I'm replacing a worm eaten one with the toe missing with another old horn buttplate. The original had more curvature than the replacement. Will heating in water or a heat gun work? I'll need to apply pressure in the center of the plate to get it to fit the stock. I need to move it 3/16".

quote:

Originally posted by Vol717:
I'm replacing a worm eaten one with the toe missing with another old horn buttplate. The original had more curvature than the replacement. Will heating in water or a heat gun work? I'll need to apply pressure in the center of the plate to get it to fit the stock. I need to move it 3/16".

Yes, you can heat it in hot water and then screw it down.

I put the plate in boiling water till it's pliable.
Then quickly (it'll start to cool off quickly and harden up again) place it on the stock held upright in a vise.
Center the plate where you want it and then put a 25# shot bag on the plate to weigh it down. That will push the plate into place and hold it there as it cools.
Once cooled, it will retain the new shape.

I've had a couple that have needed to go through the process a couple times to get the full new curvature to set right for some reason.

Horn was the plastic of the 18th century.

boil it and bend it carefull a little too much if your handy then reboil and screw it down to fit and put it in a pipe fitter to fit the center if needed, it dries fast and takes a set. Same with a recoil pad..Doesn't take much of a bend at all.

It takes about 20 minutes boiling to soften horn. The I clamped it with a ratchet strap.