My Investarms Hawken Rifle

[S.Kenton]

You can also easily and quickly age brass simply by rubbing used wiping patches all over the brass surface. Make sure the wiping patches are damp and the dirtier the better.

 

[kje54]

Your rifle looks like my Model 120B, which was made in 1976. Do you plan on drilling the rear sight and use the existing holes in the barrel to mount it? I am undecided on mounting a rear sight with screws or filing a dovetail on the barrel to mount a different rear sight.

I had my rear sight apart to tighten it up yesterday. The rear sight mounting screws on mine are spaced 1.460" apart center to center. The pin that attaches the long moveable part to the rear sight base is 0.041" in diameter.

Yeah it's the exact same model and I'm going to use the mounting screws.

 

[kje54]

Here's how rough some of the parts are after doing some initial filing.

 

[kje54]

Decided to refinish the stock. Here's the first sanding with 80 grit to take off the oil and stain. I kinda like it without the stain.

I plan on modifying the wrist and comb to better match the originals.

 

[Byrd]

That's some nice wood in that stock! Appreciate the updates.

 

[Bent Sight]

Nice wood in the stock. Are you going to use boiled linseed oil or Tru Oil to protect the wood?

 

[kje54]

Nice wood in the stock. Are you going to use boiled linseed oil or Tru Oil to protect the wood?

Nah, I'm a tung oil kinda guy.

 

[rusty]

tung oil all the way

 

[kje54]

So far the biggest challenge has been fitting the nose cap, as it is it angles downward and the bottom (inside) has too much metal at the bottom of the ramrod hole. Had to do some grinding inside the bottom of the cap and file the flat at an angle as well as filing the woof faces (side inlets) at an angle. Right now I'm about a 16th of an inch off, it was 3/16ths of an inch off. Taking my time with it, don't want to remove too much.

 

[kje54]

Some of the parts fitted.

 

[kje54]

I also modified the left side of the comb.

 

[rusty]

let us see a picture of it when you are done

 

[Byrd]

Nice work on the furniture. It looks 100% better than when you started. Appreciate the updates.

 

[kje54]

Okay, I messed up. When I drilled the butt plate it drifted off center, not really a problem as I could still put the screw in at a slight angle. Wouldn't look great but it would work. The real problem occurred when I drilled the pilot hole, the bit snapped off inside the hole with no way to dig it out without creating a fairly large hole.
As far as I can see I'm left with two options, one: buy a new butt plate and start over, two: drill a new hole and fill the existing hole in the butt plate with solder or pewter.
Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[44Bro]

Weld it up, file it down, redrill from the backside. Trying to hand drill a curved surface is a pita, on the backside the bit will be less likely to wander.

 

[kje54]

Weld it up, file it down, redrill from the backside. Trying to hand drill a curved surface is a pita, on the backside the bit will be less likely to wander.

Weld it up with what? I'm a carpenter not a welder.

 

[rusty]

you are going to have a nice rifle when you are done.

 

[Bent Sight]

Welcome to the club. There are those who have drilled holes off center and those who will. I should be president of the club.

I know you don't want to hear this, because you have a lot of time invested. I would be inclined to order a new butt plate. Like 44Bro suggested, I would drill the new butt plate from the backside. I would drill the hole first before doing all the file work you did to remove casting marks and shaping the butt plate.

Using a really sharp center punch before drilling makes a world of difference in keeping the drill bit from wandering. Filing or carefully grinding a very small flat on the back side of the butt plate before you use the center punch and drill helps a great deal too. Just don't file the flat too wide, maybe as wide as the diameter of the largest drill bit you will be using to drill the hole. The idea is to make sure you cannot see the area where you filed the flat after you install the butt plate. After the hole is drilled, you can chamfer the hole from the side of the butt plate you will see.

Do you have a friend who owns a drill press? If not, a hand drill will work. I like to drill at the slowest speed possible when I drill a hole on an irregular metal surface, especially the pilot hole.

Like I said, you are not the first person to do this. It happens.

So far the work you've done looks really nice.

 

[kje54]

Welcome to the club. There are those who have drilled holes off center and those who will. I should be president of the club.

I know you don't want to hear this, because you have a lot of time invested. I would be inclined to order a new butt plate. Like 44Bro suggested, I would drill the new butt plate from the backside. I would drill the hole first before doing all the file work you did to remove casting marks and shaping the butt plate.

Using a really sharp center punch before drilling makes a world of difference in keeping the drill bit from wandering. Filing or carefully grinding a very small flat on the back side of the butt plate before you use the center punch and drill helps a great deal too. Just don't file the flat too wide, maybe as wide as the diameter of the largest drill bit you will be using to drill the hole. The idea is to make sure you cannot see the area where you filed the flat after you install the butt plate. After the hole is drilled, you can chamfer the hole from the side of the butt plate you will see.

Do you have a friend who owns a drill press? If not, a hand drill will work. I like to drill at the slowest speed possible when I drill a hole on an irregular metal surface, especially the pilot hole.

Like I said, you are not the first person to do this. It happens.

So far the work you've done looks really nice.

Thanks, did all of that with the top hole from the back, did that with the back hole but only from the front and I did it with that little voice in the back of my head screaming no, don't do it!! Yeah, I have a drill press and I'm not sure I want to give up on this one yet, I can always fill it and if I don't like it then get a replacement. I'll think about it.

On second thought the replacement buttplate is $18 besides I forgot the steel wedgeplates so ordered them also.

 

[kje54]

In the meantime I took a closer look at original Hawken profiles and have started rasping the bottom bulge on the forestock to even it out and will have to flatten the comb out also.