Shaping a Buttstock

[Eric Smith]

When you have a new blank on the vice and the heel of the buttstock hangs out alone, then you go at it with drawknife, planes, and gouges, what do you use to support/ stabilize it with. Pictures and such would help too. Or do you just keep it over the bench and use a benchtop support?

[tallbear]

Eric
If you look at my set up you will see that the suppports are adjustable not only for height but can be moved closer or away from the vice by moving the support to the square hole seen in the second pic.No matter what I'm working on or what position the rifle is in  I am supported on both sides.

Mitch

[Dphariss]

Glue heavy leather on the supports.



Dan

[Jim Kibler]

My preference is a free standing support that has a small diameter heavy base that rests on the floor and  is height adjustable.  I can swivel the work around and move the support where ever I need it.  Use one and I'll bet you like it. 

[Lucky R A]

    My support is nothing more than a piece of 2X4  w/ a U shape cut in the top.  This is padded w/ some heavy foam rubber and covered with several layers of terry cloth towel.  It is commonly referenced as a "Dummy."   You place it where you want it for support and it stays there as long as there is downward pressure from your stock on it.   I use my band saw to remove close to 90% of the excess wood from the stock, so I am not doing any drawknife, or percussive work on the stock, just cleaning up the lines with a rasp and then down to the final fine tuning of the lines and architecture.