Finish without sandpaper?

[moose30273]

I have been toying with the idea of finishing the stock on a Poor Boy rifle by simply scraping and boning. I know that the old rifles were done this way and have simply worn smooth after a hundred or so years. I would like to see a picture or pictures of a newly built longrifle finished as such. I started to finish a fowler this way but chickened out simply because I just thought it looked too rough. I think the issue in my modern mind is what is good workmanship and what is not. Any thoughts or pictures would be appreciated?

 

[tallbear]

If you can keep a light touch on the scraper you can get a pretty clean finish.I finished this one a few months ago.It was finished with scrapers made from a carpet knife.

Mitch

 

[moose30273]

Dang! I quit.

 

[tallbear]

Moose
That was not my intention.I was hopeing to show that a scraped finish on wood is not nessasarly crude and encourage you to give it a try.My process is as follows.I shape with rasps and scrapers then go to files.Then I use scrapers made from sheetrock and carpet knife blades.I polish the edge and roll the edge on a ceramic stone.If the edge isn't smooth to start with you will leave light grooves in the wood that will show in the final finish.Also knock the sharp edges off the corners.You can grind the blades to any radius you need.Use a very light touch takeing fine little wisps of wood.Whisker the wood and repeat as nessasary.Scrapeing leaves a much better finish as there is no sawdust clogging the pores of the wood for the staining process.

Mitch

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have read many accounts where the old time gunsmiths ( and cabinet makers ) estates were settled and listed amoung the tools were (various number of ) pieces broken glass. The pieces of broken glass were used to scrap the wood smooth and were considered valuable enough to be listed. This is a far cry from todays tools.

 

[DrTimboone]

Scraped stock

 

[smo]

I remember watching my Dad and Uncle as a kid scrape stocks with broken glass.If the piece didn't fit the conture right they would break another one that did.It worked very well for them. :wink:

 

[Zonie]

moose30273 :
I've found that scraping a curly wood like Maple can be a challenge.
If one is not careful the scraping can make a wavy surface as the edge of the scraper reaches the areas between the stripes.
That is because the dark stripes are actually exposed "end grain" while the areas between the dark stripes is normal straight grain wood.
You can imagine the difference between scraping the sides of a board and scraping the end of it.
A similar difference in the curly woods will be noticed.

Anyone thinking of using this method should practice on a similar piece of wood before working on their gunstock. There is a knack to it that must be learned.

 

[TARL01]

Once again I learn something new. I didn't realize curly maple wood worked that way.
I have some scrapers I just bought from woodcraft and am going to - I think "burnish" is the word - them up soon.
But I have a question - what is "boning" :idunno: ?
Thanks in advance,
Woody

 

[DTCoffin]

Probably the best example of gunstocks that were scraped etc can be found in the books Rifles of Colonial America,The Gunsmith of Grenville County's cover picture appears to have a rifle finished this way.Kind of depends on what your looking for,personally I would have a hard time taking some of the guns we see today out in the woods on a "trek" or hunt.

 

[LaBonte]

But I have a question - what is "boning?

The same as burnishing - when a piece of bone rather than some other material was used, thus the term boning

 

[Vaino]

I'm awondrin' if a scraped final surface is more work than say a 220 grit finish. I use straight and contoured scrapers made from "Red Devil" single edged razor blades for shaping but finish w/ 220 grit paper. On very curly maple, grain direction and curl have to be constantly noted to avoid depressions and rough spots and I find that a final sanding eliminates these. Besides, when building spec Mlers, faceted and uneven areas as a result of scraping are less appealing to most prospective buyers and to them, sometimes a sign of poor workmanship. When most MLer buyers are educated as to a scraped finish, then I'd gladly adopt it......Fred

 

[smo]

Oh by the way, fine examples Mr Boone and Tallbear!
Great looking rifles :hatsoff:

 

[J.D.]

Dang! I quit.

:rotf: :rotf:

I have that same reaction when I see the exceptional work illustrated in the photos posted on this forum and others. :grin:

You have to remember that Mitch, et al, have paid their dues in building more than a few rifles and by attending more than a few gunbuildng classes. Their first efforts probably weren't any better than yours or mine, but they have kept at it and learned from their mistakes. If you aren't making mistakes, you aren't learning, so grab some scrap metal and make a few scrapers, or buy a coupla scrapers and go to work on that stock.

God bless

 

[gonzomann]

Oh by the way, fine examples Mr Boone and Tallbear!
Great looking rifles :hatsoff:

I second that!! Very nice workmanship!! :bow:

 

[longcruise]

But I have a question - what is "boning" ?
Thanks in advance,
Woody

How could a guy with a name like "Woody" not know what "boning" is? :rotf:

Ok, back on topic. I finished a piece of maple by "boning" (burnishing) and found that it creates a very nice surface for finishing. I used several pieces of polished steel rod of various diameters and lengths for that job. I did sand prior to burnishing but my next project will be finished without sandpaper.

I like the idea of scraping with broken glass and am building up a supply of empty Modelo bottles. :haha:

 

[moose30273]

Just kidding about quitting. I agree if you are not making mistakes you are not learning. I am at build number 9 or 10 and I find that the small mechanical things I get better at. However I have major problems with the wrist and lock panels. Just can't seem to get things slimmed down enough. Here is an example. Ugly but it shoots fast and will put 3 balls in 1 ragged hole at 25 yards.

 

[flintriflesmith]

I have read many accounts where the old time gunsmiths ( and cabinet makers ) estates were settled and listed amoung the tools were (various number of ) pieces broken glass. The pieces of broken glass were used to scrap the wood smooth and were considered valuable enough to be listed. This is a far cry from todays tools.

Could you post a few of those period accounts please. I have not run across anything like that in my studies and am wondering if it is a period or regional thing.
Gary

 

[tallbear]

JD said it very well.I have never made a gun that doesn't have mistakes and I don't expect too.I find that I get a much better stain job with scrapeing than sanding.Sanding fills the pores of the wood which I feel dulls the stain job.Scrapeing keeps the pores open which excepts more stain for a deeper color.I tried glass once and found it did a poor job compared to the metal scrapers.I use several cabinet scrapers for rough work.Then I use my fine little carpet/sheetrock knife for the finish scrape.When finished if you turn the rifle in the right light you can see very fine flats but nothing that detracts from the rifle in my opinion.One last tip I mentioned in my last post is polish the edge before you roll it.If you put a nick in your rolled edge polish the nick out or you will have fine lines in you finish.One reason I like the carpet knife blades is if I get too big a nick like from hitting a screw I can just toss them or grind them to a different shape.
Mitch

 

[TARL01]

:rotf: :rotf: Yeah, you would think so, wouldn't you?
Woody