What's the best way to cut a channel for a barrel with limited tooling available. I'd like to play around with making stocks for some of my 22 rifles but don't have a lathe or router. Sand paper over a dowel will take to long
barrel channel
- Thread starter brybenn
- Start date
Canadian_Zuk
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Pickering, Ontario
A router table with a fence would be the best option. You could try removing as much meat as you can on a table saw, then clean it up with a dowel and paper. Do you have a dado blade?
- Location
- Manitoulin Island
I have used a router mounted up through the holes designed for it underneath the table on my Sears table saw. Not to rain on your parade, but without an accurate method of cutting the barrel channel, you have a long tough row to hoe. With the setup I have you can use the fence on the table saw to centre the round nose cutter in the stock and keep it straight. You should cut the channel before tapering the stock if possible, otherwise you will have to make up tapered shims to keep the channel straight down the length of the stock. I was cutting a channel for a tapered barrel and had to cut straight first with a round nose cutter the size of the small front end of the barrel where it fits the stock and then offset the stock both ways with tapered shims to enlarge the channel for the larger rear barrel diameter. Also had to shim up the front end of the stock and cut the channel deeper to suit the large rear end of the barrel and then finish it by hand. Have no useful advice if you try to do it by hand, except to get someone with similar set-up to help you.
Routers are not that expensive and it allows you to quickly hog out a groove down the center of the barrel channel and like Bushwacker says keep a straight edge on the fore end until the groove is cut. Also much like Guntech, I use some home made goose neck gouges to open up much of the barrel channel and then switch back and forth between them and scrapers. The goose neck gouges and chisels are like a stretch out Z and allow you to work down in the groove with your hands up and clear of the wood. I make them out of worn out chain saw files; just grind the teeth off then heat red hot and hammer the end flat followed by shaping it into a U shaped using a cold chisel with the end ground round and a piece of steel plate on edge with a hollow filed in it. The scrapers can be made from any source of high carbon steel such as automotive coil springs and again hammer the end flat, bend the end at a right angle and grind to shape then put a bevel on the ground edge to create a sharp scraping edge
cheers mooncoon
cheers mooncoon
You can use the router to make a centerline for the barrel channel and Action. Drill holes for guard scows and inlet for the receiver and barrel channel first Do Not attempt to do do any external shaping until the receiver, barrel channel and floor plate(magazine) are inleted and bedded.
I do have access to a table saw. That's what I planned on using to remove most of the wood. The issue is then rounding the edges to match the contour of the barrel
I'm still trying to find some cheap blanks with some figure. I don't want to ruin a nice walnut blank some I'm practicing on any other hardwood I can find
I'm still trying to find some cheap blanks with some figure. I don't want to ruin a nice walnut blank some I'm practicing on any other hardwood I can find
If you want to use the table saw method it's simply about the idea of drawing out the shape in CAD or about 10 times size on paper. Figure out the measurements for spacing and cuts so you form a stair step set of cuts where the corners of each slot just touch the intended outline. After the majority is hogged out then you can use coarse sandpaper wrapped around some suitable round things to sand away the steps.
If you've never done any of this and are only a "now and then" sort of wood worker I heartily suggest that your first rifle stock be made with the finest cheap and clear building lumber you can find at Home Depot or some other local yard. Save the hardwood for later. And ESPECIALLY save the $300 figured walnut blank for MUCH later.
Your lack of a router and issues with the sanding make me strongly suspect that you do fit into the "now and then woodworker" category. Which is why I suggest you start with the a clear and workable piece of basic construction lumber for your first time through. Even CHEAP hardwoods are not cheap and since it's highly likely that you'll ruin the wood the first couple of times through it's wise to start with a $5 piece than something that is $50. And I can't honestly think of many hardwoods that will run you less than $50 for a blank to work on. And since you'll be working with hand drills and hand chisels a lot for working out the action mortise you may as well learn all this on some wood which is easier to cut.
And finally working with some $5 wood means you'll be more likely to take that last cut when you're figuring out the comb height and length of pull to fit you well. You'll never know if you got it just right if you don't go one cut past it. And it's far easier and cheaper to learn that on the $5 learning blank of construction wood than the $50 or $500 fancy stuff.
If you've never done any of this and are only a "now and then" sort of wood worker I heartily suggest that your first rifle stock be made with the finest cheap and clear building lumber you can find at Home Depot or some other local yard. Save the hardwood for later. And ESPECIALLY save the $300 figured walnut blank for MUCH later.
Your lack of a router and issues with the sanding make me strongly suspect that you do fit into the "now and then woodworker" category. Which is why I suggest you start with the a clear and workable piece of basic construction lumber for your first time through. Even CHEAP hardwoods are not cheap and since it's highly likely that you'll ruin the wood the first couple of times through it's wise to start with a $5 piece than something that is $50. And I can't honestly think of many hardwoods that will run you less than $50 for a blank to work on. And since you'll be working with hand drills and hand chisels a lot for working out the action mortise you may as well learn all this on some wood which is easier to cut.
And finally working with some $5 wood means you'll be more likely to take that last cut when you're figuring out the comb height and length of pull to fit you well. You'll never know if you got it just right if you don't go one cut past it. And it's far easier and cheaper to learn that on the $5 learning blank of construction wood than the $50 or $500 fancy stuff.
That's a SLOW way to do it and messy and noisy to boot. I'd suggest you find someone with a drill press and a set of forstner bits to hog out the majority of it first. Then do the finer detailing with your Dremel. Even a hand drill and a couple of sizes of Forstners would be preferable.
I'll use a drill press for most of the action work. I'll finish it with the dremel
Sunray. Hand tools have been used for centuries and work very well. I have chisels files punches rasps and scrappers and lots of sand paper
Sunray. Hand tools have been used for centuries and work very well. I have chisels files punches rasps and scrappers and lots of sand paper
I like your attitude, I have no advice for you so just going to say good luck and post pics.
