Anyone like to cut this one out with chisels and mallet.

This is what I made back in 1983 to cut this type of wood out in about 1:20 minutes.

The rough cut stock is left over size a few thousands inches and finish by hand. If you cut this wood by hand it would take a week or more.

geez it'd take me a hellova longer than a week or2 with a chisel and hammer

Excellent Les! Btw I really like the that feathered crotch and the grain
flow. Its perfect!

Les

Now that you have lived with and used your machine for the past what - 37 years - would you change anything about it today if you were building another one?

The machine was made for small shop use and not to route stocks for over the counter sales. My machine was made using hard maple and has a lock to keep the carriage from trying to run away. One hand can control the carriage and the other hand can control the spindles. I run the router cutters from front to rear in a straight line. All the pressure was placed on rear spindle againt the back of the frame. When not needed you can store the machine up against a wall in about 3 square ft of floor space.

37 yrs sense building the first model and my students built one at TSJC and we used steel for the frame and live bearing in the front spindles. Other than the changes mentioned I would not change anything.

And what metalwork are you going to put in that lovely stock?

Very sweet and compact. I want one even though my projects are all completed. . Is set-up as time-friendly as the machining time Les? Just curious as usual. Thanks for the post. Much enjoyed.
CB

Les
I still enjoy your posts. Wish you did more.

Your duplicator is still there at Trinidad the last time I was there. We were stocking from the blank by hand and inleting assisted by vertical milling machine. Clayton Nelson was our instructor.

I still have the Charles Daly 28 guage o&u I got from you at Shilen swap meet way back.

PM sent to CB

My thoughts when I started designing was how to make it work easy. The carriage will return to the rear and placed up and over the center so it stays out of the way to set up the stocks. The problem with motor and cutters is they need to be controlled. I came up with the brake on the 1/2 in. shaft at the back of the carriage. By this control you can cut much faster on routing a blank. I used a 1/2 in. router bit for roughing about 1/8 in. oversize and than go back over again and cut to about .040 over size. I have zero weight on the handle so there isn't any pressure on the down cutting.

I have owned a North Star Carver and had to put a new machine together from the factory back in 1965. I knew what was needed for a small shop machine. The large machines need a room size about 8 ft X 8 Ft. This has to be left setup and in the way of a small shop. My design was to have a small machine which can be stored up on the end in 3 sq. ft. and out of the way. I put rollers on the back of the original machine so it could be rolled out to any place and route the stock. The wood frame had no flex and the support legs were folding table legs and they would take the shock if you bumped the guide. Total weight was about 130 lbs. I spent quite a lot of time thinking about all of these changes in my machine. I have worked on the Dan Allen machine and the North Star. I liked my own machine much better for a small shop. When working for a couple of shops my time was in general gunsmithing and sales. My custom stocks were limited to a couple a yr.

If anyone would like a close up of any section send me a PM. I still have a few of the DVD's with all of my projects.

Craftsman,

How are you doing in W.F. I had planned to be at the Shilen meeting this year, but now we don't know when. My wife and myself are both having some medical problems and I had planned to go up there in between the DRs. appointments. These GOLDEN YEARS are all rust for us.

When you get to be passed 85 it is hard to remember the things that I made over the years. I am thinking about a list of projects that some might find a need in the shops. The problem is that I am getting closer to the last man standing as most of my hunting and fishing friends are gone.

Take care and maybe we will meet again,

Les Brooks, retired gunsmith

I'm always amazed at the wisdom, talent, genius and grit on this site.

I feel so insignificant/irrelevant when I read some thread posts, this one included.

Zeke

lindy2,

I finally found the picture of the rifle in the write up. I believe that it is a 375 H & H glass bedded down the forend in Accru Glass about 3/8 in wide and pretty deep with a couple of sides cut to act as a recoil lug. Sako action and Douglas barrel from 30 + years ago.

That is beautiful!

Les, each time you post here it is a real treat!

Yes. Very nice stock and thanks for sending me those photos.

quote:

Originally posted by LesBrooks:
Sako action and Douglas barrel from 30 + years ago.