Walnut Gun Cabinet...Need Advice

[Ryan McLaughlin]

Hi Folks,

I am currently in the process of building a corner walnut gun cabinet and I am having difficulty cutting out the holes in the bottom plate for the butt stocks. I already cut out the first one with a jigsaw but I want the holes clean and consistent. Does anyone have any tips so this can be done? I don't own a spindle sander to help clean up the cuts. I've included a couple pictures to illustrate the what I'm up against. I would appreciate any advice! Thanks!

-Ryan

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[Ray Newman]

Nice looking cabinet.

Thinking out loud here, but not sure if it would give you the smooth cut you desire:

First rough cut it out.

Then fabricate a pattern from MDF, with a flush trim up/down spiral bit to finish it off??

Or, purchase a set of sanding drums for a drill press or hand drill like this set: http://www.eagleamerica.com/product/v500-1115/sanding_supplies

Or utilized a sanding drum in a 3/8" drill mounted in a drill guide such as this: http://www.generaltools.com/-36-37--ACCUDRILL-PRECISION-DRILL-GUIDE-FOR-ANGLE-DRILLING-DOWELING-PLUG-CUTTING-WITH-YOUR-POWER-DILL_p_210.html

[phil harold]

Make a pattern nice smooth
then rout the rest of them

[Russell Sansom]

Another approach: Make clean holes at each end with Forstner bits and join them with jig saw cuts, slightly inside. Clean up with rasp, then file, scraper, spokeshave, sandpaper, or small drawknife.

[Von Bickley]

I would make 1 good template that I could move and stick down with 2-sided tape, and then use a good router with a good bit.

edit:
I would practice on some scrap material first......

That is going to be a beautiful gun cabinet.

[Ted Calver]

Ryan,
Welcome to the Creek...glad you found us. That's a beautiful cabinet. I don't know what kind of weapons you have, but if they are high end maybe consider using a velvet covered dense soft foam with cut outs for the butts instead of the wood---like a fitted gun case might have? If you go with the wood the router template is what I would use.

[Jacob Dahn]

Why do cutouts at all? Unless the owner only collects on model of long gun every stock has different dimensions and drop making for a variety of fits. Why not just put square stock slats to prevent side to side movement?

If you are set on the cutouts I second a pattern and rout them to shape. Unless you have access to a Cnc router.

Good luck. The cabinets looks great.
Jake

[Ryan McLaughlin]

Why do cutouts at all? Unless the owner only collects on model of long gun every stock has different dimensions and drop making for a variety of fits. Why not just put square stock slats to prevent side to side movement?

If you are set on the cutouts I second a pattern and rout them to shape. Unless you have access to a Cnc router.

Good luck. The cabinets looks great.
Jake
Jake, that may be something to consider! Thanks for the all of the input guys. You folks are an incredible resource!

-Ryan

[Phillip Gregory]

My family has made gun cabinets. We traced the cutout from a paper template onto the board, cut it slightly small ("just inside the line") with a jig saw and then used a drill press or handheld drill with a drum sander to smooth the cut and get it to full size. A spindle sander would have been easier than the drum sander but the results were certainly good enough. The stock holes are not super-critical as far as needing to be exactly the same dimensions as they are at least partially obscured due to being recessed and having a felt liner, and usually completely obscured by the butt of the stock sitting in them. I would second the advice and rout off a hardboard/Masonite template with a straight cut router bit and a bearing if you really want a super consistent pattern though.

Also, wow, what a cabinet! That looks like the cabinets at the Fine Gun Room at my local retailer which holds only weapons with $5000+ price tags. You must have a large quantity of very fine firearms to deserve that nice cabinet. It will be very neat to see how this finishes and what you intend to put in it.

[Jeff R. King]

I just got done doing this. I made a template out of some plywood and shimmed it at an angle to match the angle of most of the butt stocks. So it didn't go all the way through the wood. Hope that makes sense. I've always hated gun cabinets that didn't recognize that the butt stock doesn't sit flat.

[glenn bradley]

Welcome Ryan. If you want cutouts, I too would template route. You would want to go just oversized of any stock butt the owner might have or ever have so I would be inclined to pass. BTW, the cabinet is very nice. An alternative might be the slats that Jake recommends. If you want to fancy it up you could lay felt of flock the bottom shelf. I adhere to the school of "if its wirth making, its worth making out of walnut" so I would leave the wood exposed. Some hand shaping of the cleats, softening the adges or creating an arc, could add an extra touch as well.

[Jeff Monson]

Nice cabinet!!!

I'd make a template, but I would not route all the way through the piece. Most cabinets have a butt stock holder, but only routed down maybe 1/2 the depth of the bottom board. A felt insert adds a nice finishing touch to the routed cavity.

[Jim Rimmer]

Combine all the tips in the first 4 replies. Start with forstner bit, rough cut inside the lines, make a good template, use pattern bit in the router to finish up smooth.