Author Topic: Different woods for stocks (Read 1090 times)

Mikey · « **on:** May 06, 2004, 07:29:42 AM »

gunnut69, this question is basically for you and is prefaced by the posts asking about using White Oak for a gunstock. After seeing that one fore-end made from White Oak and how gorgeous it was I am tempted to ask about using woods other than Birch, Maple and Walnut.

What about Cherry - it is tougher than nails and has a beautiful grain and color. How about some fat-woods like English Buckthorn, or Chestnut? Does the same problem of being overly porous apply to those woods as it does to the White Oak? I have some tall, straight and really big (around) Wild Cherry on my property - I know these are $ trees for furniture but I'm wondering if I could have a stock blank or two made that I could turn into a nicely grained stock?

May I please have your thoughts on this questions. Thankee Sai. Mikey.

timbertoes · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2004, 09:44:09 AM »

not sure why you think Cherry is hard as nails...it's on the softer side, somewhat easy to ding. Difficult to finish without blotching.

yea, you could maybe find a sawyer to cut down and mill your tree....or just buy a piece of nice cherry at a hardwood dealer.... $5 to 7 a bdft.

or here:

www.curlywoods.com

gunnut69 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2004, 06:37:00 PM »

The old timers used wild cherry for stock wood. It is a bit brash but can finish up very nicely. It is more difficult to find a nicely grained piece for a stock, so cherry stocks tend to be a bit plain. The wood also is not quite as strong as walnut so caliber and construction/design of the stock must be adjusted accordingly. Like walnut cherry can be very greatly affected by the conditions where it grows. I've some walnut, fairly plain but about 50-75 years old. Grew slowly on a rocky hill top..and was dried slowly in a barn Stuff is so hard it's difficult to work.. I've also a stick of Beautiful English that's light as a feather. It grew quickly and was most likely kiln dried..would never do for a heavy caliber but a 7mm STW with a bit of work it should be OK. The only woods that can readily substitue for one of the walnuts is maple. Mesquite can make some striking stocks but the trees are quite small and defect free stocks are almost non-existant. I've seen Rosewood stocks but the supply is so small these days that I fear we'll not see them again. To be really fair they were a bit heavy and somewhat difficult to finish.. Mple produces quite a bit of fiddleback figure and the occasional crotch.. Not as vivid as good walnut and a bit more difficult to work but I truly love fiddleback.. I've not seen chestnut dut cut a bit of butterbut. It would be OK for stocks but seems a bit heavy and was quite plain.. Properly done many woods will work but if we've gone to all the trouble I would rather work with the prettiest piece of wood I can find..

Mikey · « **Reply #3 on:** May 07, 2004, 03:49:47 AM »

gunnut and timbertoes: thanks fellas, I appreciate your feedback. Mikey.

wallynut · « **Reply #4 on:** May 07, 2004, 03:11:12 PM »

Mickey,

Cherry can make a really nice stock, but if you are looking at cutting down some trees, you will have to wait quite a few years to use it unless you have it kiln dried. I've built a few muzzleloaders using cherry, nice wood to work with, easy to sand, yes it can dent easy, but if your worried about dents, get a synthetic. Cherry will get darker as it gets older, giving it a nice patina in time.

Judson · « **Reply #5 on:** May 09, 2004, 01:53:19 PM »

Words of experience!!!! If you are going to cut your own wood, even if you have it kiln dried, let it age for around 5 years to stabilize!!!

MSP Ret · « **Reply #6 on:** May 09, 2004, 02:21:47 PM »

gunnut another question for you, We have a lot of black locust around here which is used in laminated longbow construction (I'm not sure if it's used on the compression side or not) anyway What about it being used as a gunstock? The other question is about holly wood. There are some large hollies around, english holly I think, and I would never stand to have one cut just for the wood and would love to have one in my front yard in front of the house. I do however know someone who has 2 huge hollies close by the front of his home and hates them. They are between 18' and 20" in diameter and he keeps complaining about them. To big to move, so, in case he cuts them down (

), should I be ready to prepare the wood in any certain way? I have seen pistol grips made from holly locally before but never a complete rifle stock....<><.... :grin:

Yukon Jack · « **Reply #7 on:** May 09, 2004, 06:03:09 PM »

Hallowell's used to have a picture of a beautiful cherry stock on a custom rifle made by Maurice Ottmar.

I saw a Cooper .17 stocked in Magnolia that looked very much like English Walnut. I don't know if it could be used on rifles with significant recoil, but it sure was a beautiful piece of wood.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2004, 06:52:27 AM »

As a kid we used black locust as fire wood. It contains a flammable sap and would burn quite well even if a bit green. The thorns were removed with an axe as the tree lay of the ground before being blocked, they burn quite vigorously. Both locust and holly are normally (in my experience) quite plain. The holly I've seen was fairly dense, light colored wood with little grain. Many woods can be used for gunstocks. Even oak will work it's just that they are not really good at the task and really nice woods such as the various walnuts and maples are still very available. Also there is a problem with the availability of unusual woods cut for the gunstock trade. As an instance sycamore makes a very good stock wood. It is heavy and practically immune to splitting. It does however have an appalling tendancy to warp. My father used to say that a sycamore board on the ground writhed like a snake. Still if properly sealed and bedded it would be nearly inpossible to split as this lumber has a knitted grain flow... Still, it is nearly impossible to find a better combination of strength and beauty than a really good piece of black walnut..

springer222 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 11, 2004, 01:41:39 PM »

Both black locust and honey locust can be used for gun stocks. Black locust can range in color but I have seen some with a very beautiful yellow tones. Honey locust has a very distinct pattern of light (nearly white) grain, mixed with a more porus pink grain. I have 3 unfinished honey locust stocks - 2 that were cut on our land and 1 I found as a blank at a garage sale for 1$. Honey locust can be stained with a dark stain and sanded to resemble a laminate stock. Also, I have yet to see pecan mentioned. Some of the most beautiful handmade stocks I have seen locally was from a pecan tree that was blown over on the river bottom; most with alot of figure, some with fiddleback. Many think of pecan as light, plain, but this is far from that. If I can get some pics, I will post.