Starting with a Plank as a First Timer

[JLayne]

Hello,

I have finished a couple of kit builds (one Kibler Colonial and one Chambers Early York), and while I know I have lots to learn yet, I am getting curious about trying a build a rifle from a plank. Problem is I do not own a bandsaw and was wondering if anybody knows of a vendor who sells a sort of intermediary between a precarved kit gun and a raw plank? I was envisioning something in the square but already rough cut to the pattern shape of the finished rifle, perhaps with the ramrod hole already drilled, and possibly some inletting begun on the barrel channel, but with the remainder left to me to complete.

Thanks,
Jay

[Ed Wenger]

Jay..., check out what Dave Keck has to offer at www.knobmountainmuzzleloading.com.


          Ed

[Mike Brooks]

Look for a used bandsaw. I paid $10 for the one I have been using for the past 6 years. I bought another for $150 a couple months ago. Both of these were local auction finds. I'd check craig's list in your area.

[Elnathan]

Or:

Just use a handsaw, and cut carefully from both sides of the stock alternately, as one would do resawing lumber. For the area under the wrist where the radius of the cut is too sharp for the standard handsaw to follow, make a series of cuts across the grain almost up to the line and then knock out the resulting chunks of wood with a chisel.

I've done it once, and expect to do it again on my next build. Cutting through 2 1/2" hardwood is hard on the arms, but use a sharp saw and do your cutting in stages, and it is quite feasible. At some point I'd like to make something akin to a felloe saw for this kind of work.

[L. Akers]

Gun makers at Williamsburg use a frame saw.

[Mike Lyons]

If you’re going to have the  ramrod hole drilled  and barrel inlet,  see if they will bandsaw your plans to the stock for a fee.  You could even draw the rifle profile  on the wood and ask them to cut it out.  The guys who do this service charge very little for the exceptional work they do. If you’re going to do your own ramrod and barrel channel,  use a hand saw.  After doing a barrel and ramrod channel by hand,  I’d say it will be a cakewalk to profile a rifle.

[Mauser06]

Like Mike Brook's said, check Craigslist.  You can probably find a usable bandsaw at a decent price. Craftsman were a dime a dozen.  Bigger ones were a little tougher to come by, but I was told here that some of the smaller/cheaper Craftsman saws worked for them.    I ended up finding a an older 14" Delta in great shape.  It was a little more expensive but I will use it for more than just blanks.   



Don't be it'll intimidated by a blank build.  I was about terrified of trying.  I had 2 precarves under my belt.  I was just really afraid to waste all the time inletting everything to completely botch the shaping.   

I started with barrels inlet and ramrod holes done. Worth the money to have those done IMO.  But some guys enjoy inletting barrels...

I actually found it to be easier.  The inletting was all easier.  Drilling pin holes was easier because everything was mostly square and flat.  Once everything is inlet, I used my bandsaw to remove some more wood.  I didn't remove as much as I could have...but good rasps will make short work or that. 

That shaping went fairly well and quicker than I imagined it would. 

[rich pierce]

The best deal is when your barrel maker or supplier, wood supplier, and barrel inletter are in cahoots.  Saves much on shipping.  Hard to buy wood sight unseen though.

[Dave Patterson]

I've been using a couple cabinetmakers' frame saws I stumbled across in secondhand stores:  one large, coarse-tooth, and one medium-sized with finer blade and teeth; I've found them to be more than adequate for no more cutting than I do as a hobbyist.

[bob in the woods]

I have a good quality ripping saw, and a standard saw. With these I can saw out a stock profile without over exerting myself, and find the process quite enjoyable.  PS-  I have a bandsaw, but prefer the handsaws for this. It's not a big deal.

[steven baker]

 Id   use a course sharp hand saw. Just take your time and enjoy. Use a rip saw for going with the grain , cross cut for against, have fun Steven .

[mikeyfirelock]

I’ve done it with both a handsaw and a frame saw.   I prefer the frame saw....thinner blade gave me better control.   As I recall I sawed a total of 66 inches of 2” plus maple in 44 minutes.  It’s good exercise, .....not to mention the bragging rights. 

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I Cut one out of a blank with this Japanese saw:  https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/japanese-ryoba-saw.aspx

[Scota4570]

I picked up a Shopsmith bandsaw at a garage sale for $5.  I rigged a stand and a motor.  It works surprisingly well. The only downside is the odd-ball blade size.  Blades are available from Shopsmith with a phone call but, you will not find them at the hardware store. 

Anything is possible with the most rudimentary tools.  I have made stocks with a jigsaw. Doing so will involves time truing the cuts back to square with the side of the blank.  I find that tedious.  I'd borrow a bandsaw before I went that route.   

[SBachner]

Using handsaws will be "pleasureable" if they are sharp and you keep them sharp. If one persues using handsaws, you'll have to learn to file your saws; "pleasurable" in its own right. I resawed oak planks to make interior stair treads. It was "pleasurable" until the saw started getting dull.

[rich pierce]

Not sure that jumping all the way from, “Who can inlet a barrel and drill the ramrod hole and possibly bandsaw a blank to profile so I can advance beyond using precarves?” to “use your well-honed hand-sawing skills to cut a blank yourself” is an easy intro to building from a blank.  I’d get a barrel inlet and ramrod hole drilled by someone else for your first go round.

[Fowler610]

Hey Jay, you and I are on the same trajectory, except you're one rifle ahead of me.   I'm of the same mindset, that is, get a couple "kits" under my belt and then take the plunge.  I've got a mentor and I think you should find one, too.  That person likely has the hardware, and more importantly, the experience to get you past the scary unknowns.  This forum is chock-full of knowledgeable stockers and riflesmiths, but it's no substitute for a builder who can actually get in there with you.  If that opportunity comes your way, take advantage of it.  Of course, Bill Raby's videos are almost like being there, too. 

Hang in there, my brother.  Look forward to seeing your handiwork work one day. 

[fahnenschmied]

Make friends with somebody who has a bandsaw....maybe even enroll in a community college woodworking class....there is bound to be somebody in driving range of you, unless you live in Montana or Idaho or something.

[oldtravler61]

    J.Lane If it was me I would contact David Rase he's on here. He does excellent barrel inlet work plus ram rod channel work. The other choice is Dave Keck at Knob Mountain. Not only will he do the work you want done for a fair price. But he can provide the correct parts too.
Just my thought.   Oldtravler

[44-henry]

I would look for a Shopsmith Mark V with the bandsaw. I have seen several on Craigslist around here and they are very good machines that offer a lot of different functions without taking much space. The drill press function is very good. I paid $150 for the one I have.