Building tool recommendations?

[SnaitN]

So I ordered my first round of books for researching long rifles (and how to build them) and I'm planning on taking the next couple of months to absorb as much through this site and the printed word so I'll have a sound "academic" background to begin my projects.
However, I'd soon like to start putting together some tools with which I can practice some basic skills (and then use during construction). Now, I have plenty of power tools, saws, a drill press, hydrulic press, small atomic weapons... you know, the kinda @*&% you need to get stuff done! Unfortunately, I don't have a set of small carving chisels or a gunsmith's mallet worth a damn!

So what would you guys suggest, do you have particular brands of small carving chisels, engraving chisels, gunsmith mallets, gunsmith's driver sets and the like that you would suggest above and beyond others?

 

[dlocke]

I know that you can make a lot of tools. If you have the book "The Gunsmith of Grenville County" by Peter Alexander, he goes into detail about this. I have some scrapers and gougers that belonged to my great-grandfather, who was a cabinetmaker. They still work well, but the important thing is to keep them very sharp. I also made a decent scraper from an old screwdriver. Alexander shows how you can make small cutters and scrapers from pieces of (quality) hacksaw blade, and he shown how to make some gouges from old files. Of particular interest are the "scorp" which is a barrel channel cutter, and a ramrod inlet scraper. You can make a dovetailing file by slowly grinding (so it doesn't get too hot and ruin the temper)the teeth off one side of a 3-sided file on the flat of a bench grinding wheel. Don't forget a good dremel tool, but make sure you can use it PRECISELY before touching it to a stock. Dremels are great for polishing brass too.
DJL

 

[rich pierce]

I enjoy making my own chisels and finding some at flea markets etc. I'd buy 2-3 gouges and 1 V chisel, long enough to drive with a mallet. No palm chisels. Pfiel is a good brand. Go to Woodcrafters and see what they have in the store if you have one nearby. You can end up with a huge assortment of chisels and end up using 3 for 99% of the work. Three flat chisels, one about 1/16" wide, one 1/4" wide, and one 1/2" to 5/8" wide will do most of the work. A good system for sharpening is as important as the best tools.

I use a Japanese pull saw and a frame saw for roughing the blank to profile. I use planes and spokeshaves a lot for stock shaping, much more than most folks who work a lot with rasps. I find the spokeshaves and planes here and there, antiques.

Everybody has their own styles of working and it amazes me how different approaches can get the same fine results. Confidence and familiarity with a few tools leads to efficiency and accuracy.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Dremels are great for polishing brass too.

OH Lordy I think I'm havin' a hearty tack. :shocked2: :haha:

 

[patch knife]

I reccomend a jewlers saw with some fine thin blades . I was surprised how well those fine toothed thin blades cut through a steel trigger , trigger plate , bolts etc. . They also work great for slotting the pin holes in barrel tenons (along with a high quality , half round fine cut jewlers file).

 

[dlocke]

Hearty tack? I'm not advocating dremels, but sometimes I wonder what Christian Hawken would have done if he had one. I use one to make tools and to work on one of my modern milsurp projects, but I will admit that I used one with a sanding drum once to delineate a cheekpiece on a cheap CVA kit. Would I touch one to a $150 or more stock blank? Nah, don't think so.
DJL

 

[patch knife]

I started to use a Dremel on the first kit I built (26 years ago) . BIG mistake :shocked2: . I will say I do polish my brass with it , using the buffing wheel and a skosh of compound .

 

[SnaitN]

I'm really looking forward to getting my copy of "The Gunsmith of Grenville County", sounds like a terrific book.
So barring handmade (for the time being) tools, stick with a few good quality long shaft chisels for the time being? That, and learn how to use and sharpen the things of course.
Palm chisels are a waste for the most part? I used to have a nice set when I was a kid that I carved walking sticks with, I think I need a new set or I just wouldn't feel right about life!
Seriously though, although I'm still about twenty steps ahead of myself, what books would you suggest to give me more insight into what tools I should be adding to my arsenal?

 

one thing to remember..... It is physcicaly impossable to have too sharp of a chisel. Treat your sharp tools like the jewels they are and KEEP THEM SHARP. I strop mine with a peice of leather strap impregnated with semichrome motorcycle polish.

 

[SnaitN]

That's one thing I need to definately research, I need to get the method of sharpening down pat...

 

[dlocke]

If you didn't order it already, there is a small book called The Modern Kentucky Rifle by RH McCroy and it is an excellent book for less than 10 bucks (I think I paid 8 from Track of the Wolf). It was written in 1968. Has a great section on inletting buttplates (one of my least favorite things to do) and tells how to make a breechplug out of a machine bolt, if you were so inclined to do so. The best thing about the book is that it comes with full sized drawings for a Kentucky rifle and a flintlock pistol. The plans are a great beginning for planning your own stock layout or for building a try-stock.
One thing you'll love about the "Grenville County" book is the trick of geting a hole drilled exactly center side to side (for barrel pins, etc.) using a spike in your drill press vise. Absolutely ingenious.
DJL

 

[Tinker2]

Dremel tools are great. Brownells sells a lot of gunsmith
tools. Stock making chisels, engraving tools, books. [url] http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/catsearch.aspx?k=+chisels&ps=10&si=True[/url]

Good luck, have fun.

Tinker2

 

[reddogge]

One tool I'm surprised no one has mentioned is a nice old high quality hand drill. Lots of control on uneven surfaces. Jeweler's saw was mentioned. I made a 1/8" chisel out of a 1/4" chisel. I use surform rasps, wood rasps, spokeshaves, drawknives, knives too. I made a round scraper/gouge out of a small pry bar. Sanding blocks of different sizes. Lots of small files. The list goes on but as you see, nothing fancy here.

 

The only power tool I even bother with is the drill press, otherwise keep it simple. A #49 Nicholson rasp, a number of other files, some for wood, some for brass, and some for steel. Chisels, and gouges. exacto knife with lots of spare blades. Take the Dremel, and with a good wire cutter trim off the power cord. They are only good for removing the humps on good English flints.(That's for those of us that are too cheap to throw away an $.85 flint) On your first build, power tools will not be your friend. I think that's what the Chicken Man was implying. :haha: Last of all, patience, humor, and the Forum will be your most useful tools.
Bill

 

check out[url] http://www.americanlongrifles.com/[/url] for some rifle making tutorials.

 

I forgot to mention[url] http://www.airbum.com/NeatSht.html[/url]

 

So far everyone is on the money, however, there are a few more things you'll also need:

Brass punches
A square or two
A set of needle files
A couple of decent C-clamps
A good tap handle
Countersink drills
Numbered drill bits you probably won't find at the local hardware store (TOW has them)
A good hacksaw
A ball peen hammer
Various sanding blocks or scrapers
A propane torch
A sturdy bench vise
Pencils
Various flat-head screwdrivers
Scrap leather

 

[dlocke]

It is fun building your work area too. A good sturdy homebuilt workbench at least 4' long and 2' wide (I don't like wide benches b/c they tend to contribute to clutter in the back section) is a fun rainy day project. That and good lighting.
A bench grinder is nice to have for many things and they can be had on the cheap if you are on a budget.
DJL

 

[DrTimboone]

On't miss Mike's tutorial: '''POKE HERE""

 

[SnaitN]

Well, first off, I'm going to start crusing the flea markets looking for old hand tools! Second step, put together a "somewhat" long list and start surfing woodworking stores and sites... as well as diving into as many different books on traditional rifle building as I can!!