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#545365 05/06/19 10:16 PM
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Sidelock
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I am in the process of refinishing the stock of an AyA 4/53 (built around 1970), and I used oak dowels to fill the holes in the buttstock in order to attach a new leather covered pad.

My question is whether I have potentially caused a splitting problem by not using Walnut to fill the holes. As I understand it, oak should have less swelling than Walnut, so it should be alright, shouldn't it?







Jim
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I never heard of hardwood dowels causing splitting of a buttstock when used to plug screw holes in this manner. You shouldn't have anything to worry about.

I have seen stocks that split when lead shot is stuffed into a hole in the butt in order to add weight. Over time, the lead shot oxidizes and swells, eventually splitting the wood.


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I think it can be seen that another dowel in that stock does not appear to be walnut and was successful. If wood expansion and contraction might become a worry, I'd consider turning the dowels so that the grain ran in the same direction as the stock.

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Why are the dowels used for the plugs so large? I was told a good rule of thumb for selecting a plug size is, the diameter of the hole to be plugged plus a quarter of an inch to remove any screw threading and leave a clean hole in the wood.


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The three large holes you see were there already, presumably from the factory. They were plugged with thin disks with hollow spaces beneath. Two of those are still there.

I needed to drill and fill screw holes to put the new pad on, and one of the disks dislodged when I tried to put the 3/8" dowel in the drilled out hole. I removed the small dowel, filled the large hole with a 3/4"dowel and then drilled and filled a new hole for the 3/8" dowel. It was more complicated than I was anticipating when I got started.

After I put the 3/4" dowel in, I started worrying about differential expansion in the types of wood. I looked up dimensional change coefficients, and took some reassurance that red oak changes less than Walnut. (See chart)

Nonetheless, I was not totally satisfied that I had done reasonably. Thus the question to you all.

I'm not sure I entirely understand the rule your describing. Would you clarify?




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Here is a picture of what I was dealing with. Some of the glue and wood from the previous extension make it a little hard to see the details, but the offset holes are obvious enough.

I didn't think about lining up the grain at the time.

I have considered drilling out the center of the larger dowel to make some space for expansion, but I have a feeling I may be meddling at this point.



Jim
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Jim,
Like the country song says "don't count your money while you are sitting at the table"; in other words, it's done now, don't worry about it. Trust your work, if it splits and you can't repair it, someone else can.
Mike

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I think that's almost certainly the right answer... And brings a few other aphorisms to mind, since one must know when he is just gilding the lilly.

As has Voltaire said, the perfect is the enemy of the good.
Or as Papaw Wood might say, Dang it, boy, leave well enough alone.

No doubt, perfectionism and perseveration about details are struggles for me...


Jim
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Originally Posted By: damascus
Why are the dowels used for the plugs so large? I was told a good rule of thumb for selecting a plug size is, the diameter of the hole to be plugged plus a quarter of an inch to remove any screw threading and leave a clean hole in the wood.


Balance, I'd guess...Geo

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I havd done exactly this on No4 20 bore. I did use some walnut which i had available well seasoned oak should be fine, and it holds screw well. If the wood gets wet enough for differential expansion i think a split stock will be least of your concerns. Provided the wood is well seasoned, and the gun is stored properly you shouldn't have a problem. If you use it as a canoe paddle then perhaps. But i have a 71 yeat old boat built of mahogany on oak frames and its not suffering.

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