Seeking cheek piece decorative edge moulding advice

[RaiderSix]

I am at the point in “building” my Kibler SMR that everything is fitted and sanded and is ready for whiskering. I know the SMR is intended to be a sort of plain, nothing fancy kind of rifle, but I just can’t leave the “trapezoid” part of the cheekpiece undecorated. I have seen plain old saw kerfs that look fine, but am really enamored with the ones with sort of an ogee moulding, or other three dimensional effects. I’ve got “the Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle” and “The Gunsmith of Grenville County” and couldn’t find much about this little detail. Would you go about this with a scratch stock, or carving tools?

[rich pierce]

It’s too short for a scratch stock to be efficient in my view. I bet folks use combinations of back-saws, chisels, and rasps to shape cheekpiece moldings. I start with chisels.

I’m not sure how common such cheekpiece moldings are on original SMRs but I can understand wanting to add some personal touches.

Ok I checked, plenty of originals to inspire you right here. https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=364.0

[rsells]

Search the web for Ambrose  Lawing, William Lawing, and Bean family rifles and you can see how some of the old builders done their rifles.  It will depend upon the amount of material you have to work with.  Your rifle is like the original Jim chose to duplicate and is correct.
                                                                                                       Roger Sells

[mgbruch]

I begin with a "V" gouge for the groove(s), followed by a triangular file to open them up. To add definition I use a chisel, followed by needle files.

[mgbruch]

Also... when cutting into that raised surface with the gouge, or chisels, I cut into the wood from the outside edges and meet in the middle. Running the chisel off the edge runs the risk of popping a little chunk of wood out. Especially if you've got some cross grain right there.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  .. the BEALS family of Unicoi County made the style of cheek-rest I think you are after,... this one is by  William Nelson Beals,.... the centre area is raised and rounded,.... regards,... CCF

[rsells]

RaiderSix,
If you have a copy of "Kentucky Rifles of the Great Smokey Mountains", look at rifle #18 by Joseph Whitson Sr.   I think the cheek design is correct for the rifle Jim duplicated.  If you do not have this book, search the net for 'Whitson Family Rifles'.  The first rifle under this topic  is "iron mounted rifle by Heins, Frank House, Jim Kibler and Ian.  I think the cheek carving in the subject will be correct with the Whitson rifles.
                                                                                      Roger sells

[Scota4570]

Lots of ways to do things.  I go with what I know.  I also checker.  I use hard plastic Dymo labeling tape to lay out straight lines on stocks, in a situation like this.  I use the tape as a guide to make a checkering line cutter run straight.  Once the line is there you can change the contours.  I do not use V-gouges.  They are hard. for me,  to make cut straight and even. 

[RaiderSix]

Lots of good examples and advice. Thank you. Going to start planning and practicing on some scrap tomorrow.

[RaiderSix]

I guess I chickened out. I marked the lines with a marking knife, then ran a “quirk” scratch stock through the groove. I may try and run them deeper, but I’m not sure yet.

[Daryl]

Barely a little bit wider & a little bit deeper, maybe.

[RaiderSix]

Stopping here.

[RaiderSix]

Sanded to clean it up a little. Now, on to whiskering the wood.

[Daryl]

Looks good to me.

[mgbruch]

Good job.  Good symmetry.  And a good attitude.

Figure out what you want to do.  Do some homework.  Plan.  Jump in and execute deliberately.  That's how we learn to do what we do when building Longrifles.

[Fly Navy]

^looks good. I did something very similar on mine.

[Jim Kibler]

Nice work.  You can also use a three cornered file to adjust things if necessary.

Jim

[ettoreR]

I am at the point in “building” my Kibler SMR that everything is fitted and sanded and is ready for whiskering. I know the SMR is intended to be a sort of plain, nothing fancy kind of rifle, but I just can’t leave the “trapezoid” part of the cheekpiece undecorated. I have seen plain old saw kerfs that look fine, but am really enamored with the ones with sort of an ogee moulding, or other three dimensional effects. I’ve got “the Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle” and “The Gunsmith of Grenville County” and couldn’t find much about this little detail. Would you go about this with a scratch stock, or carving tools?

I generally use a combo of files, sandpaper wrapped around various shapes, and saws. Use the saw to cut a straight line then alter that to your desired shapes with knives, scrapers etc. Finish it off with sandpaper. Anything can be a scraper if your determined enough. Save the scratch stock for things like butt and fore arm moldings, it can work, but it will be finicky and you'll still need to clean the final result up