Just got , Amish Walnut planks ....

[Rob M.]

Thanks for sharing. I want to always be learning, and this is interesting. I've heard more than a couple times that gun stocks should be made from quarter sawn lumber, for dimensional stability, strength through the wrist and generally better appearance of the grain. While a NW trade gun is more utilitarian, just curious how a blank through the heartwood compares to quarter sawn?

Check this original Ketland trade gun 1790-1814 era. . European walnut . What a crappy plank of wood this gun was made from ! LOL.. Marker pointing at heart wood ! Wow !

 

[oldwood]

Always sawed any green gunstock wood plank 2 1/2 " to 3 " thick , to aid in warp prevention during drying. Was glad I did. Between 1970 and 1974 , I gathered about 600 bd. feet of cheap black walnut from logs cleared along power line right of ways , and abandoned log yards , which were free. Back then , walnut was free for the taking if green. Custom sawmill operators worked cheap , like sawing 6 logs , cut while you wait for $50. Hard to believe , but over time , I've used most of those stocks , especially the burl , and curly ones. I still love to make Appalachian rifles from some of the precarved stocks from the wood I had gathered early on in my amature gunbuilding experience. What was learned from this experience......... I personally favor slab sawed blanks over quarter sawed ones. The slightly thicker sawed planks rendered very little warped planks from air drying in the rafters of a friend's barn.

 

[Rob M.]

Thanks for sharing. I want to always be learning, and this is interesting. I've heard more than a couple times that gun stocks should be made from quarter sawn lumber, for dimensional stability, strength through the wrist and generally better appearance of the grain. While a NW trade gun is more utilitarian, just curious how a blank through the heartwood compares to quarter sawn?

Here is a plank I cut out yesterday ... Its a good example of good grain running through the wrist for optimum strength ....the grain runs through forestock area through wrist into the buttstock region ...very strong ....

Always sawed any green gunstock wood plank 2 1/2 " to 3 " thick , to aid in warp prevention during drying. Was glad I did. Between 1970 and 1974 , I gathered about 600 bd. feet of cheap black walnut from logs cleared along power line right of ways , and abandoned log yards , which were free. Back then , walnut was free for the taking if green. Custom sawmill operators worked cheap , like sawing 6 logs , cut while you wait for $50. Hard to believe , but over time , I've used most of those stocks , especially the burl , and curly ones. I still love to make Appalachian rifles from some of the precarved stocks from the wood I had gathered early on in my amature gunbuilding experience. What was learned from this experience......... I personally favor slab sawed blanks over quarter sawed ones. The slightly thicker sawed planks rendered very little warped planks from air drying in the rafters of a friend's barn.

Very cool . Yep , thicker the better on planks just to be sure , any problems later and they can usually be planed out .

 

[Rob M.]

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I think that really adds to your guns, having the story of the stocks is really neat.

You don't know how bad I want one of your guns, and you're making it really hard for me to resist......

.... and hope I can build you a trade gun one day

 

[WALT53]

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.... and hope I can build you a trade gun one day

Very interesting Rob thanks.

 

[Iceman]

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.... and hope I can build you a trade gun one day

Soon I hope!!!!! I've turned down a nice one holding out for one of yours. I'll be getting a hold of you.

 

[john.morley]

Darn Amish !! Charged me $100 for these two 2" thick planks ! I can only get 6 full sized trade guns and one or two blanket guns out of these planks ! How's a guy supposed to make any money when I have almost $16 in each gun stock ?! GEESH !!! ... LOL !! Just love these planks more when I know they've been drug out the woods by horses , go figure ....

In uk it’s about £50.00 for 2” thick piece of walnut and only enough to get one pistol out of it

 

[Rob M.]

Soon I hope!!!!! I've turned down a nice one holding out for one of yours. I'll be getting a hold of you.

I wish soon bud ,lordy ....I gotta build list thats probably 2 years long and I'm feeling bad for the folks on the list as they have waited so long already .....we'll see

 

[Rob M.]

Soon I hope!!!!! I've turned down a nice one holding out for one of yours. I'll be getting a hold of you.

....

 

[Iceman]

I wish soon bud ,lordy ....I gotta build list thats probably 2 years long and I'm feeling bad for the folks on the list as they have waited so long already .....we'll see

That speaks pretty loudly to the quality of your work. Every time I see a trade gun for sale at a shoot now I get visions of your Facebook page and say to myself this isn't even close to what it is supposed to be and keep on walking.

 

[Rob M.]

That speaks pretty loudly to the quality of your work. Every time I see a trade gun for sale at a shoot now I get visions of your Facebook page and say to myself this isn't even close to what it is supposed to be and keep on walking.

Very kind of ya bud ....also speaks loudly about how slow I am at building !! LOL ! I'll never be fast like Ken Netting ! He's fast AND the best quality !

 

[MSW]

wow-that's some fine looking wood - congrats!

 

[Bnewberry]

Darn Amish !! Charged me $100 for these two 2" thick planks ! I can only get 6 full sized trade guns and one or two blanket guns out of these planks ! How's a guy supposed to make any money when I have almost $16 in each gun stock ?! GEESH !!! ... LOL !! Just love these planks more when I know they've been drug out the woods by horses , go figure ....

I love walnut and can’t wait to see you building my Type G with (maybe) one of these!

 

[Rob M.]

I love walnut and can’t wait to see you building my Type G with (maybe) one of these!

I can do that bud ....

 

[Bnewberry]

I can do that bud ....

As long as you have a stock left when you get to my name on your list!

 

[Rob M.]

As long as you have a stock left when you get to my name on your list!

No problem . I can put your name on one of those stocks tomorrow ifn ya want ....

 

[Hermit Tim]

Yeah , I do too bud . Most folks couldnt care less but to me it really makes a difference. Tree cut down by hand , drug out by horses ,sawn on an old style saw mill , cut out as plank , gun build by hand as old timey as possible . To me thats really cool . Whole lot better than commercial logging and stock made 85% in a CNC machine but thats just me . Nothing against kits and such , they have their place but I like the nostalgic ,old timey way .

As it should be.

 

[Bnewberry]

No problem . I can put your name on one of those stocks tomorrow ifn ya want ..Whenever you get to my name on your list!

 

[shorthair]

The patterns were too close for chain saw and my saw is on the fritz . I cut twice with the radial saw and connected them with the hand saw . Then I remembered the big reciprocating saw ...got some weight off the plank so I could handle it better . Then band saw the ones that where real close or touching . Kicked my arse ! LOL

Sounds like a great weight loss program.

 

[ZUG]

Here are some of my wood plank supply that I have left. Maple in the back row and walnut in the front. I purchased a section of a maple tree in 1974 and had the sawmill cut it up into 3” thick and 5 foot lengths. The walnut came from a friend's property in Easton PA in 1995 and was cut into 2-3/4” thickness and 5” lengths. The walnut was kiln dried and the maple was aired dried. The maple lost about 1/8” or so in thickness over 3 years (it was kept indoors – house) The walnut stayed about the same as when it was kiln dried. The picture was taken in 2018.