Design/Technique Help Needed

[cpowell]

I'm getting down to the short rows in my gun cab. I need to make the doors for the front, and the butt rest and a slotted barrel rest.

The doors are no problem.

He wants to be able to put his side-by-side double barrel shotguns in any location, so I will drill 2 inch diameter holes with a forstner bit, 3.5 inches on center across the board and use the BS to cut straight from the edges of the circle to the front of the rest, making a U-shaped slot. The board will be 38 1/2 L x 3 W. I will probably have to cut the straight slot sides for the center slot with a TS and finalize with a hand saw. I have considered gluing in a board under the barrel rest (perpendicular) mostly for looks since there will not be any vertical load. I will add bracket boards at either end for support and looks.

For the butt rest, I wanted to mimic the barrel rest with 2 inch wide slots, 3.5 inches on center and the slot length would be 6 inches overall, with semi-circle ends. I could make two "halves" for the butt rest then edge glue. This would have the butt rest enclosed so the gun butt couldn't slip forward. Good plan, I thought to myself.

I talked with my friend and he had envisioned the barrel rest according to my plans. However, he wants the butt rest to be enclosed, and really wants the shape to be elliptical - "like a biscuit for a biscuit jointer" is how he described the look. I am not sure how to go about making that cut twenty times (ten slots per each gun butt half) and ending up with something that is consistent and symmetrical. Any thoughts on the design and construction in this area would be appreciated.

Chuck

 

[mshel]

Chuck,

I would think you could make a template out of some mdf or other cheap wood and use a router with a collar guide and a spiral bit to route the recess. It would help to have him trace his gun butts on some paper so you could see if they are all approx. the same size and then make the recesses fit the largest size. Just a thought.

Mike

 

[novice99]

Chuck-
I think you could modify your process that you are planning for the upper rest. If instead of two 2" holes with a Forstner, you substitute a 3" Forstner centered right on the edge of the board. You could then trim on the bandsaw just as you would do for the upper rests. But instead of a "U" shape you would have half of an oval shich should give your customer look he wants when you butt two of these pieces together.

I sketched out a schematic which I'll try to attach to this post. Hope this helps.

 

[Travis Porter]

I agree with Mike. Make a template. An alternative to the collar guide would be a pattern bit if you have one. A spiral bit would make the cleanest cut IMO.