Project Night Prowler Reduex pt 2

If you missed part one or the initial post from 2014 click on the links below

Project Night Prowler
Project Night Prowler Redeux Pt1

In between coats of body filler, I decided to perform some more mods.


I wanted to try to make a custom checkered aluminum butt plate.
To start I cut out a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum from some scrap I had laying around and traced the butt stock onto it

I then figured the best location for the screws and found the center of my outline and drilled and countersunk the holes. The screws fit flush and the Phillips heads will look less traditional than slotted ones (the factory screws were also Phillips head).

The original butt plate screws were stripped and someone had used finishing nails to hold the butt plate on (maybe I should include that in an update of 7 Signs that an Amateur has worked on your gun)?

I drilled the holes out to 5/16" and plugged them with these dowels and some Elmer's wood glue

I then cut the excess off and sanded the wood smooth

then marked the center line and drilled my two holes, making sure they were as close to centered as possible

 
Then attached the soon to be butt plate

After much work with the file, it is close 

Then some 100 grit emory cloth and it is 99% there, we'll perform the final fit just before paint

I removed the butt plate and attached it to a piece of wood, I marked the guide lines for the checkering file, these angles will give us good diamonds

Despite using a straight edge and being careful, the file would jump its tracks more often than a New Jersey commuter train. It was next to impossible to get clean lines.

After trying several different tactics I gave up on it looking good, I just put lines on the metal and called it good. Maybe I should have just put straight horizontal likes across the face?

I can tell you this, I will do more research before attempting to checker aluminum again. I am sure there is a technique or trick to making it work.

 
I decided to try one more of my "cheap tricks". using a square, straight edge ruler, some tape and a single line checkering tool I marked out the area where my left hand cradles the stock

Then I used the single line tracing tool and made a double border

I then installed a small round burr in my Dremel tool

Making dimples and squiggly lines I created gription (grip + traction) for my hand. These are much larger squiggles than what you get with stippling, maybe I should have used a smaller burr?

   Stay tuned for part 3