Workshop Aids On A Budget

I have known a lot of gunsmiths in my time and the vast majority of them did not have a pocket full of greenbacks to throw away. Ingenuity and frugality were common attributes with most of them and they made do where they could, without compromising the quality of their work. I have had this mindset from day one of taking my first gun apart. It makes good sense to save your money for the tools and equipment you can’t make and to make those that you can.

The wood products I have made and display in this article were all made with scrap lumber and hardware I already had on hand. I have always had my hand in woodworking of some sort, building sheds, additions, furniture, etc. Because of this, various scrap pieces of wood for gunsmithing projects are readily available. You may not have scrap wood hanging around your shop or house but can make any of these aids with very little outlay on your part.

Lowe’s, Home Depot, or any of the other discount lumber outfits always seem to have some economy lumber, seconds, or project scraps at little cost. Ferret out these places or yard sales before starting your projects. Most of these aids were made since moving back to my native Maine in 2002. It seems like every time I have moved over the years, I have had to leave some things behind for lack of space. If all these measurements get a little confusing, the accompanying pictures of the aids are pretty self-explanatory.

Long Gun Vise I have made probably 7 or 8 of these over the years and each one has evolved to be better as I found a better way to make it more useful to my personal needs. The features of this vise are adjustable for a wide variety of rifles and shotguns. Let me note here that the measurements of these shop aids are not set in stone! If I had apiece of lumber left over from another project, that’s the length I utilized. You may have different preferences than I.

These figures I use can simply be a starting point for your project. The base of this vise is made from a 2×6 that is 38 5/8 inches in length. Remember, a 2×6 actually measures 1 1/2" x 5 1/2". The base has a 1 1/2 x 8 notch cut at the middle front for adjustment of the front rest forward. There is also a 7/16 x 2 1/4 notch cut out for adjustment of the clamping block on the side of the base. The right side rest is 17 3/4" in length and 5 1/2" high with the back piece 3 13/16" wide and 5 1/2" high.

The front rest is 1 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 8 3/4 high. The U-shaped notch cut out is 2" wide and 3" high. The front rest has a 1 1/2 x 1 extension that goes into the front base notch. The through bolt which is 5/16 x 3 1/4 goes through this extension and a 1×4 metal brace

that is 1/4 x 5. The round rest was made with a 1 7/8" cut-out saw and electric drill. The side and back rests were mounted with decking screws from the bottom of the base. The front rest has a one-inch access hole drilled through it with the top of the hole being 1 3/4" from the base. This hole is to access the nut on the through bolt for moving the rest forward or backward in its notch.

I have a 1×4 straight metal brace as a stop at the end of the base and a 1×2 brace that does the same job for the clamping block on the side of the base. The angle iron mounting base is 1 1/4" x 8" and mounted with two front and #2 in the rear. for tightening and adjustment of the rest. I have a filler block, 1 x 1 1/2 x 5 1/2, that is used at the back of the vise to extend the length of the firearm forward if needed.

The right side rest, front rest, clamping block, back rest, and filler block are all covered with sticky-back felt to prevent scratches to gun stocks or metal. This felt material can be obtained at Walmart, Jo Ann Fabric, or craft stores for relatively cheap. I use it for many projects. Moleskin is another, thicker product that also works well. This gun vise has three adjustments that can be made for the length, width, and pistol grip of various stocks. The clamping block can be adjusted from 1 1/2" to 3" in width.

The front rest has eight inches of adjustment forward. The round rest which is 1 7/8" in diameter and 1 1/2" wide has many different positions it can be mounted on, depending on how many quarter-inch holes you want to drill for its 1/4 x 3 1/2 bolt. I have wing nuts on this bolt and a clamping block through bolt

The purpose of this base is to mount the long gun vise in a bench vise. It can be mounted either level or canted up or down. If I want to use it level on a workbench, I simply use two bench blocks, 1 1/2" x 2" x 10" in length under the base. I have a oneinch eye bolt mounted on the back of the base to hang the vise up on a nail when not in use. This is a pretty versatile and utilitarian long gun vise that I use for stock and metal work, scope mounting, and glass bedding, to name just a few uses.

Handgun/Buttstock Vise This vise is for working handguns and buttstocks and utilized on the same principle as the Long Gun Vise without the front rest. The base measures 1" x 5 1/2" x 18" while the back rest is 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 5". The side rest is 18" in length made up of two pieces, one piece being 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 13 and the other at 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 5. The clamping block is 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 4 with a 1/4 x 5 through bolt and wing nut.

The round rest is 1 1/4" in diameter and 2" in width and has a 1/4 x 4 through bolt with wing nut. The clamping block has a 3/4 x 3 straight stop brace mounted with wood screws. The angled piece for mounting in a bench vise is 1×5 aluminum, mounted with two wood screws. The eye bolt is 3/4", screwed onto the front of the base for hanging on a nail when not in use. This is a great aid in working on handguns and buttstocks with easy access with the lowered section of the side rest.

It sees a lot of use in my shop for mounting sights, swivel studs, etc. Gun Rests The first gun rest is utilized in working stocks and barreled actions when I want to avoid nicks and dings that might occur if simply sitting on a cluttered work bench. The base is 1 1/2" x 7 1/4" x 24". The back and forward rests are both the same, measuring 1 1/2 x 4 x 7 1/4 with 2 1/2" 45-degree angle cuts. The notches in the rests are 2 x 2 and the elevation block is 1 1/2 x 2 x 2 3/4 with a 1 x 1 1/2 notch for placing

inside the rest notches to raise up one end or the other if needed. The front rest is 2 1/2" back from the end of the base. Sticky-back felt is utilized in the rests and elevation block. A 1" eye bolt is mounted on the front of the base for hanging up when not in use. The second gun rest is utilized mainly for holding rifles and shotguns for routine work. The base is 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 32". The rests are 5" from the ends of the base and are 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5 3/4.

The rear rest notch is 2 x 2 1/4 and the front rest Anvils And Blocks My I-beam anvil is a great little bench-mounted anvil for parts work on a straight, level, hard surface. It’s mounted to the bench with 7/16" bolts. I paid $1.00 for it at a yard sale and it sees a lot of use in my shop. It measures 2" x 2" x 5 3/4". notch is 1 1/4 x 2 1/4. Felt is utilized in the notches. A 1" eye bolt is mounted on the rear of the base for hanging up when not in use.

My handy handgun rest is used for sight and rib work on handguns as well as scope mounting. The base measures 1" x 3" x 9" with the rear rest at 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 and the notch sized 1 1/4 x 2 1/2. The front rest is 1 1/2 x 2 7/8 x 3 1/2 with a 1×1 notch. The rests are 3/8" back from the base ends and are mounted from the bottom of the base with long wood screws. Once again, felt is utilized in the rests to prevent marring.

Finally, my single rest is a simple rest to hold one end or the other of a gun in work when only one rest is needed. The base is 5/8" x 3" x 6" made of 5/8" plywood. The rest is 1 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 and the notch is 1 1/2 x 1 3/4 with felt in the notch.

I purchased apiece of railroad history in my RR Track anvil from a Native American at a flea market in New Mexico almost 30 years ago. He had used it in making jewelry but was retiring from that endeavor. I paid all of $1.00 for it. This is mounted to my bench with 3/8" machine screws and has been part of several workbenches in my workshops for all the time I’ve owned it. To say it has seen a lot of use would be an understatement. I have used it for hundreds of tasks over the years.

Its curved and work-hardened surface is great for working on parts. Propane torches won’t hurt it at all and many red hot parts have been cooled on this piece of railroad track. It is 1 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 6 on a 3 3/8" wide base. These kinds of deals are out there, you just have to determine what your needs are and then ferret out the right equipment. I usually pick items like this up when I see them, cheaply priced, for later use or projects.

Finally, simple mounting blocks don’t come any cheaper as they are small pieces of scrap wood and make great tool holders. All you have to do is drill a bunch of right sized holes and/or screw two pieces of wood together. The picture is ample description! Holders I’ve used the same file holder for over 40 years in my shop. I made it with a couple of pieces of 7/16" plywood and 1" x 1 1/2" and 1" x 2" plain pieces of wood. It is put together with small brads and holds close to 100 files!

It has always garnered a spot on my main workbench keeping its contents within arm’s reach for four decades. The plywood pieces are 9 1/2" x 11 3/4". My shop liquid box is just a simple wooden box I put together to occupy a specific spot on my main workbench. I judiciously utilize my workbench space to meet my needs and this box contains only the products I use the most while at work on firearms.

The catch pan is exactly what it is called: A pan to catch those little pins, screws, springs, etc. that have to be cut off and kept from bouncing under the workbench never to be seen again! A friend made me a small aluminum box many years ago that I used for catching these objects but it was not deep enough as some items would bounce out of it. I solved the problem with this deep pan. For those of you who are culinary enthusiasts, you will recognize it as a meatloaf pan. I paid 99 cents for it at a discount store.

It’s mounted under the bench with two wood screws. I have been using numbered parts boxes for disassembly of firearms ever since I started in this business. An old time gunsmith of my acquaintance used a simple wooden box with dividers in it. I’m still surprised by the number of gunsmiths who simply scatter the parts on their workbench as they disassemble a gun! I have about ten of these boxes of different sizes and dividers and never take a gun apart without utilizing one of them.

I simply number the bins from 1 to whatever number of bins I have. For the larger bins, I number them 1A, 1B, 1C, etc. for larger size parts. I simply put the first part in Bin #1 and so on until the gun is disassembled. Simply reverse the order to put the gun back together. In addition to the numbered parts boxes, I also keep a notebook handy to jot down specific points, like how several parts are positioned, where spring arms/ends are located, etc., to make reassembly easier.

This is especially important if you need to order parts or otherwise set the job aside for a period of time. Grab your notes and parts box and you’re ready to put it back together when the time comes. I recently put an old shotgun back together that I had apart for ten months. At my age, Post-it notes are an everyday workshop aid. Well there you have it. I hope that you find some of these aids will work well for you in your shop.

I have many other special tools and shop aids that I hope to feature in forthcoming articles. Enjoy! AG