Prefered Tool for Shaping Butt Stock Comb

[Fiftyfour]

What is your preferred tool for shaping the comb?  I like the combs that have an acute triangular shape on top. To work the sides if the comb down to the hand rail
I have used a combination of a block plane, spoke shave and rasp but neither really seamed to do the job well.  I tried a draw knife which gave poor results.
I have thought of rounding the corner of a scaper.  This would give a some flat flat surface and the round corner wouldn't gouge the intersection of the comb and hand rail.
Any suggestions?

[Chowmi]

I'd love to help, but I don't understand the term "hand rail".  Do you mean the wrist?  The part you hold with your right hand if you are shooting and are right handed?

Norm

[Mike Brooks]

I'm not clear on your question, but I use one of those round sure form rasps followed by a round barrel channel scraper to shape that area. Check my tutorial, It probably shows my method there, I don't remember.

[rich pierce]

Hand rail = wrist I assume.

Spokeshave then a half round coarse file then scrapers. Amazing what a scraper will do. I make my own from fairly thick stock. Custom file the contours I want.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

He may be trying to describe the area where the comb ends at the wrist.  On both sides of the stock, that area is concave.  the concave continues on the cheek side right to the butt end of the cheek piece, flaring and tapering as it goes.  I too use a Stanley Surform, reversed to cut on the pull, followed by a 3/8" rat-tailed cabinet maker's rasp, and then scrapers.

[Old Ford2]

I thought you bought the plank of wood with that already done
Fred

[okawbow]

I use three sizes of very small curved bottom violin planes. Leaves a smooth surface and is very controllable. Can remove lots of wood or set the blade for fine shavings.

There are finger planes available lots of places online.

[L. Akers]

Round sureform rasp and "french curve" style cabinet scraper.

[t.caster]

He may be trying to describe the area where the comb ends at the wrist.  On both sides of the stock, that area is concave.  the concave continues on the cheek side right to the butt end of the cheek piece, flaring and tapering as it goes.  I too use a Stanley Surform, reversed to cut on the pull, followed by a 3/8" rat-tailed cabinet maker's rasp, and then scrapers.

That's my method too. Throw in a big half round/flat rasp too.

[Eric Krewson]

I start with V gouge but only use it to cut my line and keep this first cut about 1/4" above where I want my transition to be. After I establish this first line I use most of the aforementioned tools to complete the task.

Again I am rank beginner and make it up as I go.

[moleeyes36]

I readily admit that I'm a fan of Iwasaki rasps and own several different ones.  However last summer there was another periodic thread on rasps and Smallpatch said he found a good tool for shaping around areas like the comb was the Iwasaki half round tapered rasp https://www.woodcraft.com/products/iwasaki-8in-half-round-extra-fine-file?via=573621f469702d06760016cd%2C5764197769702d3baa0002e9  I bought one on that recommendation and am very pleased with its versitility and effectiveness. 

Mole Eyes

[P.W.Berkuta]

It depends on the shape you want to end up with. For concave effect I have used the SureForm rasps for many years with good results. Lately I purchased a MICROPLANE set with the 8" SNAP-IN BLADE. I find it cuts much better and is a bit smaller in length and width. If you buy the "zester" which is flat it cuts on the pull stroke but it does work on wood - same blade but it is reversed in the handle and not replaceable. I will refine the shape with wood forms with sand paper wrapped around it and scrapers.

[Ed Wenger]

I too, am a big fan of the Iwasaki rasps.  I use the curved one for the sides of the comb.



           Ed

[Dennis Glazener]

So far I like the Iwasaki rasps the best of any I have used. You don't need to press down on them to get them to cut, sharp and seem to be good at self cleaning.
Dennis

[Gaeckle]

I use a combination of rasp (49 Nicholson), half round files, rat tail fles and for quick wood removal I use old molding planes in varying degrees of roundness. Those old planes have increadably sharp irons and they are easy to slick up when needed.

[flehto]

Taylor....I'm probably misunderstanding you, but I've never made the sides of the butt stock concave , except some areas of the actual cheek piece. The sides of the comb towards the comb nose aren't concave either, So maybe I've been doing it wrong all these yrs.

The pic shown below is how I've been doing it all these yrs......Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

That's funny Fred!  You doing it wrong!!  There is a transition point where the sides of the comb/buttstock meet the wrist, and that I thought, was the area we were discussing...how to create that concave area.  On the cheekpiece side, it travels back toward the butt plate more than it does on the patchbox side.  The wrist actually moves backward below the comb diminishing little by little as you go back.  I think we are talking about the same area?

[flehto]

Thanks for responding w/ pics that I think show me that I've been doing it wrong all these yrs. As I look at your pics, I do see a concave surface going up to the comb demarcation ...a continuing of the concave surface of the cheekpiece.

As can be seen on my pics, there's a slight angle going down from the side comb demarcation to the wrist and cheekpiece in lieu of a concave surface as shown in your pics.

A cross sectional view would really show the concave surface, but your pic does show it. ....thanks for your input

Below is a pic of a recent build w/ my wrongful shaping of the surfaces discussed previously......Thanks again.....Fred

[Mauser06]

Does that concave area vary based on school and even maker? 

Or was it pretty much a typical feature on original longrifles? 


New builder and looking to learn every ounce I can.

That area can be hard to see in pictures.

[Mark Elliott]

I currently use gouges to rough out the cheek and the comb transition.  I may use a convex model makers plane on the cheek side. Then I do the final shaping with pattern makers rasps and a scraper specially made for the purpose.   

[flehto]

Taylor.....went through some pics of just original BC LRs and it seems the concavity you display on the sides of the butt below the comb and especially towards the comb nose is possibly  style specific. Below are 2 BC pics that don't have any concavity on the sides of the buttstock....I have more pics that display the same thing.

By the way......what style is the MLer in your pic? Whatever it is, it's  made from a beautiful hunk of wood. ....Fred

 

[rich pierce]

Fred, I took a quick look in our library and there is variability. Here’s a later Berks County rifle.  They often look slightly pregnant or inflated.



This superb Beck looks flat to slightly convex to me.



This John Brooks Lancaster rifle looks concave to me at least on the cheekpiece side.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I agree that the amount on concave at the wrist/comb transition varies from school to school and even rifle to rifle in the same school by different makers.  But the 'general rule' if such a thing exists, is a hollow where the nose of the comb meets the wrist.  Even your first image, Fred, of the BC rifle shows a slight concave area there at the carving.
That rifle I posted is a Jim Kibler SMR 'kit'.  I've never worked on a rifle with such tight and uniform loud curl.  the bars of the curl demonstrate the hollow of the comb/wrist transition really well.  I'm going to go back through files of my rifles and examine them for whatever consistency I may have had in this treatment over the years.  It's something I do without thinking, I guess.

[Mr. Bubbles]

You might try the various sizes of rounded scrapers such as the David Fisher ones from Brownells to shape the concave portions such as near the nose of the comb (once you get past the sureform or half round rasp stage) , and then something like a half-round file to even things out so you don't have any dips or depressions in the area, such as scrapers are prone to create in curly wood.    Smooth it back up again with the scrapers, and then finally to the sand paper.

For the REALLY rough stuff (like taking the stock from the plank to the "it looks like a gun stock" stage), I used a power angle grinder with a fairly fine grit on it.  I just didn't want to get too close to the final dimensions with it that's for sure.  1/4" was plenty close enough for me.