working forend down on the top & ramrod channel

[smylee grouch]

This has most likely been discused here before but I am at that point in my curent build and am wondering how every one does that job of getting the nice feathered edge on the top of the forarm and along the ramrod channel. In the past I would work it down as close as I could with the barrel in the stock and then finnish with barrel out. Holding the stock when doing this makes me somewhat uneasy as the forarm at this point is less than sturdy to say the least.  Any thoughts or sugjestions welcome.

[Bernard]

Use a great deal of care is the best advise I could give you. Use fine files and sanding blocks and remove material from the edge toward the center of the forestock from both the top and bottom. You should strive to end up with a knife edge and be mindful of keeping waviness to a minimum by using light and shadow to reveal any high spots. Not much you can do for low spots so don't create any. You won't like them. Good luck.

[flehto]

W/ the bbl out, a RR drill is put in and the other end is taped in the area of the muzzle cap to give some rigidity to the flimsy forestock. Running a lead pencil down the top of the forestock makes for better visibility when radiusing the upper edge....I leave a .01 flat in lieu of a feathered  edge. 1/16" wide  flats  are  left alongside the RR groove.....Fred

[Jim Kibler]

It's really no trouble.  Just shape as much with the barrel in and finish up with the barrel out.  If you have some sort of jack stand arrangement along with your vise, the holding while shaping is easier.

[Ezra]

It's really no trouble.  Just shape as much with the barrel in and finish up with the barrel out.  If you have some sort of jack stand arrangement along with your vise, the holding while shaping is easier.

Jim,

I am not sure I understand your "jack stand" arraingement.  Any way hou could post a photo?

Ez

[gunmaker]

I cut some scraps of wood to fit bbl. chnl. & file sand top edge clamped in padded vice.  I also have 2 sliding supports built into my worktable, 1 to each side of 5" vice.  They slide up & down or can be turned under to get them out of way. As well as a flat 1 X 6 board with a clete on one end that I clamp in vice giving me a high platform to work on stocks.   ....Tom

[J.Cundiff]

It's really no trouble.  Just shape as much with the barrel in and finish up with the barrel out.  If you have some sort of jack stand arrangement along with your vise, the holding while shaping is easier.

Jim,

I am not sure I understand your "jack stand" arraingement.  Any way hou could post a photo?

Ez

He's talking about a solid piece attached to your bench on the other side of the bench from the vise, so that the rear of the gun goes in the vise, and the nose of the gun rests on the "jack stand", so you have the stock resting on 2 points instead of just being clamped in the vise alone.

[Ezra]

OK.   

Ez

[gunmaker]

Will try a pic of my set-up, cross fingers, toes & eyes......Tom

    This shows my support sys.  The bbl. is by Greg Christian, 28 bore X 36" tapered round.  7/8" @ breech.

[tallbear]

The "Jack" arraignment on my bench.

Mitch

[yip]

  tallbear; whats the name of your vise? who makes it?

[bluenoser]

I plane or rip a piece of clear pine down to about 1/4", cut it to the barrel profile and slip it into the barrel channel.  If it stands a little high, I just pare it away as I profile the top edge of the forearm.  Just a little insurance against heavy-handedness or an unexpected bump.  Combined with outboard supports, it has worked well for me.

Laurie

[chubby]

I use a black or red crayon on the top and bottom edge the full length of the forestock. I then use my rounded spokeshave, and watch my lines as i shave!  Chubby

[Stophel]

Am I the only one who has NEVER seen a "feather edge" on the top of the wood beside the barrel???  On old guns I see either the wood rounding into the barrel (definitely not a thin knife edge) or it is actually squared off.

[tallbear]

Yip
My vice is a Wilton. Unfortunately they are no longer made by any maker that I know of.They are antiques that were flea market finds.I like them because the when rotated the metal jaws are higher making precision filing easier.I also put sacrificial aluminum jaws on the metal  side which is perfect for forming RR pipes and patchbox hinges.

Mitch

[J.Cundiff]

Am I the only one who has NEVER seen a "feather edge" on the top of the wood beside the barrel???  On old guns I see either the wood rounding into the barrel (definitely not a thin knife edge) or it is actually squared off.

Yep. Most of the originals I've seen (not many, but a few) were rounded into the barrel, but not a feather edge.

[tallbear]

For the sake of discussion,I hope you don't mind Gibster.Is this a feather edge or is this rounded into the barrel??

[Stophel]

Hard to say from the photo, but looks flat on the top!  Thin, yes.

[Jim Kibler]

Semantics...

[Stophel]

But words mean things.  A "feathered edge" means thin and tapered down to nothing.  Wispy, fading out.  Something that would likely break off the first time  the barrel was removed or replaced (even during construction... especially for me).  I also often see "knife edge" being used to describe how the foreend should be shaped, which conveys a similar meaning.

[Jim Kibler]

Words don't always do a good job describing things.  It's like trying to describe the shape of a gun with words.  I've been frustrated when teaching trying to explain some form or shape.  Doesn't seem to work too well.  Talking and explaining often does little.   

[KLMoors]

I have a table saw roller stand that I use as a jack stand. This allows me to rotate the vice so the gun is angled out from the bench. That way, I can get to both sides and walk all around it. Mine is similar to the one below but I think it is a homemade one. I got it at a yard sale many years ago. I took the roller out, and lagged in a 4 X 4 wrapped with a towel. It is a real nice system.

I don't feather my edge to too sharp an edge. I leave a tiny radius on it.

http://www.sears.com/tools-garage-organization-shelving-stands-material-support-clamping-tables&SHOP%20FOX/s-1022336?filter=Brand&keywordSearch=false&previousSort=ORIGINAL_SORT_ORDER&viewItems=25

[Dave B]

Having  good support of the fore end is important. I have used a skinny broom handle sans the broom to drop into the barrel channel while I clamp  it in my padded vice to work the areas further out to the end.  As to the question as to feather or round edges at the barrel. I see there is more of a tendency to have the edges to be rounded over to the barrel. I checked the contour of a Schuler (Buck Co)fore stock compared with a Welshans (York Co)fore stock. The  Bucks co. had the terminal edge of the forestock to barrel having a nice radius terminating against the round barrel at 90 degrees the thickness of the fore stock is 1/8" off the barrel. The York Co Welshans the fore stock came into the barrel at more of an angle 45 deg angle at point of contact with the barrel with a very small final radius. The thickness of the fore stock at the widest part off the barrel is 3/32" Not quite feathered but  thinner than the bucks county.

[Mike New]

Mr. Immel, PM sent. M. New

[Stophel]

Got it.