Bent_Ramrod wrote on Sep 21^st, 2025 at 7:46am:


Other than muzzleloaders I have never read up on stock making, so these books are not familiar to me.  I do use measurements for placing lines and for thing like the grip width, but other than that I use the method you mention by Howe.  I usually end up with four passes in shaping.  The first is really course shaping, then rasping/shaping to a close final size, maybe within 1/32 inch.  Then really look it over and make any changes to the shape or modeling.  After any changes then I take it to the final size and shape with fine rasps. After the rasp it's sanding which I can do some fine shaping with.  

I've had really good stock makers tell me 1/16 inch can be the difference between an "ok" stock and a great one.  I actually believe it's even less than that.  

I was also told a long time ago, get the wood down to were you are done and then take more off!
Bob

Back to the gun.  I got going on the forearm wood the last couple days.

I didn't take any pictures of fitting the wood to the barrel.  The barrel has some taper, but not much, so I mounted it in my mill and milled out the octagon shape, to the barrel size at the front of the octagon section of the barrel.  The octagon section is only under the forearm wood.  I then hand fitted it to the octagon barrel section by sliding it back and removing wood until it contacted the action frame by using inletting black on the barrel.

The first picture is just showing the top of the forearm when installed over the barrel.  When completely installed and finished the forearm will be much lower on the barrel side flat, most of the flat will show above the wood.  This is part of what I talked about earlier, on everything narrowing or getting smaller, as you move forward on the rifle. 

The second shows the wood getting fitted up to the frame and the tenon section that fits into the front of the frame.  That tenon really stabilizes the forearm but I'm not sure how it will effect the accuracy of the gun.  Normally I leave a small amount of space between the forearm wood and the metal.

This third pictures shows the frame imprint from the inletting black as the wood is fitted.  The cycle is black the steel, install and give the wood a couple taps, remove the black from the face with what ever tool works.  Repeat until it fits. 

So fitting the trigger frame tongue, it sticks out the front of the frame, was a question as to how to do it.  It ended up being very easy.  I held the forearm forward, not pushed clear into, or against,  the frame.  I installed just the two rear screws in the trigger frame, attaching it to the action frame, and rotated the the frame down onto the forearm wood, with inlet black on it. I removed wood under the tongue until it was down and I could install the front screw.  Once the front screw was in place I just started inletting the forearm wood "back" on the barrel, until it was tight to the action frame.  Usually, if you rotate a part into wood while fitting, you end up with a gap at the front between the metal and wood.  Inletting the trigger frame tongue short in the wood, and then finishing by moving the wood back into the tongue until contact with the action frame, this gap does not happen.

Picture 4 and 5 are showing this process.  In 5 you can see the tongue is tight to the wood but, there is still a slight gap along the action frame.
Bob

Continuing with the forearm fit to the frames.

This first pictures shows the wood blackened by the inletting black (arrows).  The wood, above the arrow points, will be removed later. 

The second shows the black removed.  In order to progress quickly while removing this black, I chop it out pretty quick until I get down close to the final fit and then slow down to just scraping the black off, along with a small amount of wood.

The third picture shows the trigger frame is actually touching all the way around on the top edge in the picture.

And lastly the final fit.  If a part is fitted like I have explained it should look good when the final shaping is completed.
Although I'm not saying this is the only way to inlet parts.  There are other ways, but being self taught, this is how I have always done it.
Bob

Thanks Vall.

Continuing with the forearm.

After getting the wood fitted to the barrel and frame, it's time to remove the extra wood from the sides.  This first picture shows the sides already narrowed, sorry no pictures from before trimming the sides.  As a guide, I mark the top of each side with a pencil line.  I cut the side off, on the bandsaw, to just outside the line and finish with a rasp to the line.  As discussed earlier, this is just the starting point and more wood will be removed.  The barrel has a taper, but the wood will taper slightly more than the barrel, narrowing at the front more than the rear. 

The second picture is from the side before cleaning up with a rasp.  As I rasp the wood off each side I get the side straight, front to rear, and square to the top barrel flat.

Yesterday I mentioned that the wood will be lowered, showing more of the barrel side flat.  In this third picture, I am showing the line I will trim to, at the top of the forearm.

The fourth picture is showing the side trimmed to the line.  Although it's the opposite side from picture 3.

Picture 5. To trim the side down as shown in pictures 3 and 4, I start this removal using a fine rasp and working from the center of the forearm out, cutting at an angle down to the line. Arrow 1.  By doing the work in this direction, center out, any chipping ends up on the outside which will be shaped later, removing any damage.  Once the angle is cut to the line, I flatten out the rasp and then remove most of this angle. Arrow 2.  I then repeat this on the other side.  Then once the second side is complete, I then work straight across both sides, finishing the tops, making them flat and somewhat straight.  I use a very fine rasp so I don't damage the inside edge of the barrel inlet.

I will, more than likely, lower this top edge more later, but for now this will work.
Bob

No apologies necessary. We all have our own ways of fitting wood. If it works for you then go for it. I like the profile you chose. Going to look great.



JMH

Thanks jhm.

marlinguy wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2025 at 10:46am:


At this point just wood.  This forearm is a very close representation of the gun on page 255 of Tom’s Hepburn book.  I like this style tip but it is somewhat different than I have done in the past and is also shaped different than what Stevens did.  In my opinion the Stevens seem to be both shorter and taller than this schnabel.

I looked hard at horn originally and I have plenty if I were to change.  If I had gone that way, the tip would be shaped more like an extension of the rear of the forearm, basically rounded off.  I also thought about a horn tip and shaping it like what I am presently doing with wood.  But decided that might look strange combining the schnabel shape with horn.

Although, here’s a couple picture of an ebony tip I did on a modern rifle stock.  It has a schnabel similar to the one I have planned, just shorter.  Pictures aren’t real good but it’s the best I have.

Maybe I should do something really different and copy what I did on this modern gun.
Bob

I built a forearm for my Ballard #10 Scheutzen Junior that came without a forearm. I tried to copy some horn tips I have on original Ballard rifles and I like the small schnabel they have on their forearm tips.

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Besides the fantastic shaping, I really like the grain flow from schnable to the butt plate.  Thanks for sharing.
GT