Traditional gun stocking

[longrifle78]

I thought i'd post a pic of a tennessee rifle im workin on & the tools used. Its from the blank barrel hand inlet, the only tools used were those pictured, a band saw to cut the profile & a electric drill for the barrel pins. I would like to know what traditional tools i could add to my kit that you guys find handy.

 

[rich pierce]

I use a spokeshave a lot for shaping and wooden planes for hogging the barrel inlet and doing most of the ramrod groove. I have a very shallow round bottom plane for hollowing the cheek piece some. I don't use rasps much since getting better with the spokeshave. I figure its easy to resharpen the spokeshave, not so much with rasps.

 

[longrifle78]

I'v been lookin at some spokeshaves at a local antique shope, they had several last time i was there. is there a brand that better than others or are all the old ones about the same ?

 

[Rifleman1776]

If yer building rifles with those tools you are doing might fine. :thumbsup:
I'm sure not one to be giving advice.
Carry on. :hatsoff:

 

[rich pierce]

I have used old Stanley metal body spokeshaves and a wooden one that was my Grandpas. I need a lesson with the wooden one on how to adjust the depth of the cut. Like anything else sharpening makes a huge difference in performance.

 

[longrifle78]

Heres another tool that seems to work pretty good for levelin off & lowerin the sides of the forestock.Its some kind of broken saw blade thats about 1/8'' thick. How would this have been done in the 18 th century, chisles, planes ?

 

[M. De Land]

I use my spoke shave quite a bit as well. Have two draw knives but don't use them much. Round and flat rasps and a small sure form get quite a fare amount of use.
Most of my stock work though is with two piece single shot actions or half stock muzzle loaders.
If I were making my own blanks from raw wood the draw knives and band saw would get more of a work out.
I use lots of scrapers and various shaped wood chisels. Like the Fisher scrapers and have been making a few out of used Sawz-All blades for specific shapes needed.
I once saw a coving plane for making grooved trim around old fashion doors and windows and realized that , with a bit of modification would make a really great barrel channel plane. I'd add an adjustable fence to it , personally .Mike D.

 

[rich pierce]

I use files for that leveling but that looks more aggressive. Do you grind off the set on the teeth on one side?

 

[tallbear]

My bench is filled with tools pretty similar to yours.Block planes ,pattern makers rasps,files and finally scrapers are my tools of choice.Since I use Nitrate of Iron stains I prefer scraping of the wood as opposed to sandpaper as I get greater contrast in my final color.Below are some of my go to tools for stock work on my bench.

Mitch Yates

First up are my lense shaped stamping tools which I use for inletting parts,stampting in carving and in conjunction with some other bottoming tools for installing silver wire.

Next is a handy little plane that works perfect under cheekpieces and other tight spots.

And finally my grounding knife which I use to lower the backround of carving with a minimum of tear out.

 

[M. De Land]

I have to get around to making a barrel channel plane for the rough out.
I'd use my mill every time if I could get enough travel out of it not to have to re-set back up mid run. The carbide cutters go through the hardest wood like hot cheese and don't wonder around like hand tools tend to.
Even with this tool, one can not get along without the various scrapers for a close fit. Mike D.

 

[M. De Land]

I notice you have a Jerry Fisher round scraper in your tool assortment, good choice! Mike D.

 

[M. De Land]

Mitch, I got a question for you! Ever see any stippling on wood or metal of original guns? Mike D.

 

[tallbear]

While I'm not 100% sure what you mean by stippling I have seen it used for backgrounds in engraving and carving on high end European work and some American work(although not often).I have not seen it used to enhance a gripping surfaces as it is used today.Checkering although wider spaced and not pointed was used in some areas and by some builders.

Mitch

 

[longrifle78]

thanks for the pics this is the stuff i like to see. Iv got a set of about 5 of those Jerry Fisher scrapers & they work very well.I have several more small chisles scrapers not in the picture. I'm wantin to get a plane to get the initial barrel grove in, hammerin a gouge through hard maple with a maul is hard on my sholder.And yes i stoned down the set alittle on that saw blade to keep it from diggin into the barrel.

 

[rja72]

Wood bodied spoke shave and a wood bodied block plan. I used both on my Tennessee build. I loved working the owwd with those old tools.

Spokeshave
Plane

 

[rja72]

I have Mark Silver's video and have watched it many times. He will definitely inspire you to use the old tools.

 

[wmaser]

What do you use to drill your ramrod hole?

 

[chuck-ia]

A drill brace. flinch

 

[longrifle78]

I use my electric drill, just because i dont have a hand brace. Which reminds me of another question, will a ram rod drill like the ones sold from track work with a brace ? they seem to cut really slow even in a drill.

 

[Birddog6]

They are designed to cut slow & clean. If the pitch was set to cut fast, they would always take the path of least resistance & drill off where you want it to go, most of the time.

Keith Lisle