Fixturing a Stock for Drilling Cheekrest Holes?

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I have a Savage Mark II BV (laminate stock with bull barrel) but I can only get a chin weld on the stock when looking through the scope. I'd like to install an adjustable height comb so I can play around with the height and also be able to move it down to remove the bolt for cleaning. The upside-down U kydex style appeals to me and I watched a few installation videos but they were just winging it with a hand drill and I'm worried about drilling the holes crooked if I try it that way. I have a decent drill press and basic fixturing tools but there's like no 0 degree or 90 degree flat surface on the rifle to reference. How do the gunsmiths do it?
 
The Beartooth Comb-rasing kit works quite well (once you get it on - it's kinda like trying to get a scoutmaster into a wetsuit) without any drilling/screwing/tooling

Brownells has 'em on sale:
 
These are not to hard to install. I think your stock is wide enough? Much nicer than those plastic kydex things and a few holes in your stock.
Could also go with that boyds AtOne stock
 
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Back out the butt pad screws a bit and rest them on a block to establish your horizontal 'Y' axis. Measure the thickness of the butt at a datum as well as somewhere further up the stock. Take half the difference between the two and that's how much higher the thicker section should be than the thinner section to establish your horizontal 'X' axis. Use low angle wood wedges under the stock to tweak it around until your 'Z' axis is normal to the X,Y plane.
 
Back out the butt pad screws a bit and rest them on a block to establish your horizontal 'Y' axis. Measure the thickness of the butt at a datum as well as somewhere further up the stock. Take half the difference between the two and that's how much higher the thicker section should be than the thinner section to establish your horizontal 'X' axis. Use low angle wood wedges under the stock to tweak it around until your 'Z' axis is normal to the X,Y plane.
you mean hold it between your knees and drill it!
When cutting my combs for the adjustable kits I have installed I screwed a piece of wood to the buttstock in place of the recoil pad to get the "angles" I needed to make the cuts.

heres 2 of the pellet guns I have those kits in.
CnxCOZi.jpg
 
you mean hold it between your knees and drill it!
When cutting my combs for the adjustable kits I have installed I screwed a piece of wood to the buttstock in place of the recoil pad to get the "angles" I needed to make the cuts.
Nice work!
I usually use my telekinetic powers to levitate them on a chosen plane and burn the holes with an angry stare focused through a collimating lens. You gotta use the tools you have.
 
Nice work!
I usually use my telekinetic powers to levitate them on a chosen plane and burn the holes with an angry stare focused through a collimating lens. You gotta use the tools you have.
yup me to .....the first few I did like on my 870 for trap was a wing it......I multi tasked that one by doing the pressed checking in vice jaw pattern while I cut the stock.
If I where to install those Kydex style kits I would just hold the rifle in one hand and drill the holes with the other.
 
I ended up using my DIY rifle vise secured in my bench vise and drilling it by hand. I taped the cheek riser in place and marked the holes with a transfer punch then drilled from both sides with a pilot bit and then all the way through with the 3/16" and 1/4" bits. Thanks for all the input. I've been going to do this for three years. It's a fun rifle and it's my only bolt gun but I really struggled with the "chin weld" so I haven't shot it much.


savage1.jpg

Savage2.jpg
 
Nice vise, Mac1911.

That's an Athol 642. 4-1/2" jaw with swivel base. There's also a 4" Parker and a 3-1/2" Columbian under the workbench. I also have my Athol 615 at work. It's a 5" jaw with a rigid base. I went through a weird vise phase a few years ago. I'm still hoping to find a 6" Reed or Athol but the prices are nuts.
 
That's an Athol 642. 4-1/2" jaw with swivel base. There's also a 4" Parker and a 3-1/2" Columbian under the workbench. I also have my Athol 615 at work. It's a 5" jaw with a rigid base. I went through a weird vise phase a few years ago. I'm still hoping to find a 6" Reed or Athol but the prices are nuts.
I've got a Wilton 500 Bullet and just picked up a 4" Reed in beautiful shape. Also have a 5" Kurt on the Bridgeport and a genuine Bridgeport milling vise that I need to go over some day. There's a 6" Reed logo on CL...for a ridiculous amount of money...
Reed 106s vise - tools - by owner - sale
 
I've got a Wilton 500 Bullet and just picked up a 4" Reed in beautiful shape. Also have a 5" Kurt on the Bridgeport and a genuine Bridgeport milling vise that I need to go over some day. There's a 6" Reed logo on CL...for a ridiculous amount of money...
Reed 106s vise - tools - by owner - sale

Oh, that Wilton sounds nice. Lol, I saw that Reed on CL a couple of weeks ago. Crazy. Abom79 on YouTube restored a 8” Reed a few months back and made a couple of videos on the process.
 
Oh, that Wilton sounds nice. Lol, I saw that Reed on CL a couple of weeks ago. Crazy. Abom79 on YouTube restored a 8” Reed a few months back and made a couple of videos on the process.
Abom is amassing a nice collection. I rebuilt an Emmert machinist vise for a friend a few years ago. Made a new screw and nut, swivel jaws, swivel clamp and a few pins.

View: https://imgur.com/sLVVSIy

The Wilton in it's natural habitat...my shop of horrors.
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The 4" Reed waiting for an electrolysis bath;
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i can see why everyone winged it. i took a look at the cheek piece and it's not exactly a precision install.
 
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