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Old August 5, 2010, 11:33 AM   #5
Unclenick
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Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,061
I think you can do fine going to Woodcraft or other woodworking outfits for chisels and other general wood tools. The two kinds that Brownells has that you won't find in such a place are checkering tools and barrel channel shavers, which use sharp ground steel discs that you pull through the channel.

Frankly, you can get into some arguments with wood workers about sharpening chisels until you can cleanly shave the wood cell layers without any tearing so the final finish has the most depth and clarity. I don't personally worry about making the wood that pretty on the inside, where it can't normally be seen. I am more about function than invisible beauty. The last time I put a heavy match barrel on a Garand, I used a coarse sanding drum of the right diameter (from a Sears set) together with my Foredom tool to thin the lower hand guard to create clearance for the heavy barrel contour. It took all of three to five minutes instead of an hour of alternately shaving and fit checking with a disc tool.

I do own one of those (Barrel Bedder Jr.) and it works. Being slower, you have less risk of over-cutting than with the drums, so you can be a bit more precise with it if you want to take the time. Also, it looks to me like the full-size version offers more control and may be faster. I think you want to be in the business of regular stock work to buy one, though.
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Last edited by Unclenick; August 5, 2010 at 11:42 AM.
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