Do I need any more tools for shaping a stock blank?

[Trapper1993]

I finished building a kit gun a year ago. I only had to sand a couple parts and stain the wood so i'm not that experience with woodworking.
The tools i have now are a 10 inch drawknife, a Soligen V chisel, a couple files, a shinto rasp and a couple needle files.
I was going to order these pfeil chisels for $100 and im trying to keep my tools budget under $150
Straight Chisel 5mm
Straight Chisel 2mm
Straight #7 Gouge 6mm
I was going to have someone drill a ramrod hole and add the ramrod pipes to the bottom of the barrel, the rest i plan on doing by hand.
Do you think I need any more tools or do I have the basics covered?
I also have a john bailes lock and 20 gauge barrel that needs a plug, touchhole and sight (notches?) machined that I was planning on turning into a fowler piece using a pre-carved stock with the barrel inletted, I was going to do that gun after i'm done with this.

 

[oldwood]

Did you get a basic "How to do it book" , first ? Dixon's Muzzleloadiing Shop , on line ,has a well done one. All the questions you ask would take a long time to answer in detail , on the forum. Dixon's book is $20 something w/ drawings , and detailed instruction.

 

[tenngun]

There was an old Mm who restocked with a knife and axe.
The Cherokee had gunsmith who were restocking guns. They had learned their skills from blacksmiths, carpenters and gunsmiths. How big was their tool chest.
Mike Raby owns a killer shop. Tools don’t build it still requires care.
Get you some good books, watch some good videos, take your time

 

[Trapper1993]

Did you get a basic "How to do it book" , first ? Dixon's Muzzleloadiing Shop , on line ,has a well done one. All the questions you ask would take a long time to answer in detail , on the forum. Dixon's book is $20 something w/ drawings , and detailed instruction.

Yes, i've watched several building videos and i have "Recreating the american longrifle" and "The gunsmith of greenville county". Compared to the tools they have i think im on the right track.

 

[billraby]

I think you mostly have it covered to get started. But it likely will not be long until you decide that you need a whole lot more tools. It is more important to get building than to worry about tools. When you start out you get to make do with what you have. Get more tools as you need them. And as you go make a list of tools that you wish you had. First priority is to get to work. If you wait until you have all the tools that you could ever need before you start, then you will never start.
When you see videos with workshops full of fancy tools you have to realize that those guys all started off with just barely enough to get by. It takes years to fill up a workshop. Buy a new chisel, rasp, or file every payday. When you start on the next gun you will be a little better off with tools. After a few years you will be doing pretty good.

 

[SDSmlf]

One of the advantages of few simple tools is that things require planning and take longer to accomplish. Gives you more time to see your mistakes before they get too far along and are still easily corrected, all while learning the basics of the craft. Classic example is a Dremel. Changes things real fast. Then it takes forever to figure out how to hide the damage.

 

[Trapper1993]

I think you mostly have it covered to get started. But it likely will not be long until you decide that you need a whole lot more tools. It is more important to get building than to worry about tools. When you start out you get to make do with what you have. Get more tools as you need them. And as you go make a list of tools that you wish you had. First priority is to get to work. If you wait until you have all the tools that you could ever need before you start, then you will never start.
When you see videos with workshops full of fancy tools you have to realize that those guys all started off with just barely enough to get by. It takes years to fill up a workshop. Buy a new chisel, rasp, or file every payday. When you start on the next gun you will be a little better off with tools. After a few years you will be doing pretty good.

Very good advice, thank you!

 

[The Appalachian]

There's a tool buying theory I follow with everything from gun building to my trade as a welder/fabricator, with a overly exuberant dose of Jack-of-all-Trades thrown in over the past 45 years of drawing paychecks.

Need it, will something else work?
Still need it, can I make it?
Still need it, can't make it, buy it.

 

[1950DAVE]

I have acquired a bunch of tools over the years ( more than 50 working). I had an uncle tell me when I was a young man if a tool could make or save me money buy it never borrow. If it didn't make money or save it was best left alone.

 

[Vaino]

I built most of my LRs from blanks and a bandsaw is a must in my opinion. Sawing on the line of an accurate stock layout quickly removes a lot of wood. After bedding a few bbls and doing the RR work, I then sent that work out.

Removing a lot of wood on the buttstock thickness is done w/ a hacksaw and a 3/4" chisel. Vertical cuts 1/.2" wide across the grain w/ the hacksaw and then popping the segments off w/ the chisel really removes a lot of wood in a hurry. The cheekpiece outline is done w/ the hacksaw and the vertical saw cuts and chisel again make short work of excess wood. The bandsaw does an accurate contour of the buttplate. ....too much wood left here really slows things down.

The upper and lower forestocks are bandsawed on the lines of very accurate layouts so not much wood has to be removed w/ coarse rasps, spokeshaves and planes which work slower.

I use a Dremel w/ a woodcutter bit for certain wood removal but being aware of cutter rotation eliminates grabbing. The Dremel is often maligned because cutter rotation is ignored and the stock is damaged.

It's surprising how fast a blank can look like a stock using the above methods.....Fred

 

[deerstalkert]

a good straight edge of some kind comes in handy. i have two 48x2 and that works well.
a good pair of scribes and a good compass/divider.
a cheap contour gauge helps to match side contours of the forearm.
a 4 inch combination square with spirit level helps often also.
most important is an understanding significant other that will toss you some food once in a while when you get so engrossed you forget to eat, drink, or sleep!

 

[Fly Navy]

You can never have too many tools. There is always something I want or need.

 

[ppb]

Not really physical tools, but stuff I find helpful to have around on occasion
.... an abundant supply of "patience."
... an abundant supply of "time."
... a good pencil, the means to sharpen it - and the means to mitigate its errant nature.
... and keep in mind the old carpenters adage to measure twice, cut once.

 

[rchas]

My three favorite tools for roughing in a stock: 1" flat chisel; a #8 sweep 1 1/2 inch wide gouge, and a spoke shave; all well sharpened. The gouge can hog off lots of wood very quickly, and with a lighter hand is very useful for tricky areas like the cheekpiece, and the transition of the lock panels to the wrist.

 

[Billy Boy]

I finished building a kit gun a year ago. I only had to sand a couple parts and stain the wood so i'm not that experience with woodworking.
The tools i have now are a 10 inch drawknife, a Soligen V chisel, a couple files, a shinto rasp and a couple needle files.
I was going to order these pfeil chisels for $100 and im trying to keep my tools budget under $150
Straight Chisel 5mm
Straight Chisel 2mm
Straight #7 Gouge 6mm
I was going to have someone drill a ramrod hole and add the ramrod pipes to the bottom of the barrel, the rest i plan on doing by hand.
Do you think I need any more tools or do I have the basics covered?
I also have a john bailes lock and 20 gauge barrel that needs a plug, touchhole and sight (notches?) machined that I was planning on turning into a fowler piece using a pre-carved stock with the barrel inletted, I was going to do that gun after i'm done with this.

View attachment 134013View attachment 134014

I have found scrapers, to be indispensable, after the heavy work, for final fitting of must parts or leveling surfaces. Brownells sells them and a round one and a ‘flat’ one will do - there are different sizes on each end. You can also make them from old saw blades or glass.

 

[oldwood]

Make sure you have a good hard oil stone to keep your chisels beyond raisor sharp. One of my most indispensable tools is a common 1/4 " box chisel. Seems like it is near at hand all the time. I only cut myself with it , once a year , these days. You might get a good wooden mallet to drive your chisels.

 

[The Appalachian]

This is the entirety of the tools I've drug out to build this TVM kit, aside from the drill press, bandsaw, MiG welder, and oxy-acetylene torches out in the garage. (I had to reconfigure the shoddy cast steel buttplate to suit me thus the welder and torches)

~~A box full of apex driver bits, needle files, dremel cutters, scribe, center punch, and an exacto razor knife.

~~A box full of drill bits.

~~ A box full of rifle specific parts, screws, and bolts, so they don't get dirty, dusty, or get lost in the mess on the table.

~~ various clamps, files, rasps, chisels, scrapers, and a small wood plane.

~~ A small tri-square, dial caliper, dividers, compass, and #2 pencils.

~~ A couple sanding blocks and sticky back sandpaper.

~~ Acetone, carb spray, tape measure, and masking tape.

~~ Dremel, cordless drill, and head lamps.

~~ An oil lamp and fat Sharpies for inletting metal parts.

~~ small short handled ball peen hammer that got left out of the pic.

Everything on this table I've used at least once on this rifle with the most work being done by the measuring devices, hammer, chisels, rasps, scrapers, clamps, and drill. The headlamps eliminate ALL eye strain and make for more precise work. The fat Sharpies don't leave the mess that lamp soot does and work just as good for transferring contact.

Any questions just ask.

 

[deerstalkert]

maybe being left handed is the reason your work space is so neat! mine is three layers deep with tools, parts, shavings, sawdust etc! like an archeological dig just finding what i just set down!!!

 

[The Appalachian]

maybe being left handed is the reason your work space is so neat! mine is three layers deep with tools, parts, shavings, sawdust etc! like an archeological dig just finding what i just set down!!!

Lol. I cleaned up everything today just for the picture. It was time, because it was getting deep here too.

 

[deerstalkert]

i worked 15 minutes on cleanup today before the RamRod of this outfit made me put up shelves in an outbuilding she uses for canning.
Did anyone suggest a good vise in the tool inventory? and a tail stock from the vise to support the loose end.
having both hands free to work is paramount when using a gouge, chisel, or plane.