different stockwood species

[tat]

Hello,

Thanks for letting me join your forum!

Is there a list of woods that are suitable for stock making?

Also is it ok to laminate 3/4" thick planks to make a blank?


Tommy

 

[rich pierce]

Wood for gunstocks needs to be strong, hard, resistant to splitting, of moderate weight, and to not stretch, shrink, warp, etc too much with changes in moisture. It should be easy to work with sharp tools, "standing up to the chisel". The trees must be large, and the wood should be commonly available so the gunsmith can rely on a supply and become familiar with the unique qualities of the species. Species difficult to season, susceptible to severe checking when drying, insect damage and rot while living or during seasoning were less likely to be used as stock woods in the past, though controlled environment drying opens things up a bit now. Folks like gunstocks to look pretty, in color, figure, or both. The traditional American species that fill these requirements are walnut, cherry, sugar maple, red maple.

Yellow birch, American beech, and white ash are good stock woods. Birch and beech have almost zero figure, but ash can be curly. Ash is strong but the grain is very prominent and it's difficult to carve across the annual rings.

Oaks and locust are considered too heavy, hickory too heavy and coarse and susceptible to swelling and shrinking with humidity changes. Odd species like myrtlewood and mesquite have been used for sporters but they have their unique challenges and attributes.

European walnut is probably the queen of stock woods.

Yes, lamination works well to make a stock that can be stronger and more stable than a "self" stock. Lamination was not often used before 1940's or 1950's, I think.

 

[MSW]

Tat-

I recently got a blank of American Lacewood. This is my first attempt at building a rifle with just a blank, so i am more than a little bit nervous about the whole deal. If you're interested, i'll send photos.

MSW

 

[tat]

Thanks for replies!


I have quite a bit of different lumber species in 1x5 and 1x6 sizes but they are all 3/4" thick. This is why I asked about the laminating.

Yes MSW I would love to see a picture.


Tommy

 

[bob1961]

post them if ya can.............bob

 

[airbear]

Beech can be quilted figure sometimes. I saw it when I worked at a sawmill. I wouldn't trust using American Beech though. It is incredibly hard to dry, incredibly stressed(when we cut 3x6's for pallet wood, they could be a couple inches out of straight over 12' length). Now, I've heard euro beech is much more stable and it pretty much looks the same. Ash would be and is a beautiful stock wood. I did see an oak stock for the first time though yesterday at the gunmaker's fair. Mike Barton of Tiger Hunt had a curly red oak gunstock there. Wouldn't want to be the one to inlet that thing. If you have your heart set to use American beech, make sure you let it dry long enough and make sure it will stay straight. QS American beech would be a purdy gunstock, though.

 

[Herb]

I am just finishing up a Jerman Jordan (in Whisker's Ohio Longrifles, vol.2, page 56).40 percussion in Chinese (Siberian) elm. For a cabinet maker who could have any wood he wants, and he wants Chinese Elm. It can have fantastic figure. It is not heavy, can be very hard, and rasps well. Be a month or so before I get it done, but will post a photo of it. I like it so well that after building 26 rifles of maple and walnut, I want do one for myself in Chinese elm.

 

[Story]

I had to look up Chinese Elm, figured I'd share what I found:

the technical stuff
http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact%20pages/elm_chinese/elm_chinese.html

grain illustration
http://yumahardwoods.homestead.com/chineselm.html

and for a finished wood example,
http://www.animastrading.com/miva/mercha...;Category_Code=

 

[flashpanner]

Yu can do what ever you would like to get a thick piece of wood. However laminating would not be P.C. for a traditional longrifle. I have yet to see a laminated stock longrifle.
As a sidenote, I live close enough to the Chadron Fur Trade Museum and have seen some recovered long rifles. Some of the stocks look like they were made from a fence post or any other available piece of solid wood.
Hope you will find this forum resourceful, enjoy the adventure.

 

[Herb]

Story- Good work! Thanks. Don't "lacewood elm" sound nice? I know the tree as Ulmus chinensis, "Chinese elm". I think "Siberian elm" is the "correct" common name. It is a weedy tree, invades grasslands, is common as a planted tree in the Dakotas and the plains and Utah. Can grow to about two feet diameter. About the world's worst ornamental tree, but cabinet makers here really like the wood. I played guitar for a funeral at Rock Point Cemetery about a week ago, most of the big trees there are Chinese Elm, and they are so old they are dying. The Yuma hardwoods site has a good description and picture. And look at those prices!