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Posted By: Woodreaux Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 01:28 PM
I've been looking for a source to learn about stock making without a pantograph / duplicator. Everything I have found so far describes starting with a semi inletted blank.

Do any of you know of a book or other resource that describes the process of Inletting by hand from the blank?
Posted By: SKB Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 01:43 PM
Having a milling machine would be a huge help. Basically you make slightly under sized templates to match your top and bottom tangs and then mill each side staying a bit short of your target in both depth and width. I would start with something simple to get the idea, a 1895 Winchester or something similar would be a great first project. It could be done with a drill press or router as well with a bit of careful set up. Building from a blank is a great way to learn to most important aspects of stock making. Do you have Westbrook's book?
Posted By: Mike Hunter Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 02:19 PM
Steve has a lot more experience than I do, BUT I think the spindle speed on a standard “Bridgeport “type mill would be too slow for wood. Yes it will cut, but you will get a lot of splintering. Think most wood routers have spindle speeds in the 10-20,000 RPM range, the highest speed on my Bridgeports is 2700 RPM.

The other issue would be indexing correctly; I have seen blanks where the upper and lower tang cuts were .050 off.
If making quality blanks were easy, everyone would be doing it .
Posted By: Woodreaux Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 02:22 PM
Thanks Steve. I do have his book. I'll have to dig into it a little more. I haven't looked closely recently, but I think that I remember that he starts with a semi inletted stock.

Mike, good news is that I don't have a mill (yet), so I would be using a drill press or router anyway. I'm certain that you are correct about stock making being a challenge.
Posted By: SKB Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 02:40 PM
I'm not sure if I still have my handouts from TSJC on stocking a mauser from a blank or not, I will see if I can find them for you in the next couple of days. We used bridgeport mills in school and while they do not have the speed my duplicator has it did work fine. To build a good quality stock from a blank takes time, especially if you are learning as you go. The great thing about Westbrook's book is his attention to proper stock geometry and shaping which carries over to double guns and good layout in general. This is the first gun I stocked and the only gun I have done from a blank, my gunsmithing project pictured here with a small Chamois taken on a DIY hunt in New Zealand.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: rwarren Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 03:49 PM
Woodreaux, I have done several stockings of guns from a blank but don’t even pretend to do the quality work that Steve and many others do., I’m just a hobbyist. But, if you go to assra.com and become a member of the forum you can see a complete scratch built 44 1/2 I am building. It is under gunsmithing “Stevens 44 1/2 build” currently it is 5 pages back, I’m bobw there. In the post I show basic stocking with photo, all completed with hand tools. In that forum you can read but will not see photos unless you are a member, will take a couple days to become a member. Stocking from scratch does not take lots of machines but lots of patience and persistence.
Bob
Posted By: Mark II Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 04:05 PM
On the accuratereloading forum there is a great set of pictures making a rifle stock from a blank using only hand tools.
Posted By: james-l Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 06:50 PM
Jim, Alvin Lindens series of booklets has a detailed section on inletting from a raw blank. I have 3 of the books, if you send me your address I'll send them to you.
Posted By: Woodreaux Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 07:14 PM
Thanks to all of you for the info and the offers. the stock you did looks great Steve, and I'd love to see the pamphlets. James, I'll send you a PM.
Posted By: dblgnfix Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/08/21 10:57 PM
Woodreaux I make stock from blanks all the time without semi inletting. Step one is lay out the blank so that you can achieve all the required dimensions.
Next, saw cut the end of the blank to match the angle of the back of the reciever and also saw the shape of the tang. Clamp the blank in a vise and lay the reciever on the
on the cut tyiu made for the tange and trace it out with a scribe. Then it is only a matter of chiseling everything out until the receiver prints on the blank like you would want it to.
You will need a good stock clamp to get the receiver to pull back into your tang cuts and position itself the same way every time.
Once the receiver is inlet then clamp the receiver in place and lay the floor plate on the black and repeat the process. I know this is all very general but that is basically how it goes
Jim, a good drill press with interchangeable pulleys speeds will do a nice job of getting rid of the 90% before your start with the little chisels. New, sharp, center cutting end mills in several sizes, at the highest speed the pulleys will go, work for me. Also, a decent cross slide drill press vice is so imperative to do the hogging out like this. I did 95+% of the inletting on this Schillinger lock with mine, then finished it up with chisels.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Shoot me a p.m. if you want to talk about it one evening.

Best, SRH
Posted By: Woodreaux Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/09/21 02:03 PM
That Inletting looks great, Stan. I've got an AyA no2 with beautiful engraving and overall a wonderful gun. But it looks like they went to Depot de Casa to pick up some lumber for the stock. The fit and finish are outstanding, but it's just seriously plain.

I should probably start with a boxlock or something else simpler (like Steve suggested). But if I can't find a 'practice' gun, I might go with a practice piece of walnut just to get the feel, knowing that I'll likely be putting the original stock back on after the first attempt.

I've got a couple of other projects to finish first, but I'll take you up on the offer of a phone call for advice. PM forthcoming
Posted By: mc Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/12/21 04:04 PM
You can send your side lock stock to someone like gene semillian (spelling?) To make the side lock stock.he cut one for me that came out far better then if I had started from a blank
Posted By: Woodreaux Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/12/21 04:53 PM
could do. I'm interested in doing the whole thing by hand, but sending it out for the initial duplication might be a better idea. this project is probably not going to start anytime real soon, so for now I'm looking for resources for learning how the old timers did it.
Posted By: mc Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/14/21 09:19 PM
I have a FN side lock I wanted to do all the work myself after buying a really nice piece of English walnut and weighing the probability of it being less then acceptable when finished I sent my old stock and my wood to gene simillian there was still a lot of work but it came out really good.i just came to the realization I'm not a stock maker good luck Mark cooper
Some of the best explanations of stock inletting and the tools involved were in articles in Rifle magazine, written by John Bivens in the 1980's. They pertained to Kentucky rifles, but the tols and techniques are generic.
I built my first m/l rifle using the Foxfire book (I forget what number) that contained a lengthy piece about Herschel House, who built/builds them completely by hand with no power tools, as my instructional guide. It turned out fine for my first attempt, but my inletting was pitiful. I learned a lot between it and the next one. If one does not possess a fair modicum of patience he should not attempt inletting a stock. It won't end well. I always tried to picture perfect inletting while doing so ........."like the wood grew around the metal".

SRH
Posted By: mc Re: Stock Inletting without a Duplicator - 02/19/21 03:46 PM
Foxfire 5 i built my first one the same way ,for the gun in the book House used a skill saw and spindle shaper .i was very lucky to meet some great muzzle loading rifle makers in tenn. Virginia and Kentucky .
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