FX Wildcat "Ambi" Cheek Piece

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BigTinBoat

BigTinBoat

Member
May 19, 2015
2,539
234
Maryland, United States
It's not fun pressing your cheek against a cold metal breech in the middle of winter. The right handed users of the WIldcat have no problem, but us lefties are left out in the cold.
I decided to try my hand at 3D Printing. Downloaded some software and decided to design a simple cheek piece that would work from the left side. Turns out that it also works just a good from the right. I made it a bit lower then stock to that I could get away with using medium mounts instead of high.
The neatest thing is I found out that my local library has three 3D printers and they are FREE to use as long as the print is under 2hrs. (This one is 1hr52min)

Yeah it would have been nice if they had black filament, but hey beggars can't be choosers. I just sanded lightly and sprayed with paint suitable for plastics. It had a press fit and I'm going to try it without any screws. If it moves I think simple double sided tape will likely work.
I just registered on the 3d site so not sure if the design is published but here is the link. Feel free to print.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2836716

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That is a simple design, I applaud your talent and it looks very functional comfortable and simple. For the life of me I can't understand the fascination with computers. This from myself too stupid to post pictures. It appears to be something in the 1 1/4" guessing closer to 1 3/8" or 35 mm. That is standard closet rod size. With a simple table saw knock the round off of a dowel. Say take a !/16" slice. Place the dowel flat side down and set the table saw to the desired height minus about a 1/16" Start in about the center and work the fence out, making a cut then rotating and cutting from both sides till you achieve the desired width. Take a chisel scrape and lightly sand the top. I'd use an 18" piece of dowel and now there would be 3. A 45 degree cut on the side you wish for the magazine. That process took about 10 minutes, and involved one tool. I made one for my Marauder, They are a bit more complicated, you have a tapered angle and the rail to incorporate into the design. I also connected the whole rail mechanism by going under the magazine on both sides had stops in front and the rear. I used an old leather wallet to wrap it. Sadly the cabinet shop where a fiend worked for 30 years cut his hours to 12 and has a CNC running in the night with two minimum wage illegals loading plywood and stacking. Some computer geek with zero woodworking experience puts all the info on a thumb drive. He was smart enough not to take the 12, and they are advertising now for someone to show the computer geek.
 
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"BigTinBoat"It's not fun pressing your cheek against a cold metal breech in the middle of winter. The right handed users of the WIldcat have no problem, but us lefties are left out in the cold.
I decided to try my hand at 3D Printing. Downloaded some software and decided to design a simple cheek piece that would work from the left side. Turns out that it also works just a good from the right. I made it a bit lower then stock to that I could get away with using medium mounts instead of high.
The neatest thing is I found out that my local library has three 3D printers and they are FREE to use as long as the print is under 2hrs. (This one is 1hr52min)
Yeah it would have been nice if they had black filament, but hey beggars can't be choosers. I just sanded lightly and sprayed with paint suitable for plastics. It had a press fit and I'm going to try it without any screws. If it moves I think simple double sided tape will likely work.
I just registered on the 3d site so not sure if the design is published but here is the link. Feel free to print.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2836716
0b0e0657a33aa23de7ad95109a0b65de.jpg

43574fbf84183cd422dda91d3e193a70.jpg

3cd2a860ef41eab60339f0d566602b9f.jpg
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That's awesome!

Both that your library has a 3d printer and you just whipping this up. I shoot left as well so if I had a WC I would be looking for something like this, nicely done.
 
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"guod123"That is a simple design, I applaud your talent and it looks very functional comfortable and simple. For the life of me I can't understand the fascination with computers. This from myself too stupid to post pictures. It appears to be something in the 1 1/4" guessing closer to 1 3/8" or 35 mm. That is standard closet rod size. With a simple table saw knock the round off of a dowel. Say take a !/16" slice. Place the dowel flat side down and set the table saw to the desired height minus about a 1/16" Start in about the center and work the fence out, making a cut then rotating and cutting from both sides till you achieve the desired width. Take a chisel scrape and lightly sand the top. I'd use an 18" piece of dowel and now there would be 3. A 45 degree cut on the side you wish for the magazine. That process took about 10 minutes, and involved one tool. I made one for my Marauder, They are a bit more complicated, you have a tapered angle and the rail to incorporate into the design. I also connected the whole rail mechanism by going under the magazine on both sides had stops in front and the rear. I used an old leather wallet to wrap it. Sadly the cabinet shop where a fiend worked for 30 years cut his hours to 12 and has a CNC running in the night with two minimum wage illegals loading plywood and stacking. Some computer geek with zero woodworking experience puts all the info on a thumb drive. He was smart enough not to take the 12, and they are advertising now for someone to show the computer geek.


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Here's the BIG part of it. I've done a LOT of hands on work in my days, but I could count on one hand the number of times I've used a table saw. In fact I could count on one hand the number of guys I know who even own a table saw. My first thought was to make a clamping jig and use my router to make the entire thing from a 2x2. I wouldn't have even started with closet rod. But as thin as the "corners" are one little slip with the router and there goes a side. Then you have to deal with it being (imho) much more fragile. I think this PLA is more sturdy then wood would be.
Now you wonder what the "fascination" is with computers? but you are typing on a web forum? How would you get here without a computer? Via the table saw? Hopefully you will realize that computers are the future in many fields.
I also have an issue with my hands that do not allow me to do many of the things I was able to do when younger. The wife really doesn't like me around power tools with them. Just do a google image search for Dupuytren's Contracture. I have it in both hands. Thankfully I am still able to shoot and fish.

Anyway by using researching the 3D printing I found a few repositories for 3D files.
Here's one for a Wildcat Mag holder. Any idea how to make this from wood? or without a computer?
https://www.tinkercad.com/things/iSrjLjRcELt-single-magazineholder-fx-wildcat#/

Of course you could purchase from Ebay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FX-Wildcat-Magazine-Holder-/142717580897

Just the same as someone could purchase the cheek piece, but for $50
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FX-Wildcat-Left-Hand-Cheek-Piece/292458663456?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

BTW- Here is is with the paint now dried. I think it matches pretty well.
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"markT"Now I know: that's where the money goes ( SC) on my property tax when it says "library."
Just ain't books in those buildings..
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It might, but in my Library they call it the "Innovation Lab". There are 3d printers, color printers, a green screen video set-up and other stuff. On all the signs it says "Sponsored by Rosedale Federal" which happens to be one of the banks where I have my $$. They likely pay a good portion of the costs.
 
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I'd take the diameter of the magazine and use a forstner bit of the same diameter. That would create a round hollow of the size of the magazine. by picking the correct thickness of material you would now have the cup with a small pilot hole point in the center.Cut two slices off that circle. Use whats left as your templete, and make the outside peice. You now have the circular mag holder cut to look like a U. Do not glue yet. Now you have to make the pin that holds the mag in the gun slot. I'm guessing something like 1/4" to 5/16" range. A few options as to securing the pin. You could cut the profile out with a scroll- coping saw. You could drill and file, this joint in furniture lingo is called mortise and tenon. While designing and typing I just had a brain fart and came up with another way and just eliminated some steps. take a piece of material the correct thickness less the outside edge. cut the pin on table saw - router- backsaw by hand. Now drill the correct diameter of the hole trim to U shaped glue on outside piece. I look at some of the posts I've read and the skill demonstrated by members is amazing. One comes to mind is WyoMan his machining of barrels, and his pistol creations with simple hand tools was astonishing. A funny thing man working with his hands might be a little faster for the initial prototype, than programming a computer. For repetition and exact tolerances the computer wins. As jobs and careers are eliminated thru automation I hope we can find a balance with the two. 
 
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I applaud BigTinBoat, Pelletpinger, and 220 Swift for their ingenuity and for sharing. I wish FX would wake up and see how simple it would be to reshape the righty only cheekpieces they manufacture for Wildcats and Impacts to make them ambidextrous. What annoys me the most is that Mr. Innovatortion, Fredrick Axxelson is a lefty and doesn't see the forest for the trees. The right hand sidelever is not an issue for left handed shooters, but that sharp edged cheekpiece on Impacts and Wildcats would be so easy to reshape into a a lefty friendly design.

I purchased an ambi cheekpiece made from delrin from Kraford & Lypt for my Impact. It allowed me to remove the rail risers I had been using in order to get a decent cheek weld using the original cheekpiece. FX Impact Delrin Cheek Rest (Black)
 
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