Shaping but stock

[hortonstn]

When shaping a but stock I have a hard time making the comb appear shape ,straight down   when looking from the top ,what tools do you use I like the sharp pointed nose on my rifles
Thanks
Paul

[David Rase]

After roughing out the butt stock with gouges and rasps I shape the nose of the comb with a rat tailed file.
David

[Mark Elliott]

My shaping of the butt stock is done in this order with these tools:

saw
carpenters hatchet and/or draw knife
gouges
Pattern Makers rasps (#49 then #50)
scrapers

I  shape the comb termination with a gouge, the rasps (you just use the tip),  and final shaping and smoothing is done with a scraper.   Almost all my final lines are accomplished with scrapers.   I have a scraper with complex curves to get things like the comb termination to wrist transition.  

Go to TOW and order Kit Ravenshear's book on stock shaping.   The pattern for the scraper I refer to is in that booklet.

[Acer Saccharum]

View 'straight down' like this?
(I don't mean to imply that your rifle would have this pronounced a cheekpiece.)

[Dave B]

I have used a round shure-form to treat the front portion of the comb. This then is followed by the #49 cabinet rasp and then finishing up with a scraper.

[satwel]

I use curved scrapers.

[flehto]

After outlining the cheek area w/ a hacksaw and chunking off both sides of the butt to a rough shape, a large gouge is used to shape the surface of the ckeekpiece. Then round Surforms are used. A #49 Niclohson  smoothss things out. Then small gouges shape the pointed nose of the comb. Then mainly use scrapers of various shapes ....some purchased and some made from single edged Red Devil razor blades.  A little time consuming getting both sides at the same vertical angle seeing seeing the sides are different.

Like a fairly sharp pointed comb termination, but perhaps it's too sharp and fragile?  Pictured below is a Bucks County w/ a pretty pointed comb termination....Fred

[Ron Scott]

I just purchased one of the Gun Smith rasps from Liogier. It looks like the perfect tool for shaping the comb to wrist area and down the Ballistrate into the butt stock.

[flehto]

Ron....what "grain" did you buy? What was the price if I can be nosey"......Fred

[hortonstn]

thanks guys for your input, i use most of these methods, i was hopeing for some magic tool i really have a hard time sharpening scrapers
paul

[tallbear]

I find these tools by Gunline very useful when doing the cheeckpiece and the nose of the comb.http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/stock-work-finishing/stock-making-hand-tools/barrel-channel-cutting-tools/barrel-bedding-tool-prod6796.aspx

Mitch Yates

Tool in use compliments of Mike Brooks

[Acer Saccharum]

thanks guys for your input, i use most of these methods, i was hopeing for some magic tool i really have a hard time sharpening scrapers
paul

There is a lot of 'magic' involved in sharpening scrapers, but I just grind the edge square, and use it like that for roughing. When it gets dull, re grind.

Only for fine scraping, do I hone the scraper edge to get an even delicate burr. Again, it's square edged, not a rolled burr like all the manuals tell you.

Find what works for you, and use that. Remember to experiment when something isn't working.

[E.vonAschwege]

It's already been said, but I too use a block plane, spokeshave, #49 rasp, bastard halfround file, then finally round/kidney shape scrapers.  I have two kidney scrapers - one is thicker and the other thin, the thick one I usually keep at 90 degrees and takes off a lot of material and the thin one gets a small bur for final smoothing and fine tuning. 

Remember that the shape of the nose of the comb can vary widely depending upon what style rifle you're building.  Some of them are quite bulbous and round, while others are very sharp. 
-Eric

[Acer Saccharum]

Here's rough stock I was working on a bit ago. Sawed off as much on either side and under the cheek, then across the grain with a gouge. Then I move to a coarse rasp, then to scrapers.

I hope this helps.

[Dennis Glazener]

i was hopeing for some magic tool i really have a hard time sharpening scrapers
paul

edit - Re-reading the OP sounds like you need something else but for final scraping and not worrying about sharpening them these are great!

ok try this one compliments of Allen Martin (Dixons) to me several years ago. Pick-up a package of carpet blades like these :

from Lowes (or elsewhere)

They work great and last a long time.
Dennis

[hortonstn]

i'm really impressed by all of your help
thanks again
paul

[Mike Brooks]

I have used a round shure-form to treat the front portion of the comb. This then is followed by the #49 cabinet rasp and then finishing up with a scraper.

Ditto

[Meteorman]

Re-reading the OP sounds like you need something else but for final scraping and not worrying about sharpening them these are great!
ok try this one compliments of Allen Martin (Dixons) to me several years ago. Pick-up a package of carpet blades...
They work great and last a long time.
Dennis

+1.
I got it off Mark Wheland, at Dixons.
Mark showed how to put a slight burr on them by holding it about 30-degrees off vertical on a fine arkansas stone and drag it towards you, light pressure.

Since going to blades, i havent picked up my cabinet scrapers again.
you need a radius -- Go to fabric store and pick a replacement blade for a rotary fabric cutter.
They are essentially round utility knife blades - Waaay sharp and work great for shaping/finishing the concave surfaces.   Havent put a burr on these. But they still pull off fine shavings.

[Mark Elliott]

To pick up on the "magic" theme,  that is what happens after you have made a bunch of guns and you no longer think about what you need to do or how you are going to do it.    It takes years and a lot of money in parts.    How many years and how much money varies from person to person.

[Captchee]

i was hopeing for some magic tool i really have a hard time sharpening scrapers
paul

edit - Re-reading the OP sounds like you need something else but for final scraping and not worrying about sharpening them these are great!

ok try this one compliments of Allen Martin (Dixons) to me several years ago. Pick-up a package of carpet blades like these :

from Lowes (or elsewhere)

They work great and last a long time.
Dennis

Yep Dennis , those work great . but  we should probably warn folks that those blades are the sharpest thing you may ever see . Even if you don’t slip , your likely to be missing parts of you finger prints .  They do make really good scrapers though  and I still have cases  of them  out in my shop .
 What I find works better  is  carpet  base board / Wall trimmer  blades .
 They are alittle thicker  , just as sharp , but  don’t have the upper edge  to cut you .

[flehto]

For the smaller radii as on both sides of the comb/wrist blend, the back end of Exacto blades used in their handles work well. These are shaped on a disk sander and can be used asis or dragged on a stone crasswise to the blade as previously described. .....Fred