barrel exposure

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

This should be a quick question.
How much of the barrel should be exposed out of the channel?

Any brilliant ideas on how to clamp and support the thin forend while I am abusing it with rasps?

Gun is a TVM Early Virginia.  13/16", .36 caliber.  42" barrel.

[flehto]

I start  1/32" below bbl centerline and go from there.....w/ rasping and sanding it  usually ends up somewhere in between 1/32" and 1/16".

Most of the forestock shaping is done w/ the bb in and pinned  but when shaping and sanding the upper edges of the forestock, I insert a RR drill and use masking tape at the muzzle cap and a few other spots and move the tape as needed......Fred

[L. Akers]

I either have the top of the stock line on the barrel center line or taper it from center line at the breech to 1/32-1/16 below CL at the muzzle.

As Fred said--leave the barrel in the stock for support.

[Mark Elliott]

It should start level with the pan at the breech (approximated centerline) and taper to 40% (up 40% from the bottom of the barrel) at the muzzle.   That probably will end up 1/32"-1/16" below centerline at the muzzle.   I do the same thing for the ramrod groove and thimbles.   I have about 60% of them exposed.   Some people don't do this, they put them in half way.   My approach makes even a heavy gun look slim, or at least not heavy.     

[flehto]

The Bucks County LRs I build have a very thin web {1/16"} and this necessitates a high lock location and the pan is always quite a bit above the stock which is 1/32"-1/16" below the bbl  centerline. The pics below are 2  recent BC builds  and a Lancaster build w/ the  locations as above. On a few of these LRs, I have brought the wood level w/ the pan, but this is a "slope" up to the pan. ....which lately I don't do.......Fred

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

So you guys rasp down the top of the barrel channel with the barrel in place?!?!  How does that work?

[Ky-Flinter]

So you guys rasp down the top of the barrel channel with the barrel in place?!?!  How does that work?

No.  When working on the top of the barrel channel, put something in the ramrod channel.  Best bet, a ramrod drill or other round bar stock, at the least, a wood ramrod.  Tape it in several places, move tape as needed.  In addition, position the stock so that the fore-end is well supported at several points.  Rasp away.

When you are NOT working on the top of the barrel channel, leave the barrel in place to support the fore-end.

-Ron

[retired fella]

I use a course file for that work.  A rasp could grab too much and/or chatter.  This is done with the barrel removed.

[thimble rig]

This is how I did my last build with a 13/16 barrel.I took a 2x4 and cut in the shape of 1/2 a barrel size about 42 inches long.Then when it is put in the barrel channel it is below the side flats of the barrel.Take a ramrod  put it in the ramrod channel made some v blocks and then clamped it all together to stiffen it up.Take it slow and use fine rasps and files do short sections at a time.finish it with course sandpaper.I know over kill.But it dosent take much to snap that fore arm right off.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Yeah, it is pretty obvious that the portion from muzzle to entry thimble is extremely delicate.

[Mark Elliott]

I usually use a flat bastard file to level the top line of the barrel channel.  Occasionally a small plane.

[Eric Krewson]

I use a sanding block with 100 grit paper, I don't worry about support as I am using a light touch and put the forend on post out from my vise or support it with my hand as I take light strokes. With 100 grit paper it takes me about a 15 minutes to do a really level, neat job.

My sander is called a Sand Devil, and uses small belts, it works really well and gives you curved and straight surfaces to work with.



I use the same sanding block to bring my sides to about 1/16" at the top, long sweeping strokes leave no high spots or dips.

[Tim Crosby]

 Not an answer to how much bit these little Jigs help me get the side height right and in shaping the forestock. The center strip rides in the bottom of the channel. The other two help shape the sides after rasping. After that a scraper takes over.
 Putting Toothpicks/wooden pegs or keys in your tenion holes will give you acces to the entire forestock, no tape needed.

  Tim C.