My Kibler SMR Build Log

[wiscoaster]

Quickie Log #9 update:

1) Trigger guard fit done. Those casting stubs (or whatever - don't know the term) are a real chore.
2) Second layer of wood filler in the trigger plate inlet is drying.
3) Then I'll recheck the lock fit against the trigger.

Sun came out and I can wait for a cool, cloudy day to work on the retaining wall, so can do some more work on the rifle today, at least so far as mental and physical strength & energy permit.

 

[IanH]

Make it fit like this, file that step a little and flatten the back of the TG pads so it all sits flush. The hammer trigger will have 1/16" free play at the middle of the bow.

 

[wiscoaster]

Make it fit like this

Yup, that's the goal. Thanks for the pic. Your stock looks awesome!! I'll bet that turns a few heads at your range!!

 

[wiscoaster]

Build Log #10

Finish Tryouts

While waiting for the last layer of wood filler to dry, I decided to test some finishing ideas. Jim was kind enough to send me a generous selection of very nice wood pieces, representative of my rifle's wood source, and featuring some nice grain. Like, wow ... this much walnut would have cost me $30 or $40 at Woodcraft:

Today I'm testing Minwax Tung Oil Finish and Transtint dyes. Ya, I know it's not "real" tung oil, but the end result is plenty good enough and a whole lot faster.

So I selected a few pieces and sanded off the saw marks, raised the grain and dewhiskered, then set up some samples. Left to right: plain tung oil, tung oil plus red, tung oil plus brown, tung oil plus red and brown:

They each got a first coat, wipe, flash dry, second coat, wipe and flash dry, then light burnish. I added a third sample of tung oil plus red plus brown plus yellow (with same application method), and tried a last sample using that plus a little reducer. Which the tung oil was too reluctant to swallow. Could be done, but would be a PIA.

The results, lined up the same way:

I'm favoring either the red tint or the red plus brown plus yellow tint. Final coat would, of course, be clear.

Plenty of wood left to try anything else you might suggest.

That Transtint is quite the stuff. I go out in public now and will likely get questions about my "injury" - hah!!

 

[reddogge]

Build Log #10

Finish Tryouts

While waiting for the last layer of wood filler to dry, I decided to test some finishing ideas. Jim was kind enough to send me a generous selection of very nice wood pieces, representative of my rifle's wood source, and featuring some nice grain. Like, wow ... this much walnut would have cost me $30 or $40 at Woodcraft:
View attachment 235366

Today I'm testing Minwax Tung Oil Finish and Transtint dyes. Ya, I know it's not "real" tung oil, but the end result is plenty good enough and a whole lot faster.

So I selected a few pieces and sanded off the saw marks, raised the grain and dewhiskered, then set up some samples. Left to right: plain tung oil, tung oil plus red, tung oil plus brown, tung oil plus red and brown:
View attachment 235367

They each got a first coat, wipe, flash dry, second coat, wipe and flash dry, then light burnish. I added a third sample of tung oil plus red plus brown plus yellow (with same application method), and tried a last sample using that plus a little reducer. Which the tung oil was too reluctant to swallow. Could be done, but would be a PIA.

The results, lined up the same way:
View attachment 235368

I'm favoring either the red tint or the red plus brown plus yellow tint. Final coat would, of course, be clear.

Plenty of wood left to try anything else you might suggest.

That Transtint is quite the stuff. I go out in public now and will likely get questions about my "injury" - hah!!
View attachment 235371

Buy a pack of nitrile rubber gloves at Home Depot when working with dyes and finishes.

 

[wiscoaster]

Buy a pack of nitrile rubber gloves at Home Depot when working with dyes and finishes.

Oh, I go through those things like tissue paper. They're expensive. I only wear them, dust masks and respirators only for serious, lengthy exposure. I'm not going to bother with a few dabs. Skin regrows. I'm 72, been exposed to poisons and carcinogens since I was a kid, when I played with liquid mercury, and I'm still alive and kicking.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I'd wipe each piece with mineral spirits to mimic your final finish ... and take a picture quick ... as that will show the true color/finish better. From what I see, I too like the red plus brown plus yellow tint.

If any nice grain lines, but they don't show well, after the stain and one oil coat, I spray walnut with flat black spray paint ala Mike Brooks (Comfortably Numb ... hmmmm???? Not sure, so please don't quote me, LOL!). Then buff it off with grey ScotchBrite, but leaving it in the pores. It really makes walnut pop! See example!

 

[wiscoaster]

Build Log #11

Action Fitted.

All action parts now fit as they're supposed to, and work as they're supposed to:

One little detail continued to bedevil me: the trigger guard just didn't want to settle down in the middle of the guard. I kept looking to the inlet for the solution to the problem, until this caught my eye (and it's been there some time):

Aha ... the metal was marking itself and calling out to me here's your problem!! So, some filing of the trigger guard was done:

And the trigger guard now happily pops right into place:

I'm going to wait to drill the pin holes unti the metal and stock are finished (maybe minus the final clear coat). My previous experience is the the fit will need to be tweaked and I don't want those pin holes misaligned.

 

[IanH]

Trigger plate is considerably proud of the wood at the back. You have to watch the hammer trigger clearance if filing the spur. If the plate sits high the trigger can drag the guard loop as well. The parts would have fit better if the trigger plate was inlet properly. The trigger guard looks good on the ends, nice fit.

 

[wiscoaster]

...

If any nice grain lines, but they don't show well, after the stain and one oil coat, I spray walnut with flat black spray paint ala Mike Brooks (Comfortably Numb ... hmmmm???? Not sure, so please don't quote me, LOL!). Then buff it off with grey ScotchBrite, but leaving it in the pores. It really makes walnut pop! See example!

View attachment 235538

Say, that's a really great idea, but I'm thinking black pigmented finishing wax instead of spray paint? I've used this product:

... which happens to be white, but I'm pretty sure it comes in other colors.

I got the idea from this video, where the guy uses shoe polish:


... and I used the white wax against black dye stain on a test article:

Your stock looks awesome!!

 

[wiscoaster]

Trigger plate is considerably proud of the wood at the back....

Yes, good catch. But I had already (prematurely) done a little sanding of the inlet edges when it was sitting too low in the front, so it's the inlet edges I think that I think maybe you're seeing. If you'll look closely at the upper back corner, you can see it's flush there. The trigger bar clearance is fine; I tested for the trigger "slack", as described in the video and I don't think I'll need to do any work on it. If the trigger works, I'm inclined to not to futz with it any more right now. Maybe I'll look at that again when I final fit after finish.

BTW, Jim does mention the trigger guard offset I missed and that got me before, but not until the point in the video where he fits the trigger guard, and I wasn't up to studying that video yet because I hadn't gotten that far.

 

[IanH]

Something to watch for in your general approach: you seem likely to skip to modifying parts and removing material that you can't put back before you fully understand how it's supposed to go together. Please slooooowwww dooooown. Think. Ask questions. Watch and rewatch the videos all the way through. THEN grab a file, chisel, sandpaper, etc.

 

[wiscoaster]

Something to watch for in your general approach: you seem likely to skip to modifying parts and removing material that you can't put back before you fully understand how it's supposed to go together. Please slooooowwww dooooown.

Yes, that's my general approach to life. I forge ahead and learn "how it's supposed to go together" by making mistakes. I don't slow down; I go as fast as possible. My approach works for me because I have no patience, and further, I work best in crisis mode or when faced with a new challenge. But my approach is more prone to frustration and the expense of correcting my mistakes. My experience has been those mistakes are almost always correctable, and by making them I end up better understanding how the thing works, because I've learned by doing and suffering the pain or the loss, not just learning by reading the book or watching the video and not having suffered the pain or the loss. Pain and loss are marvelous teachers. Nothing to be afraid of, and I think in the end I learn more.

I'm simply not temperamentally well suited to doing it your way, which works well for you, and probably works best for most other people, so don't take it as criticism, just as "information." Thanks for your concern.

And, oh what the heck, I went ahead and futzed with it anyway:

(if I remember it's in the middle there where a little wood sliver chipped out, and I did some sanding; you can see it where the guard curves down to meet the plate).

 

[IanH]

Yes, that's my general approach to life. I forge ahead and learn "how it's supposed to go together" by making mistakes.

ME TOO! Still trying to take my own advise, usually forget though and screw something up but getting better.

 

[Jaeger73]

Nice progress so far. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[wiscoaster]

ME TOO! Still trying to take my own advise, usually forget though and screw something up but getting better.

You know yourself best, so take others' advice but weigh and measure against your own self-knowldege.

Please keep the comments coming; they're helpful and I appreciate them.

 

[wiscoaster]

...Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Thanks, that helps to motivate keeping on.

 

[wiscoaster]

Build Log #12

Fitting My Butt

Next step is to fit my butt plate. But first I decided to sand out remnant milling marks on the adjacent part of the butt stock. It's unlikely that would affect fitment, but might, and then it's done. I like to make small one-off sanding blocks for small work from bits of wood scrap, two-sided tape, and sandpaper sheets cut to fit. I have a dedicated scissors for doing this because it only takes one sandpaper cut for a scissors and it's useless for cutting pretty much anything else:

I discovered it's almost impossible to take a decent pic of what I'm looking to sand out, but here's an example, partially sanded so the marks are filled with sawdust, and the pic sharpness and contrast adjusted. You can see the lines going across the grain. If these weren't sanded out, any finish would make them really visible:

I haven't got myself a decent transfer marking medium yet, but with this item, it's pretty easy to see the gaps by shining a light across:

And with some sanding and filing here and there it fits:

The two top screw holes ended up not aligning with the holes drilled, so I'm using an old screw hole trick by gluing some toothpicks into the exisiting holes and then I'll redrill them when they dry:

 

[SDSmlf]

Build Log #12

Fitting My Butt

Next step is to fit my butt plate. But first I decided to sand out remnant milling marks on the adjacent part of the butt stock. It's unlikely that would affect fitment, but might, and then it's done. I like to make small one-off sanding blocks for small work from bits of wood scrap, two-sided tape, and sandpaper sheets cut to fit. I have a dedicated scissors for doing this because it only takes one sandpaper cut for a scissors and it's useless for cutting pretty much anything else:
View attachment 235685

I discovered it's almost impossible to take a decent pic of what I'm looking to sand out, but here's an example, partially sanded so the marks are filled with sawdust, and the pic sharpness and contrast adjusted. You can see the lines going across the grain. If these weren't sanded out, any finish would make them really visible:
View attachment 235687

I haven't got myself a decent transfer marking medium yet, but with this item, it's pretty easy to see the gaps by shining a light across:
View attachment 235688

And with some sanding and filing here and there it fits:
View attachment 235689

The two top screw holes ended up not aligning with the holes drilled, so I'm using an old screw hole trick by gluing some toothpicks into the exisiting holes and then I'll redrill them when they dry:
View attachment 235690

So the butt plate was not installed on your kit when you received it?

 

[IanH]

So the butt plate was not installed on your kit when you received it?

Not on the SMR. The Woodsrunner does, but it's a step up in the production refinements at the Kibler shop.