Clay Smith Trade Gun Build

[Rob M.]

Thanks, will be working on that tomorrow.

Just go slow ....your doing great ....look down the length of it , each side , often . Looking for ridges left by rasp or file , and high spots . Get her thin as your comfortable with ....

 

[TDM]

Just go slow ....your doing great ....look down the length of it , each side , often . Looking for ridges left by rasp or file , and high spots . Get her thin as your comfortable with ....

Thanks Rob.

 

[Rob M.]

Thanks Rob.

Just my 2 cents .... Your welcome

 

[TDM]

Just my 2 cents .... Your welcome

Worth just a bit more in my opinion.

 

[Rob M.]

Just my 2 cents .... Your welcome

Leave the flats on each side of barrel and ramrod channel until you get the majority of your thickness you want off the firearm , everything forward of the mortices ..... Just keeping taking some off and looking down the length , from rear and from muzzle end ....

 

[Rob M.]

Whether you do it now or later .... When I'm ready to go down to final on the stock forward of mortices . The majority of the bulk is gone from the roughed in work now.....the finesse ... Where the flats are you gotta make them come to a point , as pictured . Break it up .... I like to do the ramrod channel with he barrel in for rigity . Put the barrel in and in the vice file the length of the channel , taking the edge to a nice even height the full length .... Look down it lots ....when done flip it over and do same on other side ..... THEN .....barrel edges .... Gotta take the barrel out . Nice you've done the edges on the ramrod sides you have good practice under your belt , just work in shorter lengths because the stock is gonna flex a bit ... Just keep working it , looking at edge and looking down the length , both ends . Do one side to finish , then the other .

 

[TDM]

Leave the flats on each side of barrel and ramrod channel until you get the majority of your thickness you want off the firearm , everything forward of the mortices ..... Just keeping taking some off and looking down the length , from rear and from muzzle end ....

Got it, after looking at the stock again I may have to get my wood rasp out again!

 

[TDM]

Whether you do it now or later .... When I'm ready to go down to final on the stock forward of mortices . The majority of the bulk is gone from the roughed in work now.....the finesse ... Where the flats are you gotta make them come to a point , as pictured . Break it up .... I like to do the ramrod channel with he barrel in for rigity . Put the barrel in and in the vice file the length of the channel , taking the edge to a nice even height the full length .... Look down it lots ....when done flip it over and do same on other side ..... THEN .....barrel edges .... Gotta take the barrel out . Nice you've done the edges on the ramrod sides you have good practice under your belt , just work in shorter lengths because the stock is gonna flex a bit ... Just keep working it , looking at edge and looking down the length , both ends . Do one side to finish , then the other .

Luckily I did have the barrel in for the shaping. Think I’ll put it back in tomorrow until I hit metal.

 

[Rob M.]

Got it, after looking at the stock again I may have to get my

Got it, after looking at the stock again I may have to get my wood rasp out again!

Funny thing , for me anyway . I can take a forearm to final ...put it down for the night ...come back next day and start looking it over , look down the length of it and every time ....I'm like .... What the hell ! High spots and thick spots all over the place ?! LOL

 

[TDM]

Funny thing , for me anyway . I can take a forearm to final ...put it down for the night ...come back next day and start looking it over , look down the length of it and every time ....I'm like .... What the hell ! High spots and thick spots all over the place ?! LOL

It’s amazing to me how much wood has to come off. It’s a real learning experience for me.

 

[Rob M.]

It’s amazing to me how much wood has to come off. It’s a real learning experience for me.

Yeah ... One of the tale tale signs of someone's first couple guns is excess wood on the gun . The most common being too much wood around the lock in the mortice . That mortice around the lock ought to be a thin amount of wood but it often very thick . Just one of those things . A neat thing some good builders told me at the beginning was ....that wood forward of the entry hole is only there for one thing , to hold those two ramrod pipes ... Dont take much . Once that's done you look at the mortices themselves then the buttstock ....try to make them all " chime " , make sure they aren't too thick too so they all look in synch with each other ....

 

[TDM]

Yeah ... One of the tale tale signs of someone's first couple guns is excess wood on the gun . The most common being too much wood around the lock in the mortice . That mortice around the lock ought to be a thin amount of wood but it often very thick . Just one of those things . A neat thing some good builders told me at the beginning was ....that wood forward of the entry hole is only there for one thing , to hold those two ramrod pipes ... Dont take much . Once that's done you look at the mortices themselves then the buttstock ....try to make them all " chime " , make sure they aren't too thick too so they all look in synch with each other ....

There really is a lot to this. Seems like the closer to the finish you get, the more there is to do! Luckily I got plenty of time.

 

[TDM]

Got an early start today for a change. I remembered I did have a roll of 80 grit so I ripped a piece of 1 by and made a long sanding block. I should have stayed with the wood rasp longer, but the 80 grit is working. In one photo you can see the extra thickness on the left side. But both sides need slimming. Got the muzzle cut to length and started shaping the muzzle recess. Taking a short break, then back to sanding.

 

[TDM]

Had an early lunch and went back at it. But I had to fall back on my Shinto rasp using the fine side. I don’t care for the coarse side, for me a regular wood rasp is better, but the fine side still takes off a fair amount of wood and is easy to control. Then went back over with the 80 grit block and later put a strip of 240 on. It’s getting close, but I may have to call it a day. Getting tired and I don’t want to screw up!

 

[Jim K]

It’s looking good to my eye!

 

[WALT53]

Had an early lunch and went back at it. But I had to fall back on my Shinto rasp using the fine side. I don’t care for the coarse side, for me a regular wood rasp is better, but the fine side still takes off a fair amount of wood and is easy to control. Then went back over with the 80 grit block and later put a strip of 240 on. It’s getting close, but I may have to call it a day. Getting tired and I don’t want to screw up!

Your doing a fine job it’s coming along quite nicely.

 

[TDM]

Thanks @WALT53, trying to pace myself.

 

[WALT53]

Thanks @WALT53, trying to pace myself.

Well your doing a bang up job,I’ve been following you and Rob with your builds as I find that sort of hands on building by hand very interesting and am intrigued by it .Its nice to see someone doing intricate work like that
With there hands and eyes.

 

[Rob M.]

Got an early start today for a change. I remembered I did have a roll of 80 grit so I ripped a piece of 1 by and made a long sanding block. I should have stayed with the wood rasp longer, but the 80 grit is working. In one photo you can see the extra thickness on the left side. But both sides need slimming. Got the muzzle cut to length and started shaping the muzzle recess. Taking a short break, then back to sanding.

Perfect ramrod channel relief at the muzzle . Lookin great !

 

[TDM]

Thanks @Rob M.