Toe Plate

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Inletting The Toe Plate:

I took a 1/16" piece of shop steel. Drew a pattern for a basic toe plate for a wide butt plate on a piece of paper. Cut out the pattern; traced it onto the steel; cut it out and then inlet into onto the belly of the butt stock. Sounds simple enough.....

OK, once the toe plate was filed down to the proper shape, I laid the toe plate onto the belly with the butt plate removed. Located where the screw hole was going to be in the toe plate. Pre-drilled a 1/16" hole in the toe plate. I then over hung the toe plate past the edge by a 1/32". Then I drilled a 1/16" hole into the belly where the screw was to be located, using the pre-drilled hole in the toe plate as a drill guide. Next I drilled a clearance hole for the no. 6 wood screw thru the toe plate. Filed a slight bevel along the bottom edge of the toeplate; this allows for a better fit to wood when the plate is inletted. With the no. 6 screw, I fastened the toe plate to the belly and then proceeded to inlet the toe plate into the stock.

When the plate is inletted flat with the surface, remove the toe plate. Note; use inletting black to make sure your bottom surface is flat. Any gaps will be seen on the sides of the toe plate when you are finished.) Reinstall the butt plate. Using a 'safe' flat file, file into the exposed side of the butt plate, with the 'safe' side down on the floor of your toe plate inletted area. You will be filing approximately 1/32" into the heel of the butt plate. Stop and check this repeatedly thru this process as you do not want to over file the butt plate. When the toe plate fits snuggly into the recess, screw the toe plate into it's position.

Using a ball peen hammer, peen the heel of the butt plate over onto the toe plate. Work slowly and push the metal forward and onto the toe plate. This will trap the top plate into position. When done, use a file and clean up the heel area.

Here are completed photos: (Click on photos for larger view)