Shaping a gunstock blank

Improving and repairing firearms. Rifle bedding, barrel work, stock replacement and other ways to improve your firearms.

Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by heeple » 11 Mar 2014, 5:30 pm

Hi all,

Question about tools for shaping a gunstock blank.

Once you've cut the basic silhouette of the stock, would you just use a sander to take the corners off and shape it down?

How many tools do you really need to do a half decent job?

Thanks all.
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Chronos » 11 Mar 2014, 5:42 pm

I'd say (without having done it) a plane would cut the basic shape then either a spoke shave or electric sander to do the final shaping before the real sanding and final shaping begins.

Is be keen to see your project take place as it's something I've thought of myself.

There would be hundreds of projects like this on YouTube I'd say

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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Sender » 11 Mar 2014, 8:51 pm

A plane, hammer and chisel would be appreciated I think.

That would be a hell of a lot of work with only sanding.
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Skadoo » 12 Mar 2014, 8:18 am

It's been suggested on here before to pick up a few slabs of cheap timber from Bunnings and have a practice go first. Good advice IMO.

A small pine sleeper or whatever is $15-20 and you'd get half a dozen practice stocks out of it.

Do that before you start on your nice American Walnut or other expensive wood.
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by DaleH » 12 Mar 2014, 10:46 am

Dremmel tool would be worthwhile and a couple of the rasp style shaping files will be a heck of a lot quicker than a sander
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Mark TAC » 13 Mar 2014, 11:07 pm

There is a big difference between doing inside curves, outside curves and long straights.

Then a difference between roughing out those and finishing those.

Just shaping a plug for a mould I reckon I used at least 10 tools... and that has no inletting.

Roughing out shape - a belt sander and a rough sanding disk like 40 grade in an angle grinder is absolutely gold.

I am inletting a wood stock now and on the table I have have 5 files, 3 chisels, dremel and at least 4 "funny shaped" bits of wood and steel to place sandpaper around.

Oh yeah and essential is a two handed long thin sanding block, and a hand sized cork sanding block. Nothing will ever be flat otherwise.
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by heeple » 14 Mar 2014, 8:30 am

Thanks Mark.

I get that inletting it is more detailed.

At this point I was really just asking about shaping the outside of the stock. I didn't really make that clear though.

Got any pics of your work in progress?
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Mark TAC » 15 Mar 2014, 11:12 pm

^^^ yeah I'll get there with pics etc.

I am just finishing a part made walnut stock now, but my main thing is synthetic stocks. I was referring primarily to making the wood "blank" or plug that I took a mould from.

I use a lot of tools for the outside shaping. I reckon the very minimum is a belt sander and a very long sanding block or plane, and a short sanding block, with a couple of files.

For curves, a sanding disk in an angle grinder is very nice but needs some practice and a steady hand - it is easy to carve a lot off real fast!
Maker of carbon fibre / Kevlar(TM) tactical stocks
www.MSTactical.com

CZ 452 .22 - Leupy 2-7x33
Rem700 VSF .22/250 - Bushnell Elite 4200 6-20x40
Rem700 Sendero .300WinMag - Leupold 3.5-10x40 LR/T
Sako L461 custom .222 - Sighton SII 3-9x42
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Brute » 16 Mar 2014, 6:58 am

Hmm, doing your own synthetics isn't something you see every day.

I'm interested in seeing pictures too :)
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Mark TAC » 16 Mar 2014, 10:49 pm

^^ I do a tactical stock only for Rem700 (at this stage) as that si the bedding block I have access to.
Carbon / kevlar epoxy. Fully hand laid, not just a thin egg sell of glass with a heap of cheap filler like some I see.....

Crap pics but you get the idea....

Image

Image

Image
Maker of carbon fibre / Kevlar(TM) tactical stocks
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CZ 452 .22 - Leupy 2-7x33
Rem700 VSF .22/250 - Bushnell Elite 4200 6-20x40
Rem700 Sendero .300WinMag - Leupold 3.5-10x40 LR/T
Sako L461 custom .222 - Sighton SII 3-9x42
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by disko » 17 Mar 2014, 8:08 am

You made the whole thing? That's Pro.
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Turkle » 17 Mar 2014, 9:59 am

Loving your work Mark :D
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Noisydad » 18 Mar 2014, 5:50 am

Max points for wanting to have a go! I think that you'll be using wood rasps and lots and lots of sweat more than power tools. One slip with power tools when you're close to finished size and you'll be starting all over again.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Shaping a gunstock blank

Post by Seik » 18 Mar 2014, 6:13 am

Fancy blue velvet backdrop for the photos and everything :D
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