doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com bending a through bolt stock

I have some experience bending our usual SxS stocks but have not tried one with a through bolt. If you loosen it the stock will pull away from the receiver I think. It was suggested to me to keep the bolt tight and the head of the bolt will slide until the shaft touches the wood if the hole has enough clearance.

If someone has experience with through bolt stock bending I would appreciate advice on how to tackle it.

Keep it tight. I always clamp the stock cheeks together as well as they have a tendency to spread apart giving you excessive spring back. Good luck.
Steve

Right, I guess big hole/small bolt is best combo for max bend.
Get or make smaller dia' bolts? Enlarge hole?

Related Q..is purpose of bolt purely for snugging up stock tight to the action?
I was thinking strength at first,but if any thing. the bored hole would weaken the stock in thin places...unless the bolt was dead tight in the hole.?
But then you couldn't bend the stock

So weaker?
I've never actually seen a stock bolt or its hole for that matter
& have no idea of dia',or what exactly happens at the business end
Just thoughts from a couch-school gunsmith,lol
Interesting though.
cheers
franc-

Great idea. thank you.

Would I be putting much greater pressure on bending with the bolt in place?

I would imagine you could not "feel" the wood the same way.

Is it harder to do?

Is the chance of success less?

builder;

I have been bending through bolt guns for 25 years now. If the bolt and the hole are the same size, I oversize the hole one drill bit size. This will allow the stock to move about 3/8" either direction with no problems. Always use the bolt fully tightened to the wood. It will move inside the hole. If you want you may reduce the size of the washer to allow for more movement too. The pressure is still the same as on a S X S. Heat the wood to the proper temperature and it will move easily. I have a very good success rate for draw bolt stocks. Just do not be in a hurry and allow the stock to fully "set". I leave my pressure on overnight so as to make sure the set is permanent. I have very few do-overs.

Thank you Dennis. I have bent a number of stocks without the through bolt and have wondered about some of the questions put forth here.

If you bend it to the point that the bolt is tight to the inside of hole, or even bend the bolt..does that make it hard to remove stock, or to find anchor hole in action to put back on?
Like I said, I never have seen either bolt, hole,or how the screw into action... so sorry if sounds dumb,lol
franc

Hi Dennis, thanks for the help. I normally leave the lamps on for a half hour after bending. Logical but not sure if it is needed.

One of the guns is an RBL which has a strange fastener inside. Not sure if it is a bolt head or nut but it looks like I may need a special tool for it. Have you run into this?

So far, I have not broken a stock but I have found some stocks move easily and some won't budge for me. I have had a couple that move back after a day or two. That is a real disappointment after thinking "success".

Good morning builder and Franc Otte;

First, when the bolt is maxed out in movement there is no problem getting it reassembled. IF you bend the bolt,you risk wood damage during bolt installation onto the receiver.

I have bent several RBL stocks. Mostly left handed. The draw bolt was attached to the receiver like SKB and several Franchi makes of old. When a stock moves back on me, it is usually because I have neglected a mechanical "spring" point. Trigger guards are the most overlooked point for me. Remove trigger guards in all bending. Re-position/adjust it to the stock afterwards to remove stress on your bend.

Builder, I found that 20-25 minutes of heat using infrared lamps allows me best success. Once moved during heating , I leave it set for at least 12 hours to make sure the wood fibers are firmly accustomed to their new position. Very rarely do I have to re-bend. It has happened though. Therefore, I let the wood rest 48 hrs and recheck my measurements to see if I need more attention to it.

Wow, thanks for taking your time and sharing your expertise with us.

I use heat lamps I purchased at Home Depot years ago. I keep them six inches from the wood for an hour. I have not burnt any stocks yet. I wrap the wrist, after removing the trigger guard and turning it 90 degrees, with gauze fabric and wrap with a string. I have been using Canola oil.

Many of my old SxS's have a lot of drop and I have been succesful in bending some of them up to modern dimensions to fit me. I have had splinters the size of a toothpick pop up in the trigger guard area but so far no breakage. I know I am taking a chance though.

After the Belgian gun's stock is bent today, I will be building up the courage to try the RBL.