Custom Buttstock Project

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kmcintosh78

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Ok, so i have officially started my custom buttstock project for my Saiga 308.

Got cut outs done for the original stock and the A1 style buttstock.

I am hoping to get the roughed out form in wood, completed this weekend.
I will post progress and pics as it goes along.
 
Did not get to rough out the design onto wood. The kids consumed all my time. Hopefully will be able to borrow my friend's Sawzall and will get it cut tomorrow.
 
The journey has begun

Ok, so here are the pics I promised.

First and second pics are of the original butt stock.

Third is the paper trace of the original and the new design.

Fourth through eighth are of the new wood stock I just finished roughing out. Completed in about an hour this morning. I have no formal wood crafting training, and no professional tools.

Last of of the only tools I have used so far. Only other will be a sander for shaping.

I will make sure tonight that the forward portion of the new butt stock will slide into the rear of the rifle. As soon as that is confirmed, I will be shaping the butt stock, coating it with a hard plastic/rubber coating, fabricating an adjustable rear end and bending some hard plastic for an adjustable cheek piece.


Tell me what you think.
 

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I'll be looking foward to the end result. How do you plan to coat it with hard pastic and rubber?
Don't know yet.
Thought about trying the Dipping Rubber thing, but kind of unsure about it.

I know Wally Mart has the Rhino coating like stuff in a spray can.

Either way, I will need to primer it first.

Any suggestions??
 
Hmmmm, Rhino Liner (you know, the thing for truck beds)???..
That would be nice, but I am on a budget.
That is one thing I forgot to include in this project, is my budget and pricing.

Budget is "Shoe String".
Only thing I have paid out for is the attachment for the dremel, $18.00 at Lowes, so far.
 
I've done a couple of stocks for paintball guns but not for the real thing so far. I found that the most useful shaping tool was a couple of coarse cut NEW metal files. You want new ones and to use them only for wood or aluminium since cutting steel with them will take off the keen edge that does so well on the wood. They carve away the wood pretty well for shaping but leave a much less rough finish and no tear out like you get with actual wood rasps. And for wasting away bigger chunks in prep for the file shaping a coping saw or using a bandsaw with the stock angled works pretty well.

I don't know what you have for a vise but by far the most useful tool for shaping and sanding is a good heavy bench and vise. You need both hands on the tools and the stock needs to be supported solidly. If you don't have a vise like this then get a piece of fir or other harder wood and make up the end so it holds the stock blank like the rifle's receiver and mount the stock so you can then clamp the wooden receiver to a bench with some clamps. Some sort of steady blocking to take the pressure of shaping it would be a great idea as well. Work slow and test the shape for fit often.

Looking forward to seeing what it comes out looking like. It's an odd looking sort of "tactical" shape from the looks of the blank.
 
I've done a couple of stocks for paintball guns but not for the real thing so far. I found that the most useful shaping tool was a couple of coarse cut NEW metal files. You want new ones and to use them only for wood or aluminium since cutting steel with them will take off the keen edge that does so well on the wood. They carve away the wood pretty well for shaping but leave a much less rough finish and no tear out like you get with actual wood rasps. And for wasting away bigger chunks in prep for the file shaping a coping saw or using a bandsaw with the stock angled works pretty well.

I don't know what you have for a vise but by far the most useful tool for shaping and sanding is a good heavy bench and vise. You need both hands on the tools and the stock needs to be supported solidly. If you don't have a vise like this then get a piece of fir or other harder wood and make up the end so it holds the stock blank like the rifle's receiver and mount the stock so you can then clamp the wooden receiver to a bench with some clamps. Some sort of steady blocking to take the pressure of shaping it would be a great idea as well. Work slow and test the shape for fit often.

Looking forward to seeing what it comes out looking like. It's an odd looking sort of "tactical" shape from the looks of the blank.
Thanks for the advice. I was going to go the route of using an electric sander to shape it. I am an old metal worker at heart, and I like to take it slow. You know, like the old adage of measure twice, cut once.

The shape is that of the stocks offered by J. Allen Enterprises.
 
Here is a picture of where I got my inspiration.
 

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Going slow is always a good thing when you're doing something new. The standard joke upon finding that something was cut too small was to get out the wood stretcher. But for some reason the tool stores always seem to be out of stock on those.... :D

An angle sander would certainly do the job but for me I just hate the dust and noise. That's why I described my own tools of choice. I also find that I have far more control with the files for the close in shaping to get surfaces fair and even. And with the pace forced on me with the files I tend to double check stuff during the shaping far more often and avoid going too far. Out of the 4 to 6 hours it takes to do a stock by hand I probably spend a 1/3 of that checking the fit and shaping and working out the details I'm trying to enhance in my mind. The last thing I need while working this way is a tool that removes material faster than my brain is developing the desired shape.
 
I agree. When I did metal work, I always paid close attention to sizes, so i did not have to use the "metal stretcher". Well, actually you can stretch metal.
But, since returning to the Telecom field, we are always looking for the cable stretcher.

Thanks again.
 
Ok, so I finished the basic design a couple days ago. Today I got the stock glued together, etched the handgrip and smoothed everything out.

Again, all I used was the Dremel (I would love to take the guy who invented it out for a steal dinner), the router/cutting attachment and a vibrating sander.
 

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So I found the Spray Can version of the Plastic Dip. Stuff goes on really well. I will get pics up tomorrow.
 
Ok, just pulled the stock from the drying sting and it looks good.
Yes, I know there are some blemishes, but they will be covered by an adjustable rear portion of the butt stock, and the top will have an adjustable cheek rest.

nwilliams, I have no past wood working skills either. The dremel is a hobbyists' holy grail. That thing can do anything you want.
 

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Ok, so I am about 90% complete. I need to fabricate and install the rear butt pad. I am going to use a wood piece, and use 2 rods with springs on the out portion to act as a recoil buffer, and a bolt to keep it in place. Going to scrap the cheek rest, as I discovered it is not needed.
 

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Looks good, but I would have stained it black instead of plasti-dip, but whatever floats your boat. The pistol grip looks awful spindly...hope it doesn't break on you...but, it might be alright being plywood...I mean laminate. :D
 
Looks good, but I would have stained it black instead of plasti-dip, but whatever floats your boat. The pistol grip looks awful spindly...hope it doesn't break on you...but, it might be alright being plywood...I mean laminate. :D
Thanks. I tried black, but it did not look and feel right. The plastic dip peeled in a small area, and i just finished pulling it all of, and I am thinking of trying the truck bed liner.
The pictures are a little deceiving, the neck area where it looks tiny is more then 1.25 inches thick in all direction.
 
What wood did you use for this? I had a similar idea, but couldnt decide what I wanted to use, so the idea has been on hold for a while...
 
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