I'm about ready to get my hands dirty.

I found the Fajen European Special pattern that Idared suggested here, and would like to cut the wrist to throw in some castoff and increase the drop.

LesBrooks was kind enough to post an image of a fixture he uses to brace the pattern while establishing cast off and drop.

As usual, a zillion questions.

Most importantly, where to make the bandsaw cuts in the wrist of the pattern?

Cast off, I suspect, is easy; a cut on the side of the wrist to allow bending the butt towards the right. I believe I will do that last, after drop is established.

Drop is not so easy.

If I make multiple cuts from the top down, I'll be able to increase the drop, but it seems to me that I'll be effectively shortening the the length of the grip. Which runs counter to my goal of lengthening the grip.

Do I just have to cut... and deal with the grip issue by building the grip up in the stern, along the toe line, so I'll have meat back there to move the grip cap to the rear?

Les also mentioned the use of a couple of dowels. I'm not certain how this would be done.

Thanks to fla3006 for advice on a good source for a blank.

Thanks to all, really.

flaco

Professional Stock Making by David Wesbrook is one of the best I have seen when it comes to good instructions/pictures/advice on laying out a good pattern on a blank. You can get it at Brownell’s.

I cut my pattern 1/4" behind the rear trigger guard inlet. I added a 3/8th inch disc to lengthen the grip and used 2 ton epoxy to hold it together.
My pattern has cast off and toe out, but it starts at the rear trigger guard screw and I just can't seem to deal with that so I changed it to cast off from the middle of the grip somewhere- still working on that epoxied mess. I only have to lower the drop about 1/4" but I'm waiting until I get the scope mount thing worked out... Hey the whole pattern may be epoxy when I am finished with it...

Someone very knowledgable on the pattern subject- I think it was Mr. Wisner- mentioned that it was almost as hard to hog out a pattern from a square blank rather than to modify someone elses work!

That Brooks jig was simple genious but I think if you make your cast off by just cutting the butt and moving it to the side you are going to throw your "lines and planes" out of whack...

In any case, get your epoxy ready... I have the Wesbrook open and pics of my favorite rifle "lines" all around my bench.

Look at the plain board that I use for the changes. The stock is cut in the middle of the grip all the way through. Block up the butt end to get the cast off and drop to your own dimensions. Next mark the side of the grip so you can get the general line direction for the dowel pins. Drill the holes about 3/4 inch deep on each half of the pattern by using the guide lines. Make these dowel spacing about 1/2 in.appart centered. Drill using a 5/16 in. and use 1/4 in dowels. Place back together to see if the fit is still the correct dimensions. I use 5 minute epoxy to set the pins, but you can use a slowers setting epoxy in the stock and have more time to check things after the parts are lined up. Use more auto Bondo in the grip area to finish shaping after the dowels are harden in place. When routing this type of stock I will cut oversize 1/16 on the butt section to make sure that the dimensions will be what the customer ordered. Did ForrestB post the drop at the comb and the heel of that fine Mann. rifle? Just curious, Les