I wanted to shorten up the length of pull on my Ruger # 1. I looked around and could not find anything that seemed like it would work. I decided to make one from scratch. Figuring in the price of steel and a couple tools I had to buy, labor at $3.00/hour, I'm only into this for about a hundred dollars. Still not finished, the buttplate sits about two thicknesses of masking tape proud of the wood.

Nothing like a hacksaw and a file to make you appreciate electricity. I wish I had started with aluminum.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/KGKILBY/Misc028.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/KGKILBY/Misc030.jpg

Looks promising KenK. Mine is abit long as well. I chickened out last time I had your thought. The rifle shoots too well (even after altering my technique and hold).
Nice work so far. Slow and careful from here on.

Cheezywan

Ken, in the 1930's my father wanted a belt knife and all he lacked was money.... He used a hammer and cold chisel to knock out a knife from a plate of steel and filed it to shape. He still has the knife, you dont loose something that came to you that hard. He says he wished he had a hacksaw many times when he was roughing out the blade.
Your plate looks good.

now all you need is a checkering file :D

jb, I had planned to checker it, now I'm not sure. I had intended to buy regular cold rolled steel. What I got is some Chicom mystery metal that almost has a case hardening.

William, my dad taught us how to make knives when we were kids by beating them out of an old cross cut saw with a cold chisel. He had a home made grinder to shape them on. As I recall it was a piece of board with a motor and a pillow block screwed to it.

Ken,

Don't be knocking them old pillow block grinders, I still use one! "Chicom mystery metal" ... LOL, now that's funny....at least for me! he he

Shaping a piece of flat bar stock is nothing compared to making a damascus plate.

Is there anyway to anneal that "steel"?