littlecanoe Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 I just wanted to post pics of progress that I am making on a Mannlicher project. I had posted back in the summer asking about inletting tools for the barrel channel and was stressing over what to do. I ended up ordering the Jerry Fischer scrapers and have used those, 4 straight chisels and some small wood carving chisels that I modified. I initially had the barrel channel a bit too far to the left which required deeper inletting to correct. This however turned out to be a very good thing as it forced me to think the process through based on all that I've read the mistakes that I made on other projects. I wasn't sure but thought that the deeper inletting would allow me to erase my mistakes that had left gaps along the way, worst on the left side of the barrel. This evening I went to my dad's shop to use his Joiner. The inletting was too wide in a few places and I wasn't sure how clean it would be when I removed the excess height of wood. I was amazed to say the least as my expectations were way too low. The pics say most of it. I'm happy! Here are two pics of the action. The black that shows is the inletting black and not a gap. This is a shot of the blank with the metal in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
724wd Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 wow! that looks like quite a project! i personally havent worked from a blank like that, did you do any rough inletting or get a semi inletted blank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefly Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Littleboat,you've got the guts of a highdiver.It sure looks like your off to a good start.Please keep us caught up on your progress.Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemson Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 I'm mighty impressed! I am personally going to use a semi-inlet for my Mannlicher project. I know my limitations as a woodworker, and I could no more work from a blank than make the barrel myself! Good work, and keep us posted....... Clemson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montea6b Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 You've got my attention! Looking forward to updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron J Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Nice work, both you and Monty. One big reason I enjoy this forum is the "how to" and "look what I did" stuff by the members. Gives some of us the guts to try these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 Thanks for the kind words. My disclaimer is that I am a NOVICE!! :-) I was just fortunate to grow up with a dad who builds furniture. I would show you pictures of the first 3 stocks that I carved. Actually, hacked then sanded. That's why I'm so excited about this one (to this point). I'll give David Wesbrook most of the credit for how the inletting has come out. His book "Professional Stockmaking" may be out of print now but if you can get your hands on it you won't be sorry. He takes you through the process from a semi inletted start. He covers grip caps and butt plates nicely and has some really good photos. The blank wood is cherry and is quarter sawn but with straight grain and no striping. I cut it about 2-3 years ago from a tree in my back yard that was deteriorating. I was able to get a few tall blanks from it but this is the best one. Now I just have to plot the dimensions and final style. I'm shooting for a traditional look with butterknife handle. LC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron J Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 I've been building my library and his book is in it. I'm amazed by that kind of stuff. I always thought cherry would make a great stock and getting it from your own tree is all the better. Good luck - should be cool. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlecanoe Posted November 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 I have made progress on the Mannlicher but will be slowed down due to deer season and making the butt plate and pistol grip. I've decided to put a walnut tip on the end and on the grip cap. I may back out on the grip cap though. I've set the pitch and cast off for the stock from the grip back. I have a good line on the toe out also. LC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
724wd Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 that looks like some great progress! keep us updated as you get farther along! if only i had the courage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FC Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 That sure looks like mesquite. Is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlecanoe Posted March 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 FC, That's black cherry cut from my back yard. A bit prone to dings but nice looking. I'll try to get some pics up tonight it's come a long way since then. LC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 That's black cherry cut from my back yard. LC Making a stock from a piece of wood harvested in your own back yard is really something special. I really admire some of the human skills I see and read in this group but this one really stands out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlecanoe Posted March 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 AZ, Most humble thanks for your kind words. I grew up in a furnituremakers home so I have a bit of an advantage. That and I've butchered a few pieces of decent wood This is my 4th and by far the better of the stock projects to date. Even though cherry is a soft hardwood it's a bear to work. I will be working in walnut next and look forward to it. I'll be using some plain American Walnut which responds differently to the chisel. I hope that it is forgiving. Here are three pics. I'm still working on the trigger guard and mounting pillars. I still have final sanding and shaping to get through also. I have the grip cap and butt plate inletted and mounted. For these pics, the action is just sitting in the wood. Hopefully someone will be encouraged to give this a try. It'll cause some gray hairs but it's worth it. LC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 LC, That butt plate fit looks amazing. I've thought a couple of times about trying an inletted butt plate, but I always chicken-out and table saw it flush because I can't think of any reasonable way that it should be possible to install one in proper orientation. You've got 3D to deal with! How do you do it? If it's not too much trouble (and I can't understand how it couldn't be) do you think that you could document your approach? I'm sure that it would be archive material. Maybe this is something to plan for with your next build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlecanoe Posted March 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 DT, Let me think a bit and I'll try to see if I can recreate the process with some photo's. I don't have a butt plate project in the near future. I may just do a step by step and add pics later. This is the 2nd one that I've done. The first was a cut down, that is recontoured, military plate that I learned on. Right now though my brain's a little tired. We were out bandsawing about 1400 board feet of cherry today. Worked almost dark to dark. LC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoedoh Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Sir my hat is off to you. Excellent work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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