Chambers York fancy wood stock

[aragorn]

I'm just about to take the plunge and order a Chambers York kit, with a 50 cal Rice barrel. I had excellent advice and help from Barbie on the phone yesterday.

My only uncertainty is whether to go for the fancy wood option, for $50 extra. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Some factors for me:

i)I want to work with a really nice piece of wood, though by all accounts their standard stocks are excellent and would likely fit this bill.

ii) I want to try my hand at some limited carving. Would this be best on a plainer piece?

iii) Having cut my teeth on a generic Pedersoli, I now want a longrifle that's as authentic as possible. I want to make a historic rifle more than a decorative piece. Something makes me feel that for an early York, plainer curly maple would be more right than fancy, for a typical rifle. Am I wrong?

iv) I think I'm a tolerably competent carpenter but this is my first rifle build, certainly my first attempt at decorative carving (if I end up doing it!) and maybe I'm being too ambitious thinking of a fancy piece of wood first time.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

 

[Trina]

Strider,
I am just finishing up my first gun, I bought a plain maple,(which didnt turn out so plain) thinking I might do a bit of carving on it...During the time I spent working on the gun I decided that I would wait on the carving until I get down the road a ways (read more experience lol).. now I am kinda wishing I had gotten a fancier piece of wood to start with. I dont know about carving on fancier wood, I'm sure someone else will chime in here...good luck, go slow and have fun :imo:

 

[jdhiii]

Interesting question, Strider.

The upgrade is nominal in cost, but many experienced builders suggest to new builders to save good wood for later guns. I confess I have upgraded wood in the past so that is my bias. A point that I wanted to raise is that most old guns I have seen are plain --- I live east of Lancaster and old longrifles aren't rare. Fancy guns probably have survived at a rate that exceeds plain guns, but the plain janes still outnumber 'em today. Fancy wood and plain wood are equally authentic with plain maybe more common in the period. And plain wood isn't more challenging to carve than figured wood.

-d :imo:

 

Straight grain wood is easier to work with than figured (curley ,flamed ect) since there is a difference in the density of the wood between the curls.
I will say that a gun with well defined line with fancy wood looks better than a gun with plain,semi-fancy or fancy (100% curl) that is carved badly.
If this is your second build and you are not experienced with carveing then I would go with the extra fancy wood. I would practice carveing on some sample wood till I felt comfortable in doing it to a stock, and then do so to another build some where down the road .
Just my opinion and your results may very. It sure beats ruining a nice piece of wood to only be tossed in the corner and have to be replaced to get a rifle you desire.
Another option is to have someone do the carveing for you and you do the rest of the finish inlets for the lock, barrel. butt plate ect.
At any rate patients is the most important vertue anyone can have when building a gun.
Have fun and enjoy yourself and keep us posted as to how your comeing along with it.
Congrats on your Yorkie and enjoy

Woody

 

[JoeC]

Strider ,
My advice, For what its worth, (exactly what you are paying for it ha ! ha! ) is to go for the better wood . especially for the small amount of extra money.
The first gun i built was from a stock blank. I thought about using a "cheap" piece of wood to practice on , and then , if i didn't screw it up , buy a good piece of wood and do a second stock for it with nice wood .....
As it turned out , i found a nice piece of wood for a good price , it had a defect near the muzzle end that i was going to cut off anyway . It was for a 42" bbl . i was using a 36" bbl. Anyway , the point of this is , that after the work involved in building that stock , i new i would NEVER , make a second stock for the SAME gun . Since then , on the couple rifles i have built since then , i have always bought a nice piece of wood for the project,the upgrade is not that much , and the end result is much nicer.
Besides , a really nice piece of wood takes some of the attention away from all of the other mistakes i make on the stock .......ha. ha.
Maybe something else to consider ,if you mess up on the
carving on a lesser quality stock, trying to make it look better,your stuck with it. If you have a really nice piece of wood you don't need to do anything to enchace it .

The last gun i built , last fall, was a 4-bore rifle,(1.052" diameter bore, 1 1/2" across the flats at the muzzle ), the two comments i got most often were 1, WOW! look at the size of the hole in that barrel , and 2 , Wow , that is a really nice piece of wood . (it was a nice piece of curly maple, aquafortis,stain)
Joe.

 

[Zonie]

I have only bought the very top grade of Curley Maple (95+%) once but I have bought the lower grade of CM (0-30%)for several of my guns.

Of those times I bought the lower grade of Maple, when the gun was finished, I have always wished that I would have started with something better.

I have reached the conclusion that the CM with 70-85% curl gives the most bang for the bucks.

 

[Finnwolf]

Strider,
Listen to Zonie - the man has a collection of rifles he made and each is a work of art. All the more beautiful becuase the wood is so nice. It'll be the best 50 bucks you ever spent.
Finnwolf

 

[Birddog6]

I have never yet had Anyone I built a rifle for complain of the wood being Too Nice..

I have had several say they wish they had listened to me & bought the better grade of wood. I always offer it, but it is the customers choice.

IMHO, buy the Best piece of wood you can afford. You can't back up half way thru it & say OH, I think I want better wood now, as it is too late then. Go for the Best....

:imo:

 

[Birddog6]

I walked into a ML shop one day & about 75' away I spied a forestock of a rifle half hidden over in a corner.... MAN, look at those Stripes ! I am thinking to myself....
I told the owner, "I don't know what that stock is over there sticking out from under all that stuff, or what it even is, but I want it".
He laughed & told me that he had just told his wife that when Keith walks into this shop, he will see this piece of stock even tho I have it way over here & hidden, he will want it. Guess I am a sucker for fabulous wood. It just so happens it is a York stock & it & all the goodies to build it to a .54 caliber came home with me that day.
I hope I get around to builkding it some day ! ha ha !

Best of Luck with yours. Go for the Best wood !

 

[aragorn]

Thanks very much, everyone - excellent advice as usual. It looks like I'll be going for that fancier wood.

Doubtless you'll be hearing more from me when the parts start arriving! I can't wait.

 

[Dave K]

I am quilty, I have not built a gun. But, when I do, it will be with the best wood I can get. One way of looking at it, is that drop dead beautiful wood is almost to pretty to cover up with big patch boxes. Let the wood show,of course if you are good at inletting and carving than you really have a pretty gun.I have had two customs built for me. One has great wood,the other has just OK wood. The one with OK wood should have the fancy carving and inlays to show off your skill and take your eyes away from the plain wood. JMHO

 

[Big John]

I know money is important, but like my wife said when I bought my flinter...Why not spend a few dollars more and get it exactly like you want it, hard to believe I actually agreed with her! First timer..Ha!