Restocking Grandad's thudy-thudy

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Cowbaby

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
767
Reaction score
2,080
Location
Poteau
Been working about two hours at a time on the inletting. I have to do it this way as patience just so happens to be a virtue I was born without and this is one of those gotta have it jobs. I'm no Old World craftsman for sure, just a hillbilly with a chisel and file doing the best I can.

You can see in the first Before picture the JB weld patch my titewad grandad did when he knocked a chunk out of the stock climbing through a fence. He did a fair job and it works but has just bugged me ever since. So I finally decided to try and restock it. This piece of wood is looking better and better the more I work with it, Beautiful piece. I plan on using some alkanet root mixed in some linseed oil for a hand rubbed finish. I will post an occasional photo of my progress for anyone interested in this sort of thing.

The stock inletting from the maker was not terrible. I can't complain, just a little at a time. The overal dimensions of the thing were atrocious. The whole stock was 1/8" to big in every direction. I assume they coat the pattern for the duplicator with some kind of bedding to give you some to play with. But man this is one heck of a LOT of filing, sanding. Front is down to fairly close. I still have about a 1/16 to take off the back where the rifle butt attaches. The curvature on the back was all wrong and too radical. I got it closer to shape. That's the problem with this kind of job, once the wood is gone you don't get to put it back.

before 30.jpg
after 30.jpg
 
Last edited:

2busy

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
6,485
Reaction score
18,273
Location
S E Okla
Can't tell from the angle but my old thudy thudy has quite the curve on the butt. Mine is the rifle and not the carbine . Might be the difference in curvature.
IMG_20210422_091414615.jpg
 

Cowbaby

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
767
Reaction score
2,080
Location
Poteau
carbine butt.jpg
Yes, 2 Busy I have one like that. That is an even older style on rifles mostly. This one has a double compound curve they used about the time of the saddle ring carbines. But you are correct, deys diffent. I like to have never found a nice blank for this one.

Somewhere after WWII they changed to more flat. Around the 50s to a checkered steel flatish butt plate, then a plain steel flat one later in the 60s. I think they may be plastic or rubber now.
 
Last edited:

Cowbaby

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
767
Reaction score
2,080
Location
Poteau
Got my alkanet roots in today to make a fake Winchester red stain. I was thinking I was going to have to soak the roots in oil for a week or two but mine is ready in one day. Must have been the turpentine drew the color out or I added to much roots. It is going to be just short of perfect for me. These are some shots of the first light basecoat and POW it really makes the highlights of the wood pop. Does a superb job on contrasting the grain. The pictures show it to be brown if I place it at an angle and more reddish from the other direction. I'm not a very good photo man to give this stuff justice. I can't be more happy with the results so far. I'll see you in 30 light hand rubbed coats. It only took a finger or two full so I probably have enough for 3 lifetimes.

first coat.jpg
first coat 2.jpg
first coat 3.jpg
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Top Bottom