Mainly that I believe based on the information you sent the main culprit is the walnut type (american black?) used in the TC Renegade stock, as it is hard to bend at all.

I like the fixture, although it would have to modified to deal with bending the stock down (versus up ) in the case of the too high heel of the TC stock.

I did use mineral oil , but wrapped the stock wrist in a towel and kept it wet by applying oil, but perhaps held the lamps probably closer than I should have.

When its all said and done, I am pretty sure the TC stock is black walnut, but I do not know for sure. And I feel this may well be the downfall of my little experiment .

According to the article, "black" (American?) walnut may not bend at all (or very little)... mine bent about 3/8 inch max over several hours of trying. Mite be a word to the wise ... or I just got a hard piece that refused to bend! Who knows?

Best regards and thanx again for the information.

Davy

 

[walruskid1]

if you can i'll take a copy, thank you. wk1

 

[bouldersmith]

wk,
I just need your email.
Steve