Laying out the cheek piece

[Red Owl]

I'm making a stock from a plank.  I have the outline cut and now need to start rounding the corners, etc. on the butt stock area.  I on lock side of the stock I'm thinking of first getting the wrist area roughed in and then take the lines down to it from the butt plate.  On the other side I have to design the cheek piece.  In looking at pictures it appears the Lancaster style was sort of square and maybe 1/3 the length of the butt stock- that is you would divide the length of the stock into thirds and the middle would be the cheek piece. 
   As you can probably tell, I need some help in laying out the size and how to position things, etc.  All help appreciated.

[Birddog6]

Why not make a copy of what you want out of a book & blow it up, lay it over the blank & make some reference points.   

[TinStar]

To practice drawing relief carving patterns ; I blew up a couple of pics of pre-carved stocks until the butt height matched what the catalog said it was. You may be able to do the same for cheekpiece.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

[rich pierce]

Definitely, either get a pattern or create your own blueprint from studying good pictures of originals.  There are no set rules for specific styles.  There was a lot of variation even within rifles by a single maker.

[Red Owl]

Thanks- that's a good idea that I'll do.  I thought I'd leave the thickness of the cheek piece the total width and then take it down until it fits me- like with a shotgun.  I have enough wood to put in 1/8" of cast- not a lot but at least something.

[Pete G.]

Get a copy of Peter Alexander's book "Gunsmith of Grenville County". He goes into great detail on layout. You won't be sorry.

[keweenaw]

How  much thickness you'll need for the cheekpiece depends on what the width of the buttplate is, the amount of cast off you put into the build and the amount of drop you've used.  Because the cross section of a flintlock cheek piece is concave from the comb to the edge, rather than flat like a modern rifle, rasping it down until it fits you really isn't very practical.  At the very, very most you'll have about 1/2" of thickness beyond the stock line and usually much less than that.  Think of that cheekpiece as more of a decorative element than a practical element and cut it until it looks right rather than trying for a fit to your face.  For example on a classical Lancaster rifle like  J. Ferre with a buttplate width of 1 7/8", the thickness from the far side of the stock to the  rear corner of the cheekpiece would typically be something like 2 1/8".  A Haines with a BP width of 2" might be 2 1/8" at the cheekpiece.  In both of those cases the cheekpiece looks to be quite prominent.

Tom

[Red Owl]

Tom- thanks for your help, much appreciated. I live in an area where there are no originals nor any accurate copies so I am looking at photographs and the photographs show the overall outline from a side view but that's all. I need more help.
1. The cheek piece on a modern rifle gradually tapers forward into the wrist area.  On the Long Rifle it looks to me that the cheek piece is more like an upside down trapezoid that occupies the middle third of the butt stock. Are the contour lines of the butt stock to the front and rear of the cheek piece  symmetrical to those on the opposite side of the stock?
2. When you say "edge" of the cheek piece, that would be the bottom line - correct?  The back corner would be the rear most part of the edge- correct?  This back corner would then be (on average- depending on the builder) 1/2" to 1/8" higher than the surrounding surface of the stock.  The thickness in this area would vary because of the drop and cast.  I'm putting in 1/8" cast.
    A. Okay, let's say I start out with the back corner 3/8"higher than the surrounding stock.  Does that 3/8" thickness continue along the edge to the forward corner or would the thickness along the edge decrease towards the forward corner? By how much?  In other words let's say I blow up a photocopy of a cheek piece and draw that on the stock. I then contour the areas of the butt stock in front and behind the drawn-on cheek piece outline so as to match the contour of the butt stock on the opposite side. At that point I would rasp down the back corner so it was 3/8" above the surrounding area, On the front corner how far down- also 3/8" or maybe 1/4"?
Next I would establish a flat line from front to rear corner, the edge, then  I would rasp from the edge to the comb flat  and then dish out the area - how much of a concave would this be?
   Finally, there is the sides of the cheek piece, from the surface of the cheek piece down to the surrounding stock- on a modern rifle this tie-in is usually concave- what about of a long rifle- concave or flat?
   Finally, I realize differences existed- I am trying to grasp what would be a general conformation- thanks for any help.

[Seven]

red owl, where are you located?  Here is link to a tutorial done by Mike Brooks.  It might help out a bit.  I think the check piece part of the tutorial is on part three or four.  http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/tutorials/brooks/Brooks1.html
-chad

[Red Owl]

Sunny Florida, although today its raining . Thanks on the tutorial- just what I needed.

[J.D.]

Mark Wheland explained to me, that a straight edge laid across the side plate panel and the  "edge" of the cheek piece, extending back to above the buttpiece, should settle between 1/4 - 3/8" above the edge of the buttpiece.

The straight edge gave a line from the flat of the side plate panel that extended to the line of the cheek piece.

God bless

[keweenaw]

If you're looking at the cheek piece from the bottom, the amount it extends above the background is usually just slightly less at the front than at the back - maybe 0.010".  If the cheek piece were removed the cheek side and the off side of the butt would have almost identical tapers from the BP to the wrist.  For most styles if the rear corner of the cheek piece is 5/16" above the background it will be plenty high.

Tom