Author Topic: Rifle stocks from your own wood? (Read 1004 times)

Creedmore · « **on:** March 12, 2006, 06:23:53 AM »

Anyone ever have a rifle stock made out of their own wood? I've got some mesquite trunks that are big enough (and straight enough) for a blank, just don't know if mesquite is worthy stock material or how to go about it. Thanks!

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2006, 07:03:55 AM »

Here's a couple pics of mesquite stocks for ya..

http://www.texascarver.com/gallery/carvings_sculpture/pages/z01gun1.htm

http://www.gunstocks.com/bargmaus2.html

Here are some sources for having your wood worked...

http://www.riflebuilders.com/

http://www.rifle-stocks.com/

http://www.gunstocks.com/

Tim

bluebayou · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2006, 05:37:14 PM »

I have a 100 odd year old piece of walnut that I want to make a M70 stock with. The grain is straight with a curve to follow the grip and everything. This is what http://www.rifle-stocks.com/ says on their website:

Yes, we can cut your wood into one of our stock style's for $85.00. The dimensions of the blank need to be as follows: Minimum 32" long, Minimum of 6" wide at the butt, 2" wide at the forearm, and 2" thick. This is the absolute minimium size to produce a stock from it. A normal size blank would measure 34" Long, 6 1/2" wide at the butt, 2 1/2" wide at the forearm, and 2 1/2" thick. Please note: If your blank measures 2 1/4" thick, there may be a few flat spots on the stock but can be rasped out and still be shaped normally by the customer.

Creedmore · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2006, 05:58:10 AM »

Thanks for the replies. I didn't know Richards would do your own piece of wood. I've had that site bookmarked for a while because I want to change stocks on a couple of rifles, just haven't gotten around to it. Back in high school, I did some side work for a gunsmith in Houston bedding and inletting my own rifles to learn the ropes.

Part of my concern is the wood being green. Wasn't sure how to go about preserving that fine line between green and too dry to work.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2006, 09:55:34 AM »

The wood can't get too dry for a stock blank. Wood allowed to naturally air dry will eventually equalize with the surrounding moisture end up harder and I believe a more stabil material. At least allow the wood a couple of years to normalize to the surrounding moisture by storing in a dry area. I store mine in a barn... Then it may be kiln dried if you must,. Actually after a couple of years it most likely would be OK to work. Mesquit, at least the screw bean variety, is very beautiful and quite rare. Inclusions and voids are common, it's not a large tree.. I wouldn't trust a real hard kicker to such wood but anything from the 35 Whelan down would likely be OK. Most custom stock businesses will turn the customers wood..

bluebayou · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2006, 03:11:13 PM »

I am not an expert, but one company that I talked to said 3 years minimum for seasoning (talking walnut).

I wonder how Bois d'arc (Osage Orange for Yanquis) would work as a stock. THAT is some tough wood.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2006, 08:52:34 PM »

OsageOrange or hedge as we call it is a poor choice for a gunstock. It produces a resinous sap that would make a fine glue and is dense as ebony but has a tendancy to crack.. It must be dried slowly to avoid seasoning checks.,. We use hedge as fence posts a lot. We cut them and use the posts green! After the wire is installed a chain saw is used to remove the bulk of the bark on the side of the post opposite the wire. The post will dry quicker on the side with the bark removed and will crack horribly. The side with the staples will clamp down so tight the staples are no longer removeable!! Corner and braces are used green or dry but are very difficult to drill or nail.. They almost have to be worked as if made of metal.. I'm afraid the wood would be too brittle and might shatter under the recoil load.. Also this stuff is very heavy and would likely add a couple of pounds to a rifle.. over a walnut stock. Then there is the bright yellow/orange color.....

John Traveler1 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2006, 10:38:37 PM »

gunut69's observations of cracks during seasoning was a reminder to me:

BE SURE to seal the end grain of your stock blanks immediately after cutting to length! You can use melted parafin, beeswax, tar, or something similar. The blanks are sure to crack badly if you don't!

Richards Microfit used to have gobs of stock blanks stored outdoors under a shed cover. ALL were properly end sealed, of course.

bluebayou · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2006, 05:44:01 PM »

I don't care about the color (I just stained my Rem 700 throwaway walnut with "Forest Green". I looks pretty good but since it was cut with heart wood on the left side and sap wood on the right side the color is a little uneven. That is why I stained it by the way.

I was thinking how some friends used it for fence posts. They are pretty moisture resistant. Just trying to prune this bad girl in the front yard is tough. Don't have a chainsaw, but been using a recip saw on it. It is some tough, tough wood.

Oh, well, I didn't count on the sap or the weight for that matter. Thanks for the good advice as usual.

John T,
I will seal that blank. It is so hard that I figured that it was safe. I won't hurt to be careful. Thanks too.

springer222 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2006, 12:18:02 PM »

Quote

I'm afraid the wood would be too brittle and might shatter under the recoil load..

Not to be argumentative, but Bois d'arc or Osage Orange (Wood of the Archer) is used extensively for self-bows. I'm not sure if I agree about the shattering under the recoil load, especially if properly inletted - and glass bedded for good measure in a heavier-kicking caliber. I do agree about the wood being heavy and a PITA to work when dry (not to mention the wear on tools). And then there is the issue of that beautiful yellow color turning the orange-brown color with age. Is there a way to seal the wood to prevent this aging color?[/code]

gunnut69 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2006, 06:24:34 PM »

The reason I said it would likely shatter is that I've probably driven a thousand posts made from hedge. If cut and driven while green they do pretty well but after seasoning the end the maul hits will shatter and splinter like crazy. The reason the self bows work is that they face the bow by carving down to a single growth ring or layer. Thus the layer can flex evenly. I've not built a bow but would guess the hammering of a recoil lug would shatter the recoil ledge as the postmaul did the ends of those posts. It is an interesting wood. The reason the indians liked it for a bow is that the sap once dry is water proof.. Most bows are affected by water and eventually take a set.. I would bet hedge would not.. We cut them in the summer with the sap up in the tree and to keep the larger corner and line posts from dry checking to destruction we sank them in the pond. The wood is nearly completely impervious to rot. I made a mail box post from a knarly old post that we cut when I was a child of 6-7. It had lain buried in leaf litter and forest duff for 30+ years. I dug it out and found that to bolt the arm for the box to it I had to use a HS steel bit as the paddle bit wouldn't cut it. These posts will outlast a steel post as it will rust and the hedge posts will do nothing.. An interesting aside.. we found that if the trees were cut when the sap was down, as in the winter, they were not nearly as rot resistant! In fact there is even a wood boring beetle that drills holes in them!! Imagine what that little buggers teeth are like! I have enver seen a stock made of the stuff and it may well work but would be brutally heavy(a certainty) and quite prone the splitting.. There are so many better woods it is just a waste of effort. In my opinion of course..

springer222 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 16, 2006, 01:29:19 PM »

I totally agree about the splitting and that there are many other woods that are "preferable for a custom stock". And you are very correct about shaving the wood away to a single growth ring when making a self bow. I, like you, have seen fence posts that have been in the ground for years and are still solid. This was the post of choice when I was growing up, building fence since I was the labor for cutting the post and digging the holes and trees are prevalent where I was raised.

But with all of that said, I still think it would make an interesting stock if I could guarantee a process to maintain that fresh-cut, yellow color. Call me crazy, but I'm nostalgic when it comes to custom gun calibers, shying away from the latest and greatest craze. And yes, there is nothing more beautiful a well made walnut custom stock, but I like the obscure; and I think a stock of Bois d'Arc meets that criteria.

springer222 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 16, 2006, 01:30:20 PM »

I totally agree about the splitting and that there are many other woods that are "preferable for a custom stock". And you are very correct about shaving the wood away to a single growth ring when making a self bow. I, like you, have seen fence posts that have been in the ground for years and are still solid. This was the post of choice when I was growing up, building fence since I was the labor for cutting the post and digging the holes and trees are prevalent where I was raised.

But with all of that said, I still think it would make an interesting stock if I could guarantee a process to maintain that fresh-cut, yellow color. Call me crazy, but I'm nostalgic when it comes to custom gun calibers, shying away from the latest and greatest craze. And yes, there is nothing more beautiful a well made walnut custom stock, but I like the obscure; and I think a stock of Bois d'Arc meets that criteria.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 16, 2006, 07:55:23 PM »

Each has their own tastes and I was simply telling you my opinion.. It would make a reasonably useable stock and could likely be hollowed out to reduce weight. I wouldn't use it on a heavy kicker but it would likely survive if properly bedded.. It would have to be worked dry and that would be a chore but still and all, it would be doable. I've even seen oak made into gunstocks.. I don't know if I could really learn to like the color though?? It would surely be unique!!