Stock holding fixture

P

pablo

New member
Would you guys that do stock work in a mill post some pics of the holding fixture and tooling you use to do this kind of work? Thanks in advance!!
 
Pablo,

All I've ever used was the vice on my mill, protecting the exterior of the portion of the stock to be grabbed with a piece of leather. I try and grip the stock in a flat, parallel area near the action inletting. As this leaves the arse-end of the stock hanging unsupported over the table, I place a machinist jack under the buttstock. I've never had one move.

A word of caution...If, after bedding, you use the mill to take out the inevitable excess bedding material, do not cinch the vise down hard on the stock. Try and use the minimal amount of clamping force to hold the stock, because, I believe, you can distort the bedding/action area if too much force is applied. I once bedded an H&S stock that has the aluminum bedding insert. After bedding, I checked it using the indicator method and it came out nuts. So I clamped it up good and tight in the vise right at the action inletting, and milled-out the excess bedding, de-burring when I was done. It looked beautiful. When I doubled checked the bedding with and indicator, I had a bunch of movement. I did some more de-burring...and some more de-burring, but it didn't help. The bedding looked spotless. I finally realized that in torqueing the vise down hard, I had distorted the bedding, likely, I believe, pinching in the aluminum bedding block a skosh, which took my bedding with it. So I re-bedded the rifle, and this time I clamped the stock up with minimal force, removed the excess bedding, de-burred, and it turned out perfect. Since then, I've used just enough clamping force necessary to keep the stock put and I've never had the problem repeat.

Hope this helps,
Justin
 
Last edited:
Zebra13 said:
Pablo,

All I've ever used was the vice on my mill, protecting the exterior of the portion of the stock to be grabbed with a piece of leather. I try and grip the stock in a flat, parallel area near the action inletting. As this leaves the arse-end of the stock hanging unsupported over the table, I place a machinist jack under the buttstock. I've never had one move.

A word of caution...If, after bedding, you use the mill to take out the inevitable excess bedding material, do not cinch the vise down hard on the stock. Try and use the minimal amount of clamping force to hold the stock, because, I believe, you can distort the bedding/action area if to much force is applied. I once bedded an H&S stock that has the aluminum bedding insert. After bedding, I checked it using the indicator method and it came out nuts. So I clamped it up good and tight in the vise right at the action inletting, and milled-out the excess bedding, de-burring when I was done. It looked beautiful. When I doubled checked the bedding with and indicator, I had a bunch of movement. I did some more de-burring...and some more de-burring, but it didn't help. The bedding looked spotless. I finally realized that in torqueing the vise down hard, I had distorted the bedding, likely, I believe, pinching in the aluminum bedding block a skosh, which took my bedding with it. So I re-bedded the rifle, and this time I clamped the stock up with minimal force, removed the excess bedding, de-burred, and it turned out perfect. Since then, I've used just enough clamping force necessary to keep the stock put and I've never had the problem repeat.

Hope this helps,
Justin
Click to expand...


Thanks Justin, very useful information!
 
I too, just use the milling vise as I am normally just opening up inletting for pillars or cleaning up bedding compound.
 
I also use the mill vise, I have an 8" Kurt. One word of caution, I normally place a pair of small screw jacks under the forend and butt end to keep it from moving. Good insurance believe me.

Jim
 
Jim Kobe said:
I also use the mill vise, I have an 8" Kurt. One word of caution, I normally place a pair of small screw jacks under the forend and butt end to keep it from moving. Good insurance believe me.

Jim
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim......I've only used shims and the liddle screwjack idea'r is sweet :)

And to everyone else, LISSEN TO JIM KOBE ON THIS!!!!

Don't ask me how I know :(
 
alinwa said:
Thanks Jim......I've only used shims and the liddle screwjack idea'r is sweet :)

And to everyone else, LISSEN TO JIM KOBE ON THIS!!!!

Don't ask me how I know :(
Click to expand...

HSS tooling designed for working aluminum does well on most hardwoods.
 
philipbrousseau said:
where can the felt pads be purchaser? thankyou
Click to expand...

I bought my last from Amazon. You can find any size you want, and in multiple thicknesses. You can get it with adhesive backing to put in bench vises if you want a semi-permanent installation.

GsT
 
Gentlemen, thanks for all the input on this, I can swipe some felt out of my wife's sewing room and probably use some long connection nuts and a couple of bolts for screw jacks.
 
I use rubber hay baler belting glued on with contact cement. Tractor Supply usually has it new, but local farmers might have a small piece of used floating around.
 
Thank you so far :)

This has been a great thread for me as I've been doing a bunch of stocks, mostly McMillan's but also a couple HS Precision's for a testing project and even a liddle wood......using the mill vise and shims and such.

I bought some machinist's screw jacks (I had no idea'r prior why/how I'd ever use them so didn't have any)

I tried the felt idea...... it DOES grip really soft and cool! It's never rigid, but it doesn't chatter....I ended up cutting up a whole box of stuff. Even bought a roll of felt carpet pad, it's near 1/2" thick and different finishes per side.

BUT!!!

I like to take stuff out of the vise and roll it around in the bright light, measuring and gauging, maybe want to put it back in a mill out a divot where I forgot a clearance.... IT WOULD BE HANDY to have a fixture I could set up, index and take in and out of the vise....

Any more thoughts on this??
 
Make a "sandwich board"

alinwa said:
This has been a great thread for me as I've been doing a bunch of stocks, mostly McMillan's but also a couple HS Precision's for a testing project and even a liddle wood......using the mill vise and shims and such.

I bought some machinist's screw jacks (I had no idea'r prior why/how I'd ever use them so didn't have any)

I tried the felt idea...... it DOES grip really soft and cool! It's never rigid, but it doesn't chatter....I ended up cutting up a whole box of stuff. Even bought a roll of felt carpet pad, it's near 1/2" thick and different finishes per side.

BUT!!!

I like to take stuff out of the vise and roll it around in the bright light, measuring and gauging, maybe want to put it back in a mill out a divot where I forgot a clearance.... IT WOULD BE HANDY to have a fixture I could set up, index and take in and out of the vise....

Any more thoughts on this??
Click to expand...

out of hardboard (masonite, 1/4") with a 1" + spine with piano hinges. Glue the felt to the masonite
 
Here is what my stock jaws look like with 4" deep jaws with 1/4" none slip soft rubber pads. Never yet had a stock come close to slipping yet. With fingers crossed.

Chet
 

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