Incised Line on Top Edge of Forestock

[George F.]

I was planning on an incised line or a pair of them on the top edge of the forestock, something I've been wanting to do for quite some time, but don't know the best fool proof method to keep the lines straight and even. Can some one share their secrets?   ...Geo.

[Stophel]

A steady hand and a keen eye.

Here's what I do when doing long straight lines.  Lay it out with a pencil, of course, and then cut it lightly with the V tool.  Deepen and straighten the line with an appropriately shaped and sized file. 

[BillPac]

Jim Kibler showed us a neat scraper he built to do this function.  It looks like a machinest square with a scraper point blade mounted in a slot on one leg of the square.  In use the square rides on the top of the forearm and you adjust the position of the scraper blade to cut your liine as required.  He demonstrated it at the Log Cabin Early American Trades Fair in October.
BillP

[Ky-Flinter]

Here's a tool I made, similar to what BillP describes.  I used it to form the molding along the ramrod channel.  You can file whatever shape cutters you want......







-Ron

[Bioprof]

Here's a really simple method to make a straight line along the edge of a stock.    Take a small block of wood, drill a pilot hole for a wood screw, file off the top of the screw so that there's a sharp edge, install the screw into the pilot hole and screw it in to the same distance that you want the line from the edge of the stock.   Just run the block along the edge of the stock and the head of the screw will scribe a straight line parallel to the edge of the stock.    I tried it and it works great.   

P.S.  This isn't my own invention, I learned it from someone else on this board.   

[Karl Kunkel]

TOF shared this method on the old board.  He credited an article in an old Woodwright Shop book.  I tired it to make a scratch line molding on my fore stock, and an incised line along the butt stock.  It worked great.

[Dphariss]

I was planning on an incised line or a pair of them on the top edge of the forestock, something I've been wanting to do for quite some time, but don't know the best fool proof method to keep the lines straight and even. Can some one share their secrets?   ...Geo.

Make a simple wood tool to index off the top of the barrel channel that carries a small scraper to lay out the line. I cut the second line and finished these to depth with conventional checkering tools.



Hopefully after hunting season ends I can get this thing finalized. Need to cut practice plates for some time so I can scratch metal parts...

Da

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I like it Dan.

[George F.]

I read in the   "Journal of Historical Armsmaking Technology"  JHAT for short. About this forestock scraper, seemed like a great tool. Made the blade for the pistol stock shape I wanted, problem was it was the whole profile from the top of te forestock down to the ramrod . What resulted was a ruined stock, it gouged out the top edge badly and the stock had to be trashed and started over. I think the my problem lied in to directions.
#1.  I made the scraper profile the complete forestock profile, and not just one profile like the lower forestock, and another for the top profile.
#2. I made the profile, but neglected to make and mount it in a frame or handle.
#3.  Hast makes waste.
 I can see that the way best to achieve this is to make a scraper, and attack this very cautiously, we don't want to ruin something after rounding third base.    ...........Thanks Guys....Geo.

[davec2]

Old link on similar subject:

http://americanlongrifles.org/old_board/index.php?topic=9943.msg80715#msg80715

[Rolf]

This Xmas vacation, i had planed to finish my second practice round on the pistols I'm making. These pistols have 12" straight octagon barrels. I had planed to make a scraper contoured to shape the whole forstock profile. It will be mounted in a  frame that rests against the barrel channel . Is there any reason why this won't work?


Best regards

Rolf kt

[George F.]

Boy, my memory is gone, I do now remember this post a few years ago, although the date tag is somehow wrong. I even commented on it I think I will make a scratch stock for the twin lines on the top forestock, and another for the twin lines at the ramrod moulding. I can see that I was the only one that had a bad experience, and my haste was the key factor in my problem. They should have a short seminar at Dixon's to cover this handy little tool. Don't look to me, I couldn't  keep a thirsting man's attention if I was holding the only glass of water for 100 miles,   ... Geo.