Tang sight removed, would like to protect inletted surface

F

fisherman66

New member
I just bought a used custom Martini-Henry that had a rail and scope added. The former tang mounted rear peep was not part of the sale. By the looks of the mount area it was probably a “Creedmoor” style sight. I’d like to protect the edges and corners of the walnut, but I don’t want to replace the piece. Ideally I’d find a brass plate to match the buttplate. Cursory searches of the webbernet isn’t yielding any results. I don’t have much of a shop, but I’ll give it a try if there’s not a premade solution.

IMG_5887.jpeg

Edited to spell correct
 
Last edited:
I have not seen that sight inlet, I think a filler will have to be hand made. Rather than brass, I would use contrasting wood or black plastic like the ebony the British gunmakers used to lengthen a stock.
 
Maybe I’ll just put a Chevrolet emblem there

Seriously, maybe epoxy over parchment paper would work. Maybe mix some fiberglass mesh in to help strengthen.
 
Brass or nickel silver plate would be an easy project. Use tape to make a template, and put the template on the material, Saw/grind/file it to shape, file the edges to match the contour, drill/chamfer the holes, sand it smooth, install.
 
Metal is nice, looks good, and is durable, but unless you start with a round bar stock that matches the curved upper edge of the wooden stock, and cut off a slice, its going to be a bitch and take a bunch of work to get a good smooth flush fit.

I say, go with wood for your filler. Matching the existing stock or something contrasting, your call. Wood is much easier to shape, its relatively cheap, and can be fitted to a perfect match with your existing stock, protecting the edges of the inlet with simple hand tools and some care.
 
I don’t know why I struggle to get pictures posted. Bill did beautiful work on the brass inlay. I hope he shares pictures of his craftsmanship.
 
Here are pics of the finished inlay.
The brass bar is what it was cut from. I thought I had thinner brass stock, but what the heck.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2719.JPG
    IMG_2719.JPG
    172.4 KB · Views: 67
  • IMG_2718.JPG
    IMG_2718.JPG
    47 KB · Views: 64
Checkered would be nice. The rest of the rifle is either brass (buttplate) or case colored without engraving. The curved surface of the brass inlay could reflect the sun, so some sort of checkering or matte-ing like a shotgun or target revolver rib could be beneficial. Regardless, I’m tickled pink to have such a nice piece of craftsmanship complete the rifle.

Edited for spelling
 
Last edited:
Checkering is easy. Not a bad idea fisherman66.

Pro-tip - Practice on scrap brass before trying to do the real piece.

Bondo the metal to a thin piece of wood (same width) and clamp in vise.

Layout is important. Using a pencil, draw from longest point going from L to R (or R to L). Longest point from R to L (or L to R).

I'd use a checkering file. Go slow and keep it under control. The drawn lines are your guide until you file a line that the file will rest on as a guide. Then go the other way. Continue until you have nicely checquered pyramids.
 
I recently tried checkering walnut gunstocks. It’s more difficult than I thought beforehand. I’ll pay someone who’s done it before. I’ll keep practicing on walnut, but I’m a long way away from doing professional looking work.
 
Engraving or checkering is possible- but expensive. LMK before it ships.
Checkering may be difficult because of the curves. Stippling is also an option.
 
Thanks everyone. The compound curves on the piece make checkering a problem. We have discussed stippling. I drew a few patterns, but I personally favor it plain-to match the brass buttplate. Haven't heard back from Fisherman yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top