shotgun case build - need some advice

[tperson]

Long time lurker, short time poster here…but I am in need of some advice from a group of woodworkers whom I’ve come to thoroughly respect. My son (13) and I are working on a carry case for his Beretta A400 that’ll be modeled after the case for my Beretta Teknys, except more extravagant(ish). The plan is to have spalted maple side panels (see picture) with a walnut case, SOSS hinges, some briefcase latches from Rockler, and (hopefully) a leather interior…maybe a little inlay, we’ll see. We’ve bookmatched the maple and milled it to ~3/8 to fill worm holes. The plan is to glue it to a piece of ¼” ply as a reinforcement backer (glued down the center to allow movement) and to mill it down until the maple is a thick veneer. I know, I know, a lot of expensive sawdust will be made, but I don’t have a bandsaw capable of handling the panels…or even a half-width panel. My question is: given the softness of the maple, do I need to fiberglass the exterior to reduce dents/dings or are they ‘character’? We’ll have a significant amount of time into this case and I hope it’ll last him a lifetime; will the dings tell a story of his life, or detract from the beauty of the case? If I fiberglass the panel, I’m not sure I can get it smooth enough to look nice…and I’m not sure I can get the panel thin enough  without tearout/chipping/etc. So, I ask the brain trust: what would you do?

[treeslayer]

Sounds like a great project for father and son and that’s some beautiful wood, as to the fiberglass, I’ve never done it so I don’t know but IMO I wouldn’t think it would be necessary, it’s going to get dings eventually anyway and will have a great story to tell, be sure to post some pictures of the build as you go and welcome to the forum, great bunch of folks here we’re glad to have you and your son

[tperson]

treeslayer - progress pictures attached. We're pretty active in 4-H so some of these pictures were staged...I didn't let him make the vertical cuts on the tablesaw, makes me nervous when I do it. I'll keep you updated as we come along. Next step is to use the pantorouter to cut the dovetails. 

[tperson]

I'm pretty fortunate to have him as a son. He's my shadow when I'm not at work and we do everything together. He's started getting into competitive scholastic shooting (skeet and sporting clays) so last year on Labor Day we started building a skeet range 200yds south of our house. Traps are sitting in the garage, low house is done except for trim, high house has made some progress since the last pic and only needs 2 more sheets of tin. Worked the sizing out today for a battery, solar cell, inverter, and wireless release. 

[Coop]

Now that’s cool. Refreshing also to see grain storage tanks instead of our chemical storage. I also can’t comment on the fiberglass but spalted wood is awfully soft. 

[pkinneb]

Wow really good question...I could see this going either way fiberglass and epoxy would definitely cut down on dings and make it much easier to fix but it would also add weight to the case. I think I might be tempted to put trim or corners on the case as an alternative. 

BTW I look forward to following your build I have this on my long list of projects I would like to do. I have a Citori trap gun that could use a nice case.

[wtnhighlander]

A comment on your veneer plans: Add a layer to the inside of the ply as well, or it stands a good chance of curling up. Veneer should always cover both sides. Non-show side can be any species, just needs to balance moisture transmission to the core.

Fiberglass has the additional benefit of strength and waterproofing. IMO, if you fiberglass the maple, just use the maple at 3/8", no good reason I can see to make the sandwich with ply.

[curlyoak]

I think you can find brass corners. Or make some brass corners. Google luggage hardware. If you never used SOSS hinges, then a requirement is to practice until your practice meets your quality needed. Plan on a lot of practice. If you have experience with SOSS then you know what I mean. And having a partner on the project always makes it better. And more fun!

 

[tperson]

wtnhighlander - now that's a great idea: fiberglass the panels and leave them at 3/8, brilliant.

curlyoak - I don't have any experience with SOSS hinges, this is my first stab. I'm optimistic that the pantorouter will help make consistent holes and I plan on lots of practice with some pine. Thanks for the advice/warning.

what are your thoughts on applying a finish over the epoxy (oil-based wipe on poly is my go-to)? If I sand to ~320-400, it should be OK if the epoxy is fully cured, right?

Edited January 27, 2022 by tperson
thought of a question to ask

[man of wood]

just build it, no matter what you put on it will dent.  The fiberglass will just make it harder to fix. Plus, I don't think you throw around your stuff.

 

 

Thomas

 

[curlyoak]

On 1/27/2022 at 8:49 AM, tperson said:

what are your thoughts on applying a finish over the epoxy (oil-based wipe on poly is my go-to)? If I sand to ~320-400, it should be OK if the epoxy is fully cured, right?

I would not try that.

 

[curlyoak]

https://www.vandykes.com/trunk-corner/p/206085/s/02004882/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ppc_google_pla&gclid=Cj0KCQiAosmPBhCPARIsAHOen-P8R6HgX_pzzoNNeTU-AqANyKSKlLcvDLd7ZFBQiwviYWC_KDn8ZO0aAhiIEALw_wcB is a link to a brass corner. Found it in seconds when I googled luggage hardware. Corners will add a lot of protection beyond just the corners.

[wtnhighlander]

If you use glass cloth and resin, additional finish may be unnecessary. Look up how glass a cedar strip canoe, the last step is often brushing on a thin layer of resin to get a glassy-smooth finish. 

[Coop]

In a woodworkers point of view, I feel the fiberglass will plasticize (apparently not a word) the look. I would go with several coats of top coat and the recommended brass corners and treat the case as you would the gun. Both will receive some expected minor abuse in the long run. 

[pkinneb]

On 1/27/2022 at 5:45 PM, wtnhighlander said:

If you use glass cloth and resin, additional finish may be unnecessary. Look up how glass a cedar strip canoe, the last step is often brushing on a thin layer of resin to get a glassy-smooth finish. 

As long is it is not exposed to long periods of sun. If it is you would want a top coat of Urethane or something that provides UV protection.

[tperson]

Curlyoak: [mentioning brass corners] yes, they are on my radar and I believe are a definite must. That said, the ones you sent are nicer than what I had envisioned, thanks.

 

Man of wood: “just built it, no matter what you put on it will dent.”

• I believe you’re correct.

 

Coop: “…I feel the fiberglass will palasticize the look.”

• That was one of my fears as well, unnecessary work/cost and unfamiliarity with the process were my others.

 

Wow guys, thanks for the great suggestions, I expected nothing less from this community. I think where I stand now is to not fiberglass the panels but to make a thick veneer and bond them to a piece of ¼” ply (balanced, of course). Supposed to be nice weather here today and tomorrow so I really should work on the range. If I get after it, I can get the high house walk-in door reset, the roof on and the last 4 sheets of tin on the high house…and then put the traps in the houses! I leave on Sunday for Charlotte/Raleigh and wont be back until 2/5 so, whatever doesn’t get done tonight or tomorrow will have to wait (it might be a while before I have an update).

[Robby W]

I would skip the fiberglass option. You might end up with a case that weighs more them the gun. It is going to dent, so don't worry about it. Think if them as reminders of good times.

And I am seriously jealous of you skeet range in the back yard. Skeet is my family's favorite get together. Unfortunately, the nearest open range is 90 miles away from us. (Where is that jealousy emoji...)

 

[Martin-IT]

Just a reminder: Like Norm would say: "don't forget these, safety glasses"...and I would add, hearing and a mask.  Especially with spalted lumber, the 'mold' likes the warm, moist, dark area inside our lungs. If you inhale the dusk..the mold can revive itself.

I do skip the mask once in a while...but never with spalted lumber.   

My wife likes spalted maple.  Unless it is really 'spongy', the ding should be not a problem. Try pushing with your nail, even spalted it is most likely still more dent resistant than pine.  Looking at the picture, it does not look 'spongy', too far gone. 

If it was sugar maple, unless it is too far gone, it should do fine in term of dent.

I use dewaxed shellac & varathane water based floor finish (yes floor).  It helps to keep the maple as light in color as possible while highlighting the 'spalted'.

[Robby W]

Just thought of something; you could saturate the spalted maple with thin CA glue to harden it up. It is a trick that turners use all the time to

 

[tperson]

Progress on both the shotgun case and skeet range have been slow. We were able to get the dovetails cut on the pantorouter and recess cut for the panels last week and I spent 2 days trying to find clear 15 min epoxy in town; 5 min in stock everywhere, but I was afraid we needed more time to assemble. Yesterday we got the case glued up and tomorrow I’m going to go see a fellow woodworker with a higher-capacity drum sander so we can face the top and bottom before we split it (my Ryobi only has a 3.25” capacity, I need 3.5”). Anyway, pics are below with more on the way as we continue to forge ahead.

[treeslayer]

Awesome looking case !

[pkinneb]

Beautiful! 

[wtnhighlander]

That case is gorgeous!

BTW, you might try splitting it apart on the table saw. Use a 7.25" circular saw blade, they have a kerf width approaching bandsaw dimensions. Set the blade height just short of completely through the material, that way it won't close up on you. The use a flush-cut saw or even a razor knife to separate the halves, and a block plane to smooth away the remaining ridge.

[tperson]

funny you mention this wtnhighlander, that's exactly my plan...I switched to 7.25" circular saw blades in my 10" tablesaw several years ago and refuse to go back. You think a 3Hp 10" saw is powerful, put a 7.25" blade on it...and push as fast as you want, it'll eat it.

[tperson]

Progress has been slow, but we’re still chipping away. Since the last update, we’ve ordered some dark brown silver cloth (special anti-tarnish felt) for the interior, ordered some brass corner pieces which will be inlayed, and milled mortises for the hidden hinges on the pantorouter. I have to say, I’m proud of P…he laid out the hinge locations, transferred them to the lid and milled 90% of the mortises. When we installed the hinges, everything lines up perfectly…no gaps, no protrusions, just perfection. We got as far as we could last night laying out the interior, but weren’t done playing in the shop so I pulled out a seldom-used tool (my Veritas string inlay cutter) and explained it to P. His eyes got big when showed him what it’s used for and we spent the rest of the evening adding some 1/32 holly stringing into the outer lip of the case.