cutting but of stock

[smoke]

When you cut the but do you use tape to keep it from splintering?

[Don Getz]

I never have.    It's not like fitting a butt pad to a modern gun.   In fitting the buttplate to a muzzleloader usually will require rasping the wood down to fit the buttplate, both on the sides and the end of the butt..........Don

[Long John]

I think you are referring to the phase of a build where you are cutting the part of the butt where the buttplate goes.

I never have found it necessary to use tape.  I cut the curve with a fine pitch frame saw and then use rasps and scrapers for final fitting.  Fitting a butt plate takes time and patience.  In all of my builds the blank has been sufficiently thick that if there was any chip out it would be irrelevant once the butt was shaped down to the buttplate profile.  Notice though that when I am installing the butt plate the final shaping of the butt has NOT been completed.  The buttplate goes on right after the trigger is installed.
(The barrel locates the vent, the vent locates the lock, the lock locates the trigger and the trigger locates the buttplate in my building sequence.)  Even on a pre-carved stock I think that a fine pitch saw and slow cutting is a more prudent approach than any method that would require tape to control chip-out.

Best Regards,

JMC

Best

[Acer Saccharum]

More description of your project would help us refine our answers.
At what stage are you in your build?
1)cutting the wood out of a tree
2)cutting the stock out a plank
What kind of wood?
What tool you cutting with?

Tom

[Acer Saccharum]

My experience with tape is that it just keeps the shards organized so you can glue them back in. Tape does not prevent chip-out. As John says, use smaller teeth.

[Larry Luck]

Here's an example from Gary Brumfield's site:

http://www.flintriflesmith.com/GunsSince1990/current_project.htm

Scroll down a couple pictures.

Larry Luck

[ken]

Tape does not seam to help! But good sharp tools annd sharp saw will go a long way, measure twice.

[smoke]

Just cutting the but to fit the butplate. right now the stock is too long

[Long John]

Here is a picture of my frame saw.



I just made it up from some scrap maple to fit the blades.  I think I got the blades from WoodCraft Supply.

My favorite blade is about 16 TPI.



In the picture the paper has 10 lines per inch. 

I rough-cut the butt end to within 1/2 inch of the line with either a band saw or cross-cut hand saw; usually the latter.  then I cut just proud of the line with the frame saw.  It goes slow but it makes a nice cut.  Final fiting is with rasps and scrapers.  Chip-out is rarely a problem because the butt has not been shaped when I put on the butt plate - it is still as thick as the blank.

I hope this helps.

JMC

I hope this helps

[smylee grouch]

Nice looking saw Long John, does woodworking Supply sell the blade attachment gizzmo too?    Gary

[David Rase]

The only time I have used masking tape when cutting out a stock is on dark walnut so I can see the pencil line.
DMR

[Ryan McNabb]

Check out Tools For Working Wood for lots of information and help with bow saws of most every configuration.

http://tinyurl.com/r5vjf

Cheers
Ryan

[Long John]

Gary,

The blade attachment thingers on my saw were made from a 1/4-20 hex bolt, cut to length, slotted with a hack saw and cross drilled for the blade pins which were made from a paper clip.

JMC

[smoke]

Thank You to all. I get the idea. Dan