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Shaping Stock
- Thread starter DRC
- Start date
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On my jaeger rifle the fore stock width follows the lines of the swamped barrel. It's not greatly noticable but it helps the overall design seem balanced. Shumway mentions this in one of his publications. I can not be so sure about a specific Isaac Haines rifle.
Keep the wood the same thickness all alongside the barrel, so that the stock then exhibits the same swamp as the barrel. It will look good. But remember that you have to deal with the nosecap. This can determine the shape of your forestock to a large extent if you use a commercial one. Keep in mind you do not want your ramrod to get that "hung out to dry" look with a big gap between it and the nosecap. And that you'll have to transition your forestock shape near the muzzle to flow into the nosecap profile.
When you get to the nosecap, you have a decision to make. Not sure if you're using a commercial nosecap or making one. But the barrel is still flaring dramatically there. You'll need to decide whether the nosecap will flare toward the muzzle as well (follow the contour of the barrel)or be straight. If you plan to slip the nosecap on, it's hard to have any flare.
To get the flare you have to pinch the nosecap on, not slip it on. The brass must be very soft for this to work and you have to do it with the barrel out of the stock. Last but not least you have to be careful to not break the thin wood that flanks the barrel at the muzzle. It's best to make a little wooden "fake barrel" to fill the barrel channel to support the sides of the stock. Then it is possible to bend the blass nosecap into place and even curl it down inside the barrel channel at the upper surface of the forend. Then rivet in place and you are good to go.
When you get to the nosecap, you have a decision to make. Not sure if you're using a commercial nosecap or making one. But the barrel is still flaring dramatically there. You'll need to decide whether the nosecap will flare toward the muzzle as well (follow the contour of the barrel)or be straight. If you plan to slip the nosecap on, it's hard to have any flare.
To get the flare you have to pinch the nosecap on, not slip it on. The brass must be very soft for this to work and you have to do it with the barrel out of the stock. Last but not least you have to be careful to not break the thin wood that flanks the barrel at the muzzle. It's best to make a little wooden "fake barrel" to fill the barrel channel to support the sides of the stock. Then it is possible to bend the blass nosecap into place and even curl it down inside the barrel channel at the upper surface of the forend. Then rivet in place and you are good to go.
I have a commercial nose cap. I have already filed and fit it to the barrel. That was a chore. Still staring at stock and nose cap wondering which way to approach it. Thank you for your quick reply. Going back to shop to put rasp back in hands.
Another option is a flared wooden end without a nosecap & a lil carving on each side near the end.
The ones I see in the books attributed to I.Haines appear to have flared brass nosecaps & this is usually how I do mine, tho I have done a couple straight ones using a cast Bivins nosecap that is straight. Also on a couple of them I have made a flared nosecap out of a piece of deer antler & attached it to the end of the wood.
Good Luck ! :thumbsup:
The ones I see in the books attributed to I.Haines appear to have flared brass nosecaps & this is usually how I do mine, tho I have done a couple straight ones using a cast Bivins nosecap that is straight. Also on a couple of them I have made a flared nosecap out of a piece of deer antler & attached it to the end of the wood.
Good Luck ! :thumbsup:
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I have done as Birddog6 suggested: flared wooden end without a muzzle cap. I explored the idea of a carved horn end but..........forget about it. I will add that I bedded my barrel with two part Acra Gel which strengthens the entire fore stock and makes up for not having a metal muzzle cap which adds strength to the nose. If you screw up the flared wooden end you could always install a brass or iron cap as a backup plan. Here's an image of my fore stock stripped and ready for refinishing.
