What tool to use. Gun stock for end.

[thomas prusak]

I need to cut a recess 1/4" deep x 5/16" wide x 5/16". This is on the inside side walls of the fore end. What tool should I be using? Thank you in advance for any help.

[Mark Baldwin III]

If it were me...I think I'd mark out the square and drill the center out. Then I'd grab a 1/4'' chisel and clean up the walls. Those with more experience may offer a better idea, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[Ray Gardiner]

Hi Thomas,

A small cranked neck chisel, I think sometimes called a foot chisel, is handy for working flat surfaces down in a recess.

You might be able to find someone who makes them, but I would recommend that you make your own. Get some 01 tool steel from somewhere like here... http://www.victornet.com/report/Flat-Ground-Stock-up-to-1-8-quot-thick-/91.html

A piece of 01 steel 1/8" x 1" x 18" will cost about $9 (probably enough for quite a few chisels) while it's in its annealed state you can hacksaw and file it to the shape you want, then heat it bend the crank shape. Finally heat to bright red with a map torch and oil quench. Polish with 400 wet and dry so you can see the colours and temper to straw (or whatever hardness you like)

Add a handle and sharpen. Total cost probably less than $5 and once you have mastered the processes you'll never lack for the right specialty chisel again.

Regards
Ray

[thomas prusak]

Makes a lot of sense. Much appreciated

[Ray Gardiner]

Hi Thomas,

I was around at a friend's place who is a full-time stockmaker, and borrowed a couple of the chisels he uses, so that it might help you to get the shape right.

http://www.backsaw.net/pics/InlettingTools1.jpg

The top one is made from a scrap of very large discarded bandsaw blade and the teeth were swaged, some kind of air hardening hss steel I suspect, but takes a nice edge, the base is angled slightly to allow working the inletting right into sharp corners.

The bottom one is 01 tool steel, and is roughly shaped, but not yet heat-treated and sharpened, so the cutting edge is left thick until after heat treating. The base on this one is flat, so that you can register on the bottom of a recess.

The shank is thicker to stiffen it a bit so you don't get too much flexing in use.

Hope that helps.

Regards
Ray

[george wilson]

You can't SWAGE HSS teeth. It is WAY too brittle. Large bandsaws are made of L6 steel,and their teeth are swaged for set. L6 is a relatively softish steel,about like spring the way it is tempered for bandsaws. You can file it just like a regular handsaw blade.

[Ray Gardiner]

... Large bandsaws are made of L6 steel.

That's probably what it is..