Removing bulk wood from stock

[A.Merrill]

    I hurt my shoulder year's ago and had a stock that was band sawed to shape about like your no.4, took it to my buddy's auto body shop. I ran a air hose outside and hooked up a DA grinder ( used for auto body work ) in about 45 minutes I had a stock shaped out.  I was covered from head to toe with saw dust. If you try this wear a dust mask and goggles.    Al

[Dphariss]

I’m getting close to shaping a stock. I bought a sureform tool and it is grabby and I don’t have the strength to use it effectively . I turned the blade backwards and used a pull stroke and that helped. Is there a better solution to removing bulk wood? Getting down to detail  with the rasps goes just fine. Not looking for speed but just easier on these old arms. Dan

Gouges and such, planes, spoke shaves etc are faster than rasps for removing excess wood. Just be aware of grain flow and direction of cut
Fishtail gouge used here. Very curly piece of Sugar Maple.

Dan

[P.W.Berkuta]

I think you can remove a lot of excess wood with sharp cutting tools and leave the wood surface clean and somewhat smooth than with a rasp. I have used a bandsaw to remove some of the bulk of the wood but I also made firewood out of two very nice stocks which made me sick and after that and I swore off the bandsaw for shaping stocks.

[Maineshops]

Ya P.W. I don’t think I’m coordinated enough for the band saw trick. I rough profile them and that’s as far as I dare to go. ...dan

[Buckskinner]

I bought a $14 spoke shave on Amazon and was very impressed with efficiency of clean wood removal.  Saved me a bunch of time and far better than the 49 Nicholson that I bought, that thing is borderline useless...

[Mike Brooks]

I bought a $14 spoke shave on Amazon and was very impressed with efficiency of clean wood removal.  Saved me a bunch of time and far better than the 49 Nicholson that I bought, that thing is borderline useless...

Must be one of the new #49's....They may be stamped Nicolson, but they aren't made by them in this country. I have a stock pile of about 18 of them I have worn out in a 4o year career that will be sent off and sharpened.

[Bill Raby]

   I just ordered a large, coarse Liogier rasp. Its custom made and hand stitched. It will be one of what they call their "sapphire" line. I keep seeing people talking about how they are the best rasp that you can get so I figured I will give it a try. Problem is that it is made to order and ships from France so it will be a while before it gets here. And the price would make your head spin. Using high quality tools makes gun building a lot more fun so I don't mind paying a lot if it is worth it. The other problem is that if I really like it I will end up spending a fortune on a whole set of them.

[Maineshops]

Much good advice. I took bowkills advice and bought a Shinto rasp and like it a lot

[Tim Crosby]

 I have never understood why folks don't like the sureform tool. I like the rounded blade and pull it instead of pushing it. All boils down to what your comfortable with. This is 20 strokes off the corner of a piece of Ash:

 



  Tim

[Dennis Glazener]

I have never understood why folks don't like the sureform tool. I like the rounded blade and pull it instead of pushing it. All boils down to what your comfortable with. This is 20 strokes off the corner of a piece of Ash:

 



  Tim

I liked mine but the blades did not seems to last very long so I just started using other things mostly a couple of box planes that work well for me and seem to stay sharp for a much longer time. Also seemed to remove wood quicker.
Dennis
Dennis

[Curtis]

A gouge across the grain works well for me, or a horse hoof rasp.  Then a rasp and next I graduate to a spokeshave.  Last I use scrapers and files.





Curtis

[Chowmi]

I'm getting started on my next rifle, doing the grunt work when I'm not in the mood for final details on my current project.

I don't have a bandsaw, and with the self isolation, don't want to impose on my friend who does have a band saw.  I'm having a heck of a time just cutting my super hard maple blank to the pattern.  I've tried some pretty dodgy tools, methods and nearly cut it too close on the bottom of the buttstock. 
I think I'll use my table saw to do the straight lines on the forend. 

After that, stock shaping will be a lot of work, it's really hard/dense maple and the grain structure near the buttplate is all over the place.  I think it will have some gorgeous figure, but I'm gonna pay for it in hard work. 

Norm