ideas for a gun building support?

[Justin Urbantas]

I just put my gun bench together at my new house, and I'm getting ready to start my next project, a little 11 ga blunderbuss.
I'm looking for ideas for adjustable stands to support one end of a gun while the other is in the vise.
What do you folks use?
Thanks

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have a "T" made from 2x4 lumber. Base is 10" long and upright is about the same. The top of the upright has a gentle U or V shape cut into that has boat carpet glued in. Works great at holding the end opposite the vice.

[coopersdad]

Mine is about like Pearl Drum's, but a flat top, covered in leather.  Support adjusts vertically, locked with a knob. 

[recurve]

you can use a camera tripod fit a board to the screw and pad it work till you build a better one

[Rocketman58]

I've been using one of these cheap work supports that was already in the shop. It's cheap, has adjustable height, good width and folds up when I don't need it.  I just tie wrapped some foam to the roller and it seems to work well.
https://www.harborfreight.com/250-lb-capacity-adjustable-roller-stand-with-edge-guide-58810.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21901739435&campaignid=21901739435&utm_content=173216746071&adsetid=173216746071&product=58810&store=298&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvvO7BhC-ARIsAGFyToXC-UKiRnxm2ZO6bnr-CQ2Ro-z3soBzBgxp4wEajF124Lxxgt4BQSkaAn8REALw_wcB

[2 shots]

 i made a 12 inch long  1 x 6 base with a 4 inch piece of  1 x 3 flat down in the center, 2 10 inch 1 x 2 uprights with  4   3/8 ths holes drilled thru from the top down  about an inch apart with a  3/8 dowel to adjust the height as needed. this is for bench use.

[Hatchet-Jack]

I made mine out of some old Microphone Stands.

[proud2bgeeky]

I used this wood roller stand from Grizzly. I removed the roller and replaced it with a piece of 4x4 wood that I tacked some leather on. It is a little heavier than I wanted but it is very stable.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-roller-stand/t28794

[t.caster]

I use a pair of Pana-vices. No untimely movement with these.

[Hatchet-Jack]

Mic stands

[whetrock]

I use a 4 legged wooden stool with a small plastic 3 drawer cabinet taped to the top of it. Drawer is full of tools, so it has some weight.
Added some strips of wood to the edges of the top of the cabinet, to make a tray, and put an old dishtowel over it. It's a good place to lay chisels.
In the tray I also have a wedge of split firewood, cut to fit, with a dished out section on the top edge for the rifle to lay in. That brings it to working height. One benefit of the stool as the base is that my feet can go under it when I am working with something there.

It's dog ugly. When I first did this it was just "temporary", until I could get around to making a "proper" support. But I've used it so long now that I've come to appreciate the utility of it, and long since become accustomed to the ugliness. (I suspect my wife might say the same about me! )

[ClaMar]

I bolted a piece of 4x4 to my workbench at an appropriate distance from the vise, taped a towel around it, and was completely satisfied with it, even though it is less adjustable than ideal.

ClaMar

[Dan Herda]

[ed lundquist]

I like that! thanks Dan.

[john bohan]

I use an old sizzor jack clamped into a second vise on my bench, bolt a peice of wood to the top and you can clamp to it also,it works well with a drill press.

[Dan Herda]

I like that! thanks Dan.

You bet Ed, I found a better picture showing use. It’s never been in the way.

[Eric Krewson]

I went simple for a support, just a couple pieces of 3/4" plywood glued together and bolted to the end of my workbench with a leather covered top.

I use it for bows and guns, very stable. I reposition my vise and use the post and vise pressure to straighten bow wood.



For drilling stocks, I use an adjustable support and sand bags.

[Brian Jordan]

I’ll post more pictures in the shop made tools section. But this is what I came up with when I built my bench years ago.

[Daryl]

Now THAT'S cool, Brian. Inletting a rail into the bench top, just like the rail under the forend on my position rifle.

[Big Bertha]

Here's what I cobbled together. Works well so far. The 3/4" strips around the edge keep my chisels from falling on the floor as well as serve as "rails" for the forend/barrel support which slides back and forth on the bench. I like it because  I can get to the gun from either  side. The left side is just clamped to my main shop bench.

[Dave B]

You boys have some great Ideas about this. I love that track inlet into the bench top.  I see only one problem....... some of yall are workin way to clean!!! I see open space on those bench tops and floors. We are gong to have to put an app  filter on here that will outomatically clutter up posts of empty shop floors or bench tops. I bet you organized guys can even find your tools when you need one and not have to go buy a new one cuz the last 3 you got you cant find. A sad state of affairs folks getting organized.

[Bill in Md]

Anything and everything....a folded up jacket, a chunk of wood, old deer hides.....My main work bench is outside to get the benefit of direct Sun light, therefore I want something that is quick and non permanent...My bench is long also...

[whetrock]

You boys have some great Ideas about this. I love that track inlet into the bench top.  I see only one problem....... some of yall are workin way to clean!!! I see open space on those bench tops and floors. We are gong to have to put an app  filter on here that will outomatically clutter up posts of empty shop floors or bench tops. I bet you organized guys can even find your tools when you need one and not have to go buy a new one cuz the last 3 you got you cant find. A sad state of affairs folks getting organized.

You said it, Dave.
Now, fellas, this is what a bench is supposed to look like.   

Photo of Hershel House's bench, from: https://www.finewoodworking.com/forum/wood-and-bone



PS: If by chance there are any late arrivals who don't know who Hershel is, you might want to see the obituary article Ethan posted on his website:
https://www.ilovemuzzleloading.com/blog/hershel-house-1941-2024-an-icon-has-passed
Well done, Ethan. Thanks.

[Bill in Md]

You boys have some great Ideas about this. I love that track inlet into the bench top.  I see only one problem....... some of yall are workin way to clean!!! I see open space on those bench tops and floors. We are gong to have to put an app  filter on here that will outomatically clutter up posts of empty shop floors or bench tops. I bet you organized guys can even find your tools when you need one and not have to go buy a new one cuz the last 3 you got you cant find. A sad state of affairs folks getting organized.

You said it, Dave.
Now, fellas, this is what a bench is supposed to look like.   

Photo of Hershel House's bench, from: https://www.finewoodworking.com/forum/wood-and-bone



PS: If by chance there are any late arrivals who don't know who Hershel is, you might want to see the obituary article Ethan posted on his website:
https://www.ilovemuzzleloading.com/blog/hershel-house-1941-2024-an-icon-has-passed
Well done, Ethan. Thanks.

That......that is what a work bench should look like!

[whetrock]

Since this thread is really about gun building supports, I'll post this next link, too. This one is a photo by Jan Riser (Thanks, Jan!), that shows Hershel's bench and the homemade support he had sitting to the right side of it, as well as a tool cabinet that was sitting off to the right.

https://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2008/03/woodbury-visit-2002.html


And another view, posted on here by Carper, which shows the right-side view of this same shop space. Hershel had an old drill press sitting there at that point. (This one shows that he did sweep the floor.   )

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=62412.0