using hand planes in gun building

[borderdogs]

Hi Guys,
I watched a Mark Silver video of him shaping a stock blank with various hand planes and I found his approach very interesting. I was wondering if there are any here that use hand planes in shaping the stock?
Rob

[Mike Brooks]

I used to. I now use tools that have less impact on my worn out body.

[paulitus]

I use a small spokeshave extensively, and a Stanley mini block plane. The block plane is especially good for tapering ramrod.

[rich pierce]

I use planes often. I hand saw my blanks and inlet my barrels and ramrod grooves and holes. So after rough sawing for the barrel inlet I level with a plane. I use a round plane to rough out the barrel channel. I use a small round plane for the ramrod groove. I hog the buttstock extra wood off with a scrub plane. I use spokeshaves for most of the shaping.

Until I started using a scrub plane I’d not have believed how efficient and safe and fast they are. Game changer.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I use planes for the rough shaping.  I do not use them to take the stock down to as close tot he final dimensions as Silver does in that DVD. 

Cory Joe Stewart

[P.W.Berkuta]

I use a low angle block plane along with a few miniature hand/thumb planes which I find very helpful in certain areas of the stock. I do like a spoke shave also.

[David Rase]

Based on recent chatter, I think most people are using Kibler to shape their stock.
David

[Ross Dillion]

😂🤣☝🏻

[Ross Dillion]

Yes on the low angle block plane.

[borderdogs]

I have a blank that I put a barrel channel and drilled a 3/8" ramrod channel I haven't cut the stock shape yet. It's a half stock rifle with a 1" straight octagonal barrel.  Watching Mark Silver use planes to shape the stock got me thinking about this stock. I don't have some of the planes he has but I have a few of them and a selection of draw knives and spoke shaves. I have low angle block and jack planes, a scrub plane too. I might bandsaw the shape and thickness and try rough shaping with planes. I will take some pictures of the stock & parts before I cut or plane it and post them here. Thats why I asked the question I was wondering who might be doing that and what their experience was. I appreciate the replies.
Rob

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I don't know what it is, but I cannot get a draw knife sharp enough to use effectively on hard maple.  Even my spokeshave sharpening leaves something to be desired. 

Cory Joe Stewart

[rich pierce]

Rob, I find most planes are straightforward in use but scrub planes are a rule unto themselves. Because the blade is rounded it has less tendency to pull out chips or splits, and can even be used at close to right angles to the grain with ease. And it can take very deep cuts. 1/16” deep trough cuts are easily made, so rough stock removal goes fast. There are places where a drawknife can compete, but many more where the drawknife gives me trouble with grain direction changes.

[borderdogs]

I have built furniture for years (decades at this point!) and acquired a lot of hand tools over the years. I have used draw knives and spoke shaves but have limited experience. I can get them sharp but not sure they are sharp enough to work curly maple. Thats true of the scrub plane too I have mainly used this plane to imitate hand planed panels on walls and on door panels. The house I own was built in 1750. But other than some use of a block and violin planes on a few builds I really have no experience using them on a rifle stock. But its a technique I would like to learn. I really appreciate the comments they are helpful.
Rob

[mikeyfirelock]

I use planes a fair amount on my builds ( I avoid power toolss except for the drill press generally) and find that the best ones are as noted……U.S. or English brands.     Estate sales are a good source for these if you are leery of the prices of new ones.    Sharpening is the key….takes practice but can be done if done carefully.  When you can easily shave the hair off your arm, you’re close. 

[mikeyfirelock]

Hope this comes through.    It measures .010 if I see it correctly without my glasses…

[mikeyfirelock]

PS.   Don’t try shaving your arm hair with the blade in the plane !!!!!!!

[borderdogs]

one of the reasons I was interested in hand tools building rifles was I didn't want to use a router or shaper to mill the barrel channel or ramrod channel. Herschel House, Jim Turpin and others show their uses on videos and they get good results. But it seems dicey to me and something I don't want to do.

I have old planes mostly Stanley but some wood body planes too. I also have some lie Nelson planes which are very nice. I don't skimp on tools.
Rob

[Dennis Daigger]

The Jaeger stock that I recently finished from a very large blank was shaped almost entirely using these planes. The plane on the left is a Lie Nielsen rabbet block plane and is an extraordinarily versatile plane. It's precise adjustments and heavy construction dampens vibrations allowing for easy wide half a thou cuts and the weight reduces hand shock. The violin plane was used for precise smoothing cuts that basically require no final sanding.

Cheap planes give poor results and lead to lack of confidence in their use. The Lie Nielsen and Veritas from our Canadian friends are simply as good as they need to get. The only spoke shaves I use are the small ones in the photo and are used for curved shaping.

Dennis

[Craig Wilcox]

I have had a few planes for more than 50 years.  One was my grandfather's, the others just popped in to stay a while.  They get fairly frequent use, especially on that gnarly English walnut!  The low angle plane is best for that.

[DavidC]

I'm surprised no one is using router planes. They're good for a barrel channel and patchbox.

[borderdogs]

David,
I asked about router planes in another early post specifically about them.
Rob

[heinz]

I use a full selection of planes, from a Lie Nielsen violin makers plane up to a Stanley no 7.  I also have a full set of wooden hallows and rounds, a plow plane and a moving fillister.  I think I have 4 router planes and a love - hate relationship with them.  Ian Pratt converted me to hand planes.  They give you a different look and a different outlook on the process. I do not use sandpaper.

[c deperro]

 I don't use the scrub plane very often . I use my low angle jack plane a small plane its maybe 2" x1"  a round bottomed plane a large and a small spoke shave. a rounded sure form rasp can knock a lot of wood off fast also.

[RMann]

With just one plank build under my belt....but as a long time wood worker, I could not imagine not using various hand planes
 as they are so well suited for efficient and safe stock removal. But I am used to planes, and don't have those nice rasps that so many of you use so well. Draw knives work great on green wood, but I don't have the finesse/experience to risk on a gunstock.  But in the great cover photo on "Gun Makers of Buffalo Valley & Greasy Cove, the old gunmaker's shop floor is littered with typical draw knife shavings.  So at least in my imagination, the old timers used them in their roughing out.  I would like to hear more from those who know better.  But the safer spoke shave is really helpful in many areas once you read the grain to determine which direction to pull.  Now I want to observe Mark Silver at work...

[Dan Fruth]

I use a Kuntz palm plane with a "squirrel tail" handle and a 60 1/2 low angle block plane.