Tang Inletting Problem

Okay folks, I have a small problem I could use some help with:

I got my barrel down in the barrel channel, and got the breech end of it nice and flush against the rear of the channel.

I then put the breechplug back in, bent the tang, marked it and began inletting the tang down into the stock. I now have the tang inletted down into the stock, and the barrel is back down into the barrel channel completely, however, now there is a small gap of say 1/32" to 1/16" between the back of the barrel and the face of the barrel channel.

I know this is going to cause a problem if I just leave it like that. I know it's the tang that is causing the problem. So now, do I make the tang inlet longer? Do I file back the end of the tang? Since the tang isn't straight, I'm now worried that I'm going to have worse gaps than I already have where it is right now. (It's my first gun... definitely not perfect LOL). What's the best way to tackle this? I've considered bedding the tang bolster and the back of the barrel, but I don't want to if I can avoid it.

I don't currently have any photos, but I can take some tonight and post them if needed. It's real close... if I could just get the barrel back that tiny little bit I'd be a happy camper, and could MOVE ON. (Seems like I've been inletting this tang and barrel for a freakin' year now! :shake: )

Your assistance is greatly appreciated! :master:

 

[Flintandsteel]

Move that barrel back. You need full contact between the rear of the barrel and the wood, as well as the rear of the lug on the breach plug.
This is what takes all the abuse on recoil
If the tang is flared, it will give you a slight shadow on the sides of the flared portion.
It may fill in with finish and not be noticable, or if not, you can spread the tang out some with a hammer.
Part of learning to build guns, is learning to cover your mistakes tastefully.
Good Luck
:thumbsup:

 

[Mike Brooks]

Blacken the plug and put the barrel back in the wood. Where ever it blackens the wood is wood that needs to be removed. Continue until it fits right. I don't let the back edge of the tang touch wood as it will tend to chip out.

 

[Birddog6]

Most likely it is the top of the tang where it rounds off underside, or the base of it. Either wa, do as Mike says & blacken it & check the fit. That is how I do it also. I blacken the wood with inletting black, take a rubber deadblow mallet & I hit the muzzle & drive the barrel into the breech, then take the barrel out & carefully shave off the remove the blacked places, blacken it again & drive it in again, repeat proceedure. Once I have about a 90-95% blacked ring from seating the barrel to the back.. THEN I continue with the rifle knowing I have sufficient surface area to hold up to the recoil.

:results:

 

[Black Hand]

I had that happen on the gun I am building now. What I found to be the problem was that the web on the back of the breechplug was touching the back of the inlet. Tough to describe, but I will try: The web extends from the plug and then ends while the tang continues, well the back end of the web was bearing on the inlet. All I did was take a little more wood out of the inlet for the web and the barrel was back in the right position. For the tang, I try to leave a thumbnail thickness gap between the end of the tang and the inlet allowing for a little movement and to keep the wood from chipping out. If the space offends you, fill it with a little beeswax.
Black Hand

________________
|
|_____.................TANG
|
Barrel channel |<<<<<< It was bearing here
_____|.................
|
________________|

 

I did the same thing you did with same amount of space between the breech and wood. I actually cut slabs from spare stock wood to snugly fit the spaces on either side of the barrel. You know where I mean. I secured the barrel to the channel, used a dab of Elmer's wood glue and drove the slabs down into the spaces. After it dried well I brought the surfaces of the slabs down to the stock surface and sanded it nice and flush. When I bedded my barrel with Acra gard or gel epoxy I was sure to give the breech/ lug area lots of attention which resulted in a strong precise fit. The slabs are not too noticable but not entirely invisible either. I don't think this was the proffesional way to do it but it's withstood the .61 cal. recoil without fail and my tang inletting was so pretty that I hated to mess with it. Good luck with whatever method you use.

 

[Black Hand]

On the first gun I built, I didn't notice the space until too late. I cut some pieces of thick sheet copper that filled the space and goo-ed them in place with some beeswax. You can't even tell they are there, and the wax keeps them from falling out.
Black Hand

 

[big bore 75]

ok heres what I did had the same experiance , and this is what I did i had about 3/32" and I just glass beded it I don't know if you want p.c. or not but during the staining prosseI just made that area darker to blend it in, I really don'y know why it happened to me either but it did and like you I just got tierd of keep trying to bring the breech back, good luck and have fun mistakes happen even the masters of old left gaps around inlays and lock and trigger mortises. bb75

 

Wow, thanks for all the replies folks! The gap is so small, I'm hoping I can just move everything back a smidgen and the gap won't be too bad. I looked at it some more, and I'm pretty sure the problem is at the very back of the tang, there's a spot on the right side where it's a very tight fit, I'm going to blacken and remove and hope for the best.

I will let everyone know how it turns out!

 

[Darkhorse]

If your barrel fit tight against the stock without the plug installed, and now there is a gap with it installed, then you are not finished inletting the plug and tang.
I still use and like the inletting stain sold by Track. It shows whats touching. You should put the stuff on the bottom of the tang and plug and it will show you whats touching. The ideal situation is to have the barrel flush against the stock and the plug also against the mortice you cut for it.
When you start going down, clean some of the black from the bottom of the barrel channel then put some blacking on your barrel. You are going down a little at a time and you know you are done when the barrel is touching the original mortice in the stock. You should be touching well against the back of the barrel mortice, the lug mortice, and down in both the tang slot and barrel channel all at once.
After you are finished I file about .010 to .015 off the end of the tang. This will stop it from touching the stock at that point and prevent splitting of the wood later on.
That area gets a lot focused stress from seating balls, short starting, hammers and just putting the stock down on the ground.