Blank Build....Drawing stock?

[flehto]

Most of my builds have been from a blank and for  the Bucks County LRs a buttstock  template was always used....it was traced from a Shuler w/ a curved combline in RCA 1 and then enlarged on the computer to a stated Bplate dim. A tracing of this template has been sent to approx. 20 builders upon request and was free of charge.

The Lancaster type LR buttstocks have all been from a blank but for whatever reason found them easier to draw freehand, so went that route.

As an aside....I've never drawn a complete LR....just the buttstock  and was wondering how you builders determine the stock architecture of a LR build....freehand or template? A buttstock of a  Bucks County and a Lancaster are shown below. For the drops on my  LRs I have a squirrel LR that fits me perfectly and it is used to locate the BC template for the drops and also the  drops of the  freehand drawings of  the buttstocks of the Lancaster type LRs.  I was lucky that the drops of my squirrel LR also fit most people. Many of my LRs  are spec builds.....Fred
 

[LynnC]

I draw at least from butt plate to well forward the lock and many times taped on the needed paper to lay out the forend.  Things turn out better with a good scale plan.

[Mike Brooks]

I have drawn out a full sized pattern for every gun I have ever built.

[Frozen Run]

A tracing of this template has been sent to approx. 20 builders upon request and was free of charge.

I recently received a Bucks County Butt plate and trigger guard  from a friend, may I get one of those tracings please?

Always make a full sized drawing is probably the best advice I ever received as a new builder. Spot issues early on paper before creating problems for yourself in the wood. There are too many variables to go at it blind.

[Craig Wilcox]

A lot of shippers have been using brown paper as a packing material - brown paper pulled from a roll and crumpled.  I always try to salvage that, smooth it out some and re-roll.  Makes lengths for about the longest of the longrifles!

True, it IS brown paper, so you will need to use a heavy black pencil for your design.  Or go over it with an artists fine point black pen.  I use pens from an art supply store that are marked "Molotow - Made in Germany"  They are permanent ink, and the points range 0.4 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.1 mm and 0.05 mm.

Whatever you use, be like Mikey, and draw every one of your creations to full size.  Saves headaches in the long run.

[deepcreekdale]

I make sure my blank is planed smooth and do any drawing on it. You can always erase. Also, I inlet my barrel and drill my ramrod hole before drawing, then take my measurements from those known variables. For example, when the barrel position is fixed in the blank, I now know the exact location for my touchhole and therefore the exact lock position. Once that is done, I can then establish my length of pull, drop etc. I used to draw them out on paper but somehow for me, it never translated exactly to the blank leading to problems later. I have built several guns over the years without doing any drawing except the bottom and breech of the barrel, location of ramrod hole, location of lock sear, drop and length of pull. Everything else done freehand.

[mikeyfirelock]

I do much the same as deep creek Dale.   I use the touch hole location as a starting point ? After laying out the barrel and ramrod channel locations.   My rationale for doing so is that the touch hole location determines the location of most of the other aspects of the rifle…….lock location, and thus trigger location, which determines buttplate location ( ie length of pull or vice versa)….. and this affects how the stock is shaped to provide proper drop, etc.

[alacran]

Fred sent me a copy of his tracings. I had already built my BC rifle. I was pleased that his tracing matched my rifles butt near perfect.
I like to make 1/4-inch Baltic birch patterns for anything I haven't built before, or I am unsure of. I did not do that for my BC rifle, I just drew everything on the plank.
When you make a plywood pattern you can put it up to your shoulder and see how it will hold.
I finally got started on my escopeta. I made a plywood pattern. There is very little info on these guns, so much has to be gleamed from photos.
After inletting the barrel and tang, it feels good up on the shoulder, even though I haven't cut it to finished length. That I will do when the trigger is installed.
A pattern helps to avoid mistakes.

[paulitus]

I base everything on line of sight and line of bore, and draw them out on white poster board. Obviously, the location of parts is subject to change as the project progresses. Another plus to having a pattern is that you can pull it out from the stack and reuse, if you want to build a similar form in the future.