Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Butt plate installation mentoring needed.

I am just a shade tree hobbyist when it comes to guns. Wonder if one of you skilled fellers can answer a question re a butt plate installation?

I am installing a curved plastic butt plate on a BRNO ZKW-465 stock. This is a custom piece of walnut and the arc of the butt stock matches the arc of the butt plate perfectly. However, when the butt plate screws are tightened, I have a slight gap for an inch and a half on one side of the plate between the butt plate itself and the stock. I don't have a table router/drum sander to mess with the arc of the butt stock and in any event its damn near perfect. In fact, it may be that the plastic buttplate is a tad warped. I sanded the stock down with the plate installed, so I have a perfect transition from wood to plastic all the way around, except a small gap in this one area.

What can I use for filler that is black and would fill that tiny gap between plate and stock and give me a seamless look? Could I coat the butt plate with release agent in that one spot and then put a little Marine Tex in the gap? The other option would be to mix up a little sanding dust and epoxy and fill the gap with that. Not sure which fix would be the least visible.

As the installation stands right now, I have a perfect mating on both sides of the butt stock with the curved butt plate except for that one spot maybe an inch and a half long. And its right in the middle of the span between the screws so tightening the screws does not cinch it up. I really hate to mess with sanding down the rest of the butt stock anywhere to close this small gap. I think that would ultimately make my fit worse by creating problems elsewhere.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,


Jordan

Your problem is not with the buttplate, the stock needs to be taken down, the buttplate fitted. Use some spotting compound on the buttplate to show your high spots and use a sharp chisel to remove them. Don't use the screws until it is close. Continue until you have spotting compound showing all along the edge of the stock.

I found that at times it is towards the middle of the butt stock that is doing the interfering and relieving it all except maybe a 1/4" all around the edge will work. Then if three still is problem, I use some red lipstick on the butt plate to find the pressure points on the stock.

Another method would be to use some black dyed Brownells accruglass ,with mold release on the butt plate and masking tape on the edges of the wood to keep the epoxy off the out side of the wood. Apply, screw down and let it cure. Finish off to flush and 600 then 800 grit wet sand paper.
I'm not an expert though.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the advise.

Just thinking on it, if it fits right without the screws and you see a gap with the screws, the problem may be at the screws. If the plate is in solid contact with the stock under the screws stress should be transferred to the stock right there and not spread out across the plate making distortion.

Just a thought, Jkob et al. know more about it than I do.

Guys:

I got 'er fixed. I sanded a piece of walnut block with an arc to march the one on the butt stock and then glued some 150 grit paper on and worked on the toe and heel of the butt end. Then I ran out of patience and mixed up some black epoxy and put a thin beed on the edge of the butt plate (with release agent first) and then installed in on the stock. Cleaned it up with Q-tips soaked in acetoneand then sanded the edges down with 400, then 600 grit. Perfect fit all the way around. Looks like "guild" quality work (wink).

Thanks for all your help. I've got a beautiful piece of wood. Will post photos when done.


Jordan

Fair 'nuff! I think it was Bivens who wrote of hammering the butt plate to the stock for a perfect fit, and removing a little more wood than necessary except at the edges to speed things up.

Then I ran out of patience and mixed up some black epoxy and put a thin beed on the edge of the butt plate (with release agent first) and then installed in on the stock.

I was going to suggest that...

Have you thought about a career in carpentry?

Carpentry---yes. Stock finishing? No. I suck!!

+1 on the "epoxy fit trick", I used it to refit a set of stag grips that had shrunk. A suggestion to those whose stock finishing is giving them less than satisfactory results is to check out Timberluxe finish. Uber easy to do, results are great. Their website has a video that shows just how easy it is. Well worth your while to check it out.

Rob that's what I have always done...just get it close and use glass w/some black dye to cover the minute cracks. The trouble w/fitting a pad, especially a curved one is can take hours to get it perfect for a hobby guy and it's just not worth the time when you can glass the small crack and it's not even noticeable. powdr

Thanks Powdr! That is exactly the lesson I learned. Thanks all for your advise. Much appreciated.

Jordan