Does anyone have a Graco drilling jig they would rent??

[beezapilot]

With Morgans getting a little harder to find and the added adjustability of the Graco butt pad I thought I'd try them out. When I ordered them in did not realize that there was this much stock modification involved- I've two stocks to install on. Hope fully someone has one on their bench collecting dust and would consider a loan / rent scenario. Wading in with a carbide burr is an option, but one that I would prefer to avoid....

Thanks!!!!!!!!

[lancem]

Wait, so I don't have to reinvent the wheel how did you make one? Been thinking about getting a Graco but didn't want to invest in the fixture.

[Whiterabbit]

Start with a drill press. Drill a block of wood on your dill press table in just the right spots. The drill press keeps everything aligned and vertical. Then you clamp that to your stock and drill. The wood will act as a guide bushing.

[beezapilot]

Exactly right- but countersink the 1 1/8" forsner bit deeper than you think on the jig or you will have chip clearance issues, AND remember to consider the pilot on the forsner. It bored out the buttstock nicely- the other thing to remember is once a forsner bit is started it is self guiding. I bored out 1 1/8" deep- about 1/16 deeper than it needed to be so the Graco collapses down to 9/16" minimum LOP extention.

[beezapilot]

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In the first photo you can see how big the plates are with the Graco as compared to the installed plate in the back ground on an SKB 585

2nd and 3rd show the jig- basically a guide for a 1 1/8" forsner bit, countersink it deeper than you think to allow for chip clearance, the shank of the bit is just under 1/2" so I used the center of the F/B as a mark to drill a 31/64 pilot for the shank. Used the butt plate to lay out the holes and spacing.

4 shows the first notable problem with the Graco- you have to adjust the up and down of the butt pad with the PAD OFF- unlike the Morgans that allow quick adjustment on the range this one is much more elaborate to adjust. Not sure I'm happy with that.

[beezapilot]

OOPS- One last note- thought I would be clever and machine both sides of the Graco at the same time, sure- fits the stock as well as anything, but the SKB butt pad is indexed to its mounting screws NOT to the stock, in as much I've more grinding and sanding to do. Mom always did said I was first in line when they were handing out brains and all I got was the lid of the box.

[scarry scarney]

Cool, thanks for the info and tips. Howabout something for the adjustable comb kit that Graco makes?

[Whiterabbit]

made mine today. Not for this product (mine is already fitted to my shotgun) but for my safari rifle build, for mercury recoil tubes:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=87598&d=1384559999

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=87600&d=1384560071

I don't need to shape my wooden block. Just trace the stock so I know how much clearance I have.

I countersunk the screwheads due to screw length. I also countersunk the opposite side so I can slip O-rings over the screws. That way, they are capured and I can store the jig with screws.

I haven't bored out the front side for the forstner bit yet cause I don't know which recoil reducers I'm gonna use yet. could be 5/8, 3/4, or 7/8. I'll finish the jig on the drill press when I order the reducers.

Edit: you see the mounting screw holes are huge too. They are actually darn near zero clearance. I drilled out my riflestock for threaded inserts and potted in 1/4-20 inserts in there. Limbsavers have holes fit exactly for 1/4" screws, so there is zero play when installing when I use 1/4" machine screws.

Should also mention that the wood is poplar, not pine or fir. Not exactly hard, but much more durable and dimensionally stable than a soft construction wood.

[beezapilot]

I built the Graco jig out of Maple- should last me quite a while.