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Tools for shaping the stock

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Thats a great idea using the wood workers clamps , I just ordered a Woodtek 801802 bench vise 150 dollars, funny the antique and used tool cost more than the new quite q bit more some times , I just have to accept the Asian manufacture
Here's a few pictures of the vise I made with the 2 jaw wood clamps.
GUNVISE.jpg

GUNVISE2.jpg
 
Hi Jackman,
With respect to the chisels you bought, if you can, I would return them. They are primarily carpenters firmer chisels rather than carving chisels. Of full sized flat chisels, I only ever need a 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", and 1" wide flat chisels. You will find that longer shafts and handles on the chisels will give you better hand clearance particularly when cutting down in a deep mortice like a patch box. I also use very small micro chisels for detail work and intricate inlays. You will need gouges large and small. Again, longer shafts and handles help with hand clearance when going deep. For more detailed work like inletting parts other than the barrel and ramrod channel, I tend to use a lot of palm chisels, like those I showed above. I have to admit that it is just my preference given disabilities I have with my hands. I suffered frostbite several times during my mountaineering and mountain rescue days and have little feeling in my fingers. I struggle with precisely placing a full sized chisel on the wood for inletting and must huddle close over my work to make sure my fingers are doing what I want. Therefore, I use a lot of palm and micro tools for tasks that others find full sized tools to work best. Nonetheless, you may find a small selection of palm chisel flats and gouges to be very useful. Of supreme importance is your sharpening set up. I used to use stones and oil, then stones and water, and then ceramics and water. Now I buy a cheap polished granite tile from Home Depot and use 3-M micro grit films purchased from jewelry and woodworker supply stores. I don't use lubrication and simply hold the film or paper down on the tile and stroke the chisel on it. The films can be washed to clean them and used for a very long time.

dave
 
Hi Jackman,
With respect to the chisels you bought, if you can, I would return them. They are primarily carpenters firmer chisels rather than carving chisels. Of full sized flat chisels, I only ever need a 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", and 1" wide flat chisels. You will find that longer shafts and handles on the chisels will give you better hand clearance particularly when cutting down in a deep mortice like a patch box. I also use very small micro chisels for detail work and intricate inlays. You will need gouges large and small. Again, longer shafts and handles help with hand clearance when going deep. For more detailed work like inletting parts other than the barrel and ramrod channel, I tend to use a lot of palm chisels, like those I showed above. I have to admit that it is just my preference given disabilities I have with my hands. I suffered frostbite several times during my mountaineering and mountain rescue days and have little feeling in my fingers. I struggle with precisely placing a full sized chisel on the wood for inletting and must huddle close over my work to make sure my fingers are doing what I want. Therefore, I use a lot of palm and micro tools for tasks that others find full sized tools to work best. Nonetheless, you may find a small selection of palm chisel flats and gouges to be very useful. Of supreme importance is your sharpening set up. I used to use stones and oil, then stones and water, and then ceramics and water. Now I buy a cheap polished granite tile from Home Depot and use 3-M micro grit films purchased from jewelry and woodworker supply stores. I don't use lubrication and simply hold the film or paper down on the tile and stroke the chisel on it. The films can be washed to clean them and used for a very long time.

dave

Thank you Dave for the post! I searched Amazon for carving chisels. I wish had known about carving chisels before I ordered the carpenters chisels. My loss on the impulsive bad purchase I will save up some more money and buy the proper set of chisels, I'm bummed but going to send some hard earned money for the right tools. Thanks good post!
 
I noticed one of the posts uses square cement nails. They make really good small chisels, scrapers, etc. They are made out of high-carbon steel and hold a edge a long time. To rough out a square piece of stock wood after you have used the band saw, inlet the barrel and drilled the ramrod hole, I use a knife makers band saw with 24 grit sandpaper. It goes at a high RPM and is much faster than a rasp that is if you have a steady hand. A lot less to rasp down, but you better know what you are doing or you could ruin an expense stock in a hurry.
 
I keep quite a few of my worn out sawzaw blades and grind them to the various shapes needed for scrapers. I like to raise a burr edge on a diamond file and scrape cut certain areas that a rasp or chisel won't work as well. They work well for mortise work too when specific shapes need to be ground to address the work that a chisel doesn't fit well.
 
One of the things that really surprises me is how many folks use a chisel upside down with the bevel up and can't figure out why they can't control the dept of cut.
A gouge of course is a different story.
 
Those chisels would work great for stirring paint. Go with the Pfeil chisels. Expensive but worth every penny.
 
The way I read the OP is that work is being done on a GPR kit. If that's the case none of the many tools suggested are really needed. However, the GPR stock can stand some improvement. A rasp is about all that is needed, and it doesn't have to be an expensive one.

Reshaping the cheek piece could be done more easily with gouges. I like a number 9, 5 and 3 with a knife edge schew chisle for just about every sort of carving I do. . Gouge widths around a half to 5/8ths should be enough for the GPR. Mine are various sizes so I use what ever seems right at the time. The carving tools Track sells would be a good start.

A couple of palm chisels might be useful for adjusting GPR lock fit.

The Nicholson rasps, 49 and 50 ought to be priority items. A Shinto rasp sure removes wood fast and leaves a smooth surface.

Look up the one brick forge online. That would be useful when making specialty tools. I have yet to make one, but I have the brick. Someday . . .
 
Bought my chisels,rasp and a small scraper, just finished my build came out really nice imop but oddly enough I could have done the whole build with just sand paper, tools were bought but I never used the chisels or rasp and barely used the scraper bedding the barrel, lesson learned buy slow and see what you really need not buy what you think you need :doh:
 
I don't know your brand of chisel, but the Swiss-made chisels at Woodcraft are excellent and hold an edge well. They're an excellent investment.
 
good advice from all .. I would grab a patternmakers vise, if I could afford one, but I make do with the 6 inch vise on my bench.

Also, I would counsel you to avoid buying chisels (or anything else for that matter) in "sets." It's been my experience that you will actually use only a few of them, and the remainder will sit in the pretty box, which will keep them from gathering too much dust. Instead, buy chisels as you need them, and buy the very best quality that you can afford, and you'll have fewer tools and more money to spend.

As regards the use of concrete nails for making your own small chisels, this is a slippery slope... I have only about a zillion of the little guys floating about on my bench … I actually did make a holder for them, which was rather a big waste of effort, since I soon made more small chisels and now I have many more tools that places in the holder for them … another holder is in order, but I cannot help but sense a pattern beginning to develop … hmmm … perhaps I should get some of that much- touted 'self control' stuff my kids seem to think is so wonderful …

I would also advise you to et a system which will allow you to keep your tools razor sharp … no - sharper than that … neurosurgery sharp … I use the wet/dry sandpaper method, but there are a bunch of ways you can get an edge to scary sharpness. Do not hesitate to strop your edges as well: just get a hunk of veg. tanned leather from e- bay and some polishing compound. Dull edges will slip out of the cut and into your flesh … too dull to properly cut wood, but more that sharp enough to cut flesh … bloodstains don't come out of tigerstripe maple at all well (don't ask me how I know).

Good luck with your project!
 
I like the' Surform' part round sort of wood rasps . These & the round ones are good, don't tear so much as a rasp is wont to do & I just use the actual blade without it's handle . New second cut bastard files for follow up, then scrapers made of thin steel or glass will do if you have a bit fresh broken .And like others have found you soon find many of the shapes that come in a set of small carvers are useless but can be modified . I do think however that while tools are needed they cant give you skill. That you have to learn .But the old adage is true '.Be us wise men, be us fools. There's non can work without tools' . You will likely make some ungodly goolies but I guess weve all done that . So have at it .

Incidently Mike Lee a noted gunmaker used to reckon ametures should not be allowed to buy the best wood stock blanks because they would only ruin it by incompetance . And Curly Gostomski used to give his' In the white' stockers the clitched seconds stock blanks since ametures would reject them while stockers who knew what they were doing knew that such minor clitched appearances would soon be got round . I acquired several 'Firewood' rejects for chief grades and common trade guns they have all made perfectly sound guns over the years .One rifled carbine I made up of a beautifully dense maple stock blank from Wayne Dunlap it had small crack so he gave it me as unsalable ( the tool box cover hides that now ) . Harrison of Orien Barrel gave me a one in 16" pitch short bit of barrel with ' trash ' written on it. And Jim Chambers gave me lock plate steel & cock, plus feather spring for his Jager locks for singing a colourful ditty ! . Gentlemen all ! . I put the lock to' English' lock internally & added a small dog catch .To make a carbine similar to one offerered in one of the booths at F ship that year . It's been made up nie 30 years or so now I've hunted with it & think well of it though all it cost me was my time and a song .( "Oh don't sell our Edgar no more violins" actually )
I really must figure out how to post pics, I can run a paddle steamer & make a wheellock from scratch but hanged if I can figure this E stuff . Rudyard
 
Most of my woodworking tools are from flea markets and antique malls. Most old tools are good quality, better than Chinese manure. Learn to regrind and sharpen. Bought a rasp and scrapers from brownells 20 years ago, still using them!
 
Im with Rudyard on this subject: if yo aint got the skill all the fancy tools in the world wont make things better. All you need is a sharp edge and a good eye and that magic ingredient, a piece of glass etc has the right parameters to do the job. Me I use an angle grinder with a flat flap disc to rough out then and old planer blades as scrapers to finish up and I rarely need sandpaper.
 
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