Help with wood please.

[Finnwolf]

I believe you have received some good advice from some very accomplished builders. If you have ever seen some of the pieces that Zonie, Smallpatch and BD6 have created you would certainly know firsthand the meaning of art and craftsmanship. I believe that BD6 has also just given you a lesson in class and generosity.
IMO, BD6 assumed you value your labor and that you would want to have something of worth to show for the many hours it takes to properly restock a rifle. He was trying to do you a service and I'll bet you'll realize that when you are finished. If you do not take advantage of his generous offer, there are many sources of decent wood. You may find something here:
http://www.gunstockwood.com/
Finnwolf

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I think he showed the man that he is and will leave it at that. He has tons of knowledge that I hope to tap. Same with Zonie and others I have not mentioned. It was very nice for him to offer me the wood and I may now do that. He better let me pay the shipping though.

A double thanks for the knowledge I bet that will be worth more than the wood.

 

[Birddog6]

I always consider the flow of the grain before I cut anything for a stock. To me grain flow is more important than stripes or fancy grain or whatefver, cause when one breaks at the wrist it don't matter how pretty it is/was, it is still broken.
Regardless of the style or rifle, my first consideration it the grain flow thru the wrist, it that is not correct I pass it by & go to the next plank.

Different guys do it differently... I cut the plank rough into the shape but keep the forestock straight so I have a straight flat top to work with & lay the barrel channel in. With this true you can set up your lines & get your measurements & other ref. points.

Also, I suggest anyone building a rifle to buy a Builders book first & read it. Tons of good info there & something you should read thru first. My favorite is Gunsmiths of Grenville County in the spiral bound, so it will lay flat on your work bench. But there are several good one out ther. Chuck Dixons builders book is a good one also.

:thumbsup:

 

[lanedh]

Porkchop:

I'm in the same place--a rectangular block of cherry for a halfstock perc. target pistol. If I recall correctly, somebody made a post a few days ago saying everything flows from the location of the drum/vent. That determines where the lock will go, which in turn determines where the trigger will go, which in turn determines the trigger guard location and the shape/angle of the butt to the barrel axis. (That post was for laying out a rifle blank, but the approach should work for handguns as well.) My wood is about 1-5/8 inch thick, so allowing for about 1/8 inch waste on the lock side, then 1/4 inch for lock bolster thickness, then 13/16 for the barrel, I have about 7/16 on the left side to use for left side panel and (if I'm careful) a "vestigial" thumbrest.
So my plan is to get the barrel channel done first, then proceed from there. I want to send with the blank to Fred Miller to cut out the barrel channel, then do the rest myself.

PS: judging from your alias, might you have been a Navy supply corps officer?

 

[Zonie]

If I was starting with a rectangular block, the first thing I would do is to check out the grain flow of the wood.
If there is any angle to it at all, I would want that running parallel with the wrist. This would tell me which end is going to be the top and the butt.
I would then draw a rough outline of the finished shape leaving at least about 1/4 around where I wanted to end up.

After finding the top and the butt, I would take it to a wood working shop and have them cut it down so the finished thickness is about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thicker than the thickest area of the finished gun and plane the top and both sides so they are flat and square.(I don't have any precision wood working tools). The bottom isn't real important because it's going to get cut off anyway. I would just make sure I had left enough wood on it to have wood to remove for the toe plate at the butt end.

I would then draw the finished outline on one side. This doesn't have to be exact because it is only going to tell me where the breech will be from the muzzle end and the butt end. (These ends need to have at least 1/2 inch of extra wood because this whole process is not precision and I don't want to end up without enough wood to install the nose cap or the butt plate.)

Knowing this, I would then cut the barrel channel into the top surface, right down the middle, stopping just short of where the breech will be.
This cut would be the full depth of the barrel, if not 1/8 inch deeper. (When the barrel is inserted into the channel, it should be flush or better yet below the remaining top surface of the block.) It would be cut so the centerline of the bore is running parallel with the top surface.

After squaring up the breech surface so it mates with the breech block or the rear of the barrel, I would then start to determine where the lock will have to be based on the location of the breech plug face (in the barrel).
What I would do next would depend on whether the lock/plug was precussion and snail, or precussion and drum or flintlock but before worrying too much about the lock, I would install the breech plug and inlet it into the wood.

Notice, I am leaving the sides parallel and square with the top. This is to facilitate measuring for future things like barrel pins etc. It's a lot easier to draw on and make the layout lines for things like ramrods etc if it's flat.
When I inlet the lock plate, the barrel will determine the depth and I can assure you the face of the lockplate will be well below the surface of the side of the block. You can always remove wood to get it down flush with the lockplate. It's dam hard to put it back on if the plate ends up standing proud of the surface.

Well, that should keep you making chips for a while! ::

Anyone see any screw ups in my method yet? ::

 

[Pittsburghunter]

No screw ups that I know of but I never have done this before.

My breech is already installed as well as the "pin channel" I also have the ballister installed already so I was thinking of removing the sights turning the barrel upside down and backwards to do the barrel channel. What do you think about that? It is a straight unswamped barrel so that should work right?

 

[Pork Chop]

Former Army, not Navy. Field Artillery.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Zonie,
One screw up a year?? I just put in about 10 years worth today.

Sorry for the off topic.

:redface:

 

[lanedh]

Zonie, you mind reader, you...

I'm doing everything you said except rough cutting the outline of the stock. There's not enough thickness in the blank to inlet on centerline even for a 13/16 inch barrel, so I am allowing about 1/8 inch waste on the right side; the lock bolster is 1/4 inch, and so the right side of my barrel channel should fall 3/8 inch from the squared-up lock side of the blank. That'll leave just enough material on the left side for what I want it to look like. I'll bandsaw the stock to shape and near-final dimensions after the lock plate is located.

Concur?

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Well guys what I have found so far that is local and age appropriate is some 3"x 11"x 4' in both curly maple and Walnut have yet to see it but the guy wants between $35-$50 depending on the cut and quality of the piece. He has other wood for less and seems to know a bit about gun stocks because when I asked for the size wood I needed he asked if I was carving a halfstock? ::

It's a long time before winter so I will be doing some more "hunting" before this is said and done with.

So my new question is 11" width good enough if I am going to have a partial pistol grip? No heel or anything like that just a comfortable little droop. Well may be a small heel I don't know I love the stock on my T/C Express.

 

[Dave K]

That size of wood will give you plenty to play with, at least if the grain is running correctly. Also, if the wood is good, you can't afford to do any shopping around, that is a good price! period! I would say buy it. :imo:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Really? I thought it was kinda high :hmm: Then again I have only bought wood for building and stuff. The most expensive piece of wood I ever bought was for a cradle a piece of laminated hardwood plywood. That cost $30 it's self and you could only use about 60% of it. I will have to investigate further.

Like I said a winter project.

 

[fho]

I like walnut. It is easier to work than maple or cherry.
Olie :imo:

 

[Dave K]

Look and compare the wood to places that sell gunstock wood and you will see what a bargain that wood is, unless it is not grained right. http://www.gunstockwood.com, http://www.dunlapwoodcrafts.com, http://www.gobywalnut.com,
http://www.wrightsguns.com, http://www.wenig.com, http://www.rifle-stocks.com, http://www.longrifles-pr.com, These are a few and there I am sure are MANY others. Good wood cost good money, time spent making stock is worth money as well.Regular ordinary wood doesn't cost much, of course a 2x4 could used as well. It is all what value you place on your time and fuel anymore, looking for that deal. :m2c:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

OK this is what I bought. a piece of 13/4 rock maple that is 7 1/2" by 4'.


Where is my stock? Can I get two out of this chunk of wood?

Did I just blow $50?

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[gordy]

The dementions are pretty tight to work with.You won't have any leeway to adjust to the grain structure,but it should work.I restocked a Traditions Panther for one of My Grandsons with Ash.I made it a full stock as thats what He wanted.I told Him We'd call it a canoe gun.I made all the furniture from brass scrap.Good luck with Your project and keep us posted on the progress.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Thanks Gordy for the reply I was hoping for some suggestions to where to cut the stock from. It is actually a lot bigger than it looks in a pic and there is leeway for angling for sure. My stock will be less than three feet long when completed.

OK guys do you see enough or should I plane it to 11/4 so that you can see the grain better? Total newbie to building stocks and want the first one to at least work at worst be very functional and pretty at best.

Do you need a better pic of the wood?

I hate to bump my own threads. :sorry:

PS for referrence the corner of my desk that you see is made with 8/4 pine is almost 3 1/2 feet wide where you see the corner. To bad pine sucks for stocks I have over 100 board feet of desk :crackup:

 

[gordy]

I may have misunderstood the thickness? Are You saying the stock is about 2-1/2" thick? If so You have plenty to work with.One suggestion I would make ,is to put more drop at the comb and heel than whats on the plastic stock.The plastic stocks were made with little drop so a scope could be used,like a modern centerfire.If You intend it for iron sights the sight plane should be raised to come up higher so You don't need to squash Your face to sight.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I do plan a very small "pistol grip" type drop in the comb. You are right the plastic stock does not have that but a couple of traditonal guns I do own have it and I want that with this stock. This is going to be an expensive $54 rifle indeed. I am chucking everything out but the barrel, breech and tang I think.