Quick Tip: How To Stone Small Parts

Go ahead, get it out of your system: make all the Cheech & Chong "stoner" jokes now! You'll want to focus as Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb Savant explains to us how to properly stone gun parts. Stoning involves using an Arkansas, India, or ceramic abrasive stone to remove small amounts of material from a part so it will fit correctly. You might need to stone the bottom of a sight so it will fit in its dovetail on the gun. Or you're fitting a sear as part of a trigger job for a 1911 pistol, Ruger® 10/22® rifle, or other gun that still has a traditional sear. Stoning is pretty easy when you know a few special tricks, which are typically passed along from one generation of gunsmiths to the next. If you're new to gunsmithing, an experienced 'smith like Caleb may not have shared the tricks with you - until now.

 

Place the stone on your workbench or in a bench vise and apply a little gun oil or dedicated cutting oil, if you have it. Spread the oil evenly on the stone. If you've set the stone on the top of your bench, steady it with one hand, and holding the part in your other hand, gently rub it on the stone. BUT sometimes, due to the way you hold the part, you can remove too much material from one area of it. SOLUTION: Hold the stone in one hand, hold the part against it with the other, and start removing material. Your body naturally keeps the two surfaces aligned and balances the force applied between the hands. The result is more even removal of material from the part. Try it and see how it works!