Stock Blank

[doc623]

I would like help/instructions/tips on how to cut a blank
out of a log/tree.
Can it be done with a chain saw?
Should the small log be taken to a saw mill?
If no saw mill is available - what would you recommend?
Thanks in advance.

 

[reddogge]

The man that I got my blanks from would take the logs to a sawmill, saw them into generous widths leaving them plenty wide. He then stacked the pieces in an old attic and shed with wood slats between them to dry for a year or two. He then would lay a very crude stock shaped pattern on them so a gun stock would fit inside of this with PLENTY of room to spare and draw them on the blanks paying attention to grain, flaws, etc. He would band saw them out and sell them as rough blanks or do a rough precarve deal for you.

 

[Travis]

Hi Doc
Im trying to post some pictures of the wood i slabbed out of some trees at the farm. I use a Granberg chain saw jig to cut them and it works great and it is a lot of fun. I have 14 slabs of Black Cherry and Sugar Maple i cut with it and am planning of cutting more. Before i cut them i looked into taking them to a saw mill. It was going to cost me about $50 bucks a tree. My uncle had this chain saw fixture and it was free so i really had nothing to lose. You owe it to your self to take the plunge and go for it. You do have some initial expenses. You need a good chain saw. I use a Stihl 290 farm boss with a 18" bar. For doing this chore i feel a little under powered. One of Stihl's larger saw's with a 20" bar would be better. My chain saw fixture is a 1970's vintage Granberg Alaskan Jr. They dont sale that one any more but the Granberg small mill is there new modal. It cost $139 bucks. Im planning on slabbing out several more trees and it takes several years to air dry on your own. Ill post pictures when i find out how to do it.

 

[doc623]

Thanks for the info.
Looking foward to the pics.
I have an older but sparingly used and well maintained
Homelite 410 that handles an 18" or 26" bar and seens to have plenty of power.
Used it last night to trim 4-6" overhead limbs from an old
Courtland apple tree.
Thanks again for the input - from all.
Doc

 

[Tom Curran]

I have cut stock blanks directly out of standing trees. I reserve this method for dying trees that may have lost their tops in a storm, or rotten on the inside. There is often a shell of live wood surrounding a rotten heart. I look for the curve where the trunk meets the roots; that's the area where you'll be almost guaranteed to have some wicked curl or flame.
I take a chalkline, lay out the width and length, top and bottom cuts. These will be plunge cuts, and a lot of muscle is required, as well as a really sharp saw. When the plunge cuts are made, you've got to come in from ninety degrees and free the stock from the tree. There's a lot of waste in this method, and there's a pretty rough blank to show for it. Make sure you paint the ends of the wood where the endgrain shows, or you'll have a checked stock!

 

[doc623]

Forgot to ask.
What are the approximate dimensions for thickness and height(top to bottom) forgetting about length as it will vary with the project.
Thanks
Doc

 

[Travis]

Here are the photos of the slabs i cut this year. Researching on the internet i found that the wood needs to be no smaller than 3" thick. All of mine are 3"1/4 and 6'1/2 - 7' long. You want them to be at lest this long for long rifles. Can be cut shorter for Hawken. The wood will shrink alot so cut big. The hart wood is the dark colered in the center and the lighter sapwood on the side. I am cuting off the sapwood on one of the photos. The tree needs to be large enough so you can get a rifle blank out of so the larger the tree the better. The hart wood on these range between 15" and 8". Remember to paint the ends to prevent splitting. If you can't click on the link below cope and past it to your address bar. Good luck. http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/[email protected]/album?.dir=ba70

 

[rich pierce]

Trav, I'll take one of those cherry blanks off your hands! Plus a maple- will pay now and collect in 3 years?

Also, anyone- I am looking for an apple gunstock blank to build a particular piece. Apple is hard to come by in a size big enough w/o rot but it's an excellent wood.

 

[the skrat]

hello doc623 call baileys they are a loggers supply store they have chainsaw mills 1 800 322 4539 or www.baileys-online.com i buy some stuff here seem like good peaple also look for some one in your erea with a portable type mill there are a lots of these out there and they produce nice quality wood. by the way i am a logger and 3 days ago i cut down 3 trees growing in a clump every one had very nice curl although only one was big enough and had good enough quality to make a veneerlog and the second log up also made a log but it was only 3 feet long this short chunk going to make gibson guitars they paid me good money for these logs and there was a 3 foot chunk left over to many defects but 2 sides clear will cut pistol blanks with chainsaw using the chalkline method hope this helps.

curly maple

 

[jmckenney]

FWIW: Anyone looking for some nice Am. Cherry gunstock/s full and half stock blanks contact me with a PM. I operate a portable sawmill in the mid-mich area for those wanting to have their own logs milled on site.
Curly Maple, wish I had access to some of that curly maple, nothing around here even comes close to what you have available in the U.P. I'm coming up to Wakefield in Sep/Oct for a bear hunt#3 where are you located?

 

[the skrat]

hello 54hawkens i live in menominee county 150 miles from wakefield good luck bear hunting are you using a ml rifle sure hope so. i also have a portable mill just for family use though.

curly maple

 

[big bore 75]

those are some real nice pieces of wood there and it looks like it cuts surprsingly straight I am impressed, ot bad stocks that there isn't any real interest in oak for stocks I have a huge part of a tree that took a fall a month it 5 feet through our small 28" bars are having a time of it . bb75