Easiest/ best way to inlet a stock for a rail

[mao0720]

I am planning on inletting my Mcmillan A5 stock for an anschutz rail in the forend. What is the best way for a home tinkerer to do this? My plan is to put the stock in a padded vise and use a router with and edge guide attachment. Think this will work? Any other suggestions? Thanks a lot!
Mason

 

[Gundoktr]

Find someone with a mill; that's the way i do it. Where are you?

Jim

 

[mao0720]

I was hoping to avoid taking it to someone else. Ultimately, if I have to, I will take it to someone with a mill.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I'm no slouch with power tools. As for the router - been there, done that - DON'T

 

[Preacher]

IF you set it up so the router will run against boards set up to not allow any movement sideways, your router will do just fine.. Try to run it off hand and all bets are off...........

 

[NateHaler]

I am planning on inletting my Mcmillan A5 stock for an anschutz rail in the forend. What is the best way for a home tinkerer to do this? My plan is to put the stock in a padded vise and use a router with and edge guide attachment. Think this will work? Any other suggestions?

Here's what I would do:

1) trace the actual rail you're going to install onto a piece of plywood or other suitable material to use as a jig for your router.

2) cut out the rail shaped bit from the jig material using a jigsaw, drill, and/or router.

3) clamp this jig to your stock, which I presume has a virtually flat forend.

4) take your router (is it a plunge router?) with the depth of the bit set appropriately to go through the jig and into the stock so the rail will sit flush, and run it around your jig. That should do it.

5) maybe call McMillan first and tell them what you're thinking before you do any of the above. One of their techs can probably advise if you're courting disaster.

 

[mao0720]

My stock has a flat forend and parallel sides, so I was going to use the edge guide for the router. I was DEFINITELY NOT trying to do it freehand! Thanks for your thoughts gentlemen!

 

[NateHaler]

Mason, have you seen this post: http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3849963.0

Looks like just what you've been pondering, and in accordance with my brilliant suggestion.

 

[chromatica]

I thought about using an edge guide attachment, but decided against it for several reasons - 1) there was not a good way to finish off the ends of the slot to fit the rail (unless I could find a router bit with the exact diameter of the cut, and 2) just one small slip and you have buggered up a perfectly good stock. Just my 2 cents.

 

[mao0720]

I took the plunge two days ago and went ahead and used a router to inlet for my forend rail. I used the edge guide attachment, and conveniently I had a bit on hand that fit my rail perfectly. It took a while to set up my edge guide so that I would be cutting perfectly down the center of the forend, but once I did it worked well. It did try to walk on me a couple of times, but nothing severe, only about a 1/16 at the most. Just used a little extra JB weld in those areas when I bedded it into the stock. I dont have photos yet, but Ill try to get some up when it is all finished.

 

[chromatica]

Check out my description of this process: http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3851003.0