Grain/annual Ring Distance

[crockett]

I was recently putting a new handle/helve on an axe and reading a book on the subject that said the rings on the wood should not be closer that 1/8". Tighter rings were more prone to split. I was wondering if this had any application in a wood stock on a muzzle loader? Also, if a blank piece of wood is used, is it best for the grain to flow through the wrist area? In other words, if you have a thick board from which the stock is to be cut, should the stock pattern be slightly diagonal on the board so the grain runs straight through the wrist area? Thanks.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Hickory is the wood most often use for tool handles, with Ash being another one that is used. Ash is like oak, and has wide bands of growth rings. Hickory varies depending on where the tree is growing. with very tight rings, I suspect that there can be separation as the wood dries. But this is something you will see with Hickory and not usually with walnut, maple, birch, or other woods used for stocks. I don't see any carry over. This is the first time I have ever heard this admonition about choice of wood for ax handles. Given a choice. I would use a synthetic material for the handle because of durability, and its ability to absorb some of the impact vibrations that otherwise travel up the handle to your hands.

And, I have never seen a hickory handle delaminate, so I am not sure how valid this advice may be. I hope others with more experience than I have had with tool hands can write in and clarify this.

 

[Zonie]

Yes. On a muzzleloader stock, the grain of the blank should be slightly diagonal to the barrel so that it runs parallel with the angle of the wrist.

This gives the wrist the strength necessary to take the recoil, the force of loading and teh loads from just handleing the gun.

 

[Bookie]

Some thoughts I'll share: I use hickory for small mallets to use while inletting stocks exclusively. It does laminate on the sides after weeks of tapping on chisels. The delamination is usually a small area, but does grow larger through continual use. A small mallet that is about 1 3/4" in diameter lasts me about 2-4 years, so I guess my opinion is "Why worry?" :hmm: As for a rifle stock, try to get the grain running with the wrist for the most strength. Delamination is not the worry here, but snapping the thin wood from over exertion while loading a dirty bore/very large diameter ball for the bore, or dropping the stock onto the floor. The latter did occur to my Durty Nelly and she does have relatively wide rings in the wood. Cheers, Bookie

 

[Norskie]

Bookie,
I had some delamination with a hickory mallet I made. Just made a replacement, and this time, on the advise of an old timer, I left the bark on the head. We'll see if that holds it together better. Suppose I could wrap it in rawhide, too...

 

[djnye]

i make black ash baskets and am very familiar with what you are calling delamination for that is how i prepare my materials. i pound ash with a mash to seperate the annual rings to obtain splint. with more effort, white ash, the hickories, and red oak can also be pounded to seperate them in similar fashion. what is happening is that the early growth in each annual ring containing a high concentration of porous vessals(called ring porous) are crushed allowing the seperation. for your next mallet i might suggest using a heavy diffuse porous wood such as ironwood, maple, or beech, etc. or white oak that will not seperate due to tylosis in its veins. actually i use hickory mallets all the time, but make them from the rootball at the base of the trunk where there is a high percentage of endgrain. they eventually do come apart, but it takes a very long time.

take care, daniel

 

[Bookie]

Pound black ash for baskets & root ball for mallets...interesting....and good info. Will have to try a new mallet. Thanks for sharing. Bookie