Gunstockers Plane

[TheCabinetmaker]

A friend of mine makes Muzzle loaders. This past weekend he gave a 2 day demonstration for are local SAPFM chapter on building a Pennsylvania Long Rifle. He has seen some info on planes for inletting barrel and has asked for my assistance on getting more. So far the only info I can find is in John Whelan's book. Anyone have any photo's or information?

[Bach]

Do a search here under "ALR Forum".

[Phil S.]

Never heard of using a plane for inletting a barrel channel, but this guy says -

"I have an old Wards #45 (identical to the Stanley #45) universal plane that I use for cutting the barrel channel and ramrod groove."

More info at the link above.

[Dan Moening]

I've never done this kind of work, but I've seen it performed.
The smiths I've seen used tools that looked like a cross between a honey stick and a scraper.

These folks have what I've seen (no experience ordering from them):
http://www.gunline.com/inletting.html

Other tools I've seen used are half-round floats.

Seems that you'd want to use some kind of powered method to remove the bulk of the waste prior to hand tools though.

[Downwindtracker2]

Lee Valley sold a spoon scraper. I used one when I floated barrels. It's not a gunsmithing tool, but it should be.

[MikeLemon]

Roy showed a rifle maker's plane in episode s02e03 and s03e10 of The Woodwright's Shop if you have the DVDs, or the episodes can probably be bought from shopwoodworking.com The plane can also be seen in the Colonial Williamsburg video about gunsmithing ( here ) The plane is used at about 35:50. It doesn't look like anything special, essentially a high angle, octagonal shaped, rebate plane.

[TheCabinetmaker]

I knew I could count on the brain trust at woodnet. The one link showed a photo, and as suspected the bit is located much closer to the toe of the plane than normal. I'm going to contact the museums mentioned and ask them to send photos.

Thanks,
Charles

[Mike Brady]

Our woodworking club had a gunstock maker as the featured speaker last night.  He charges per job an average of ....... get this: $10,000 @$100 per hour, plus another $1000-2000 for the wood blank. The wood used is generally English walnut that is air dried.  About 80% of the labor is letting-in the metal parts by hand.  He has to make a fitting mockup if he can't fit the shooter with one of the forty patterns he has on hand does not work.  The checkering was amazing and often is accented by fancy metal inlay.  The finishes are always weather-resistant varnishes and he never leaves end-grain exposed; often putting an ebony or bone cap over the end grain.  At these prices, there are no gaps where wood meets metal.  He use Prussian blue on mating pieces and most parts are press fit together every screw is perfectly timed or "clocked".  He also showed some repair work he had done where the stock had been accidentally broken in two during use, and he was able to repair it invisibly and even make the checkering match perfectly.  Just amazing!

[Downwindtracker2]

I've referred to sporting rifles as art from an industrial age. A man had one rifle, and he was proud of it's walnut and polished "blued" steel. When you visited for the first time, he had to show off his rifle. They were costly. I was complaining about the cost of my Remington 700 BDL, one week's wages.. A Chevrolet Impala of a rifle. My co-worker, 15 years my senior, said " That's no so bad, when I bought my rifle, it was three weeks pay."

[lets]

I have this which I believe is a gunstock plane. 

It is 12 inches long, and has no makers mark


John.