Wood grade 5

[ZUG]

I've got a CM5 blank can't remember how long it has been sitting in the workshop. I bought it from Golden Age Arms when they were going out of business. Think I paid a $100.00 for it. Have a .45 caliber Douglass barrel that I'm going to put in it one of these days.

Better get that rifle done before it's too late! Back in the late 70's I purchased two sets of ultra high grade shotgun blanks to die for. At that time I paid just shy of $400 dollars each. I still have them tucked away for my Pigeon and Diamond grade Winchester 101 trap guns.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I've seen them in the thousands of dollar range.

Oh, yes. And not as uncommon as we might think. At one time I had the idea of making custom stocks from fancy wood. I even bought two duplicating machines. Then I started shopping for fancy woods. Found several distributors who had really fancy wood, including flame walnut from the Mediterranean area. Seeing those prices (as said, sometimes in the high-high thousands of dollars range) I chickened out of my idea. If I messed up a stock, who's loss would it be? I sure didn't want any unhappy customers sending Rocco to deliver the message to me.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Once paid just shy of £300.00p for a rough hand sawn Circasion Rifle blank when there were about $4 to the £1.00. Went to stock a .461" Match rifle. O.D.

 

[SOLANCO]

Among other things, a work of art is a thing in balance. No one aspect dominates. There are beautiful things dominated by one aspect or another. They are not the beautiful things which I cherish in memory.

 

[Mulemauler]

Unless you’re a master at carvings I would avoid a xtra fancy piece of curly maple from all accounts they are the hardest to relief carve. Now if you don’t plan on carving it as in the case of my southern mountain rifle from master Kimbler then go for it because the curl is absolutely gorgeous. I finished mine with aquaforis and sealer. That was all it needed. I decided to add the finish and found that the curl didn’t take the high sheen finish as well which required much more work. I applied 4 or 5 coats of sealer. Yes I know high sheen SMRs are not spec but the wood was so pretty I couldn’t resist. So don’t just purchase a chunk of wood for its curl unless you are highly skilled it does require more talent to carve and even finish I’d say. I’m a novice take my advice with a grain of salt and weigh what the experts recommend. I’m currently building a Lancaster transition rifle it has the short barrel. I purchased two stocks from TOTW. The first being high grade curly maple. Thankfully i didn’t start it right away and was able to learn a lot about the different qualities of wood from this forum. After all I learned I ended up a year later purchasing a the same stock in plain maple. I’m glad I did as it is my learning rifle. I will also say that despite the xtra work you will have working from a blank is the way to go. There are many here that will help guide you. Pre inlet stock that I purchased was full of surprises. Complicated rework that I can do but not in the plan some of which will be difficult to hide when completed. Curly maple rifles are breathtaking relief carved or not. Even plainish maple finishes nicely. Good luck with your project!

Fancy figured woods are much harder to work. I've always figured that if the wood is fancy carving gets lost or is a distraction where as it can make a fairly blaw piece very attractive.

 

[BadDaditood]

Unless you’re a master at carvings I would avoid a xtra fancy piece of curly maple from all accounts they are the hardest to relief carve. Now if you don’t plan on carving it as in the case of my southern mountain rifle from master Kimbler then go for it because the curl is absolutely gorgeous. I finished mine with aquaforis and sealer. That was all it needed. I decided to add the finish and found that the curl didn’t take the high sheen finish as well which required much more work. I applied 4 or 5 coats of sealer. Yes I know high sheen SMRs are not spec but the wood was so pretty I couldn’t resist. So don’t just purchase a chunk of wood for its curl unless you are highly skilled it does require more talent to carve and even finish I’d say. I’m a novice take my advice with a grain of salt and weigh what the experts recommend. I’m currently building a Lancaster transition rifle it has the short barrel. I purchased two stocks from TOTW. The first being high grade curly maple. Thankfully i didn’t start it right away and was able to learn a lot about the different qualities of wood from this forum. After all I learned I ended up a year later purchasing a the same stock in plain maple. I’m glad I did as it is my learning rifle. I will also say that despite the xtra work you will have working from a blank is the way to go. There are many here that will help guide you. Pre inlet stock that I purchased was full of surprises. Complicated rework that I can do but not in the plan some of which will be difficult to hide when completed. Curly maple rifles are breathtaking relief carved or not. Even plainish maple finishes nicely. Good luck with your

Carving stands out better on plain wood.
It tends to get too busy and lost in Extra Fancy curl if more than a few moldings.
In my never to be humble opinion of course. ;-)

 

[BadDaditood]

Fancy figured woods are much harder to work. I've always figured that if the wood is fancy carving gets lost or is a distraction where as it can make a fairly blaw piece very attractive.

Way better spoken than my reply!!

 

[SPQR70AD]

why would maple cost so much? there are millions of maple trees across the looted plain

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Not maple or walnut but Myrtle Wood. Not even a muzzleloader. It's a single shot 22. The wood was cut in Southern Oregon in the 1950's. I gave it a couple of coats of linseed oil and followed with several coats of Minwax Antique Oil Finish. I guess I can post it since we're talking about the wood and not the rifle.

 

[hawkenhunter50]

Not maple or walnut but Myrtle Wood. Not even a muzzleloader. It's a single shot 22. The wood was cut in Southern Oregon in the 1950's. I gave it a couple of coats of linseed oil and followed with several coats of Minwax Antique Oil Finish. I guess I can post it since we're talking about the wood and not the rifle.


View attachment 242686

That Myrtle wood sure is nice, kind of a combo of maple and walnut. Original or CPA repro? Looks good.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

CPA. I sold it a couple of months ago.

 

[Frontstuffer3491]

You may be disappointed in what Kibler considers plain. I friend of mine got an SMR with plain maple as he didn't want to spend more for a wood upgrade. I put the gun together for him. The curl in the plain maple was still pretty impressive.

I feel that the figure in my SMR is most adequate. On staining with aqua fortis it turned out darker than I had anticipated. A picture may be posted when I’m finished. It’s being finished with a Classic Pilkington hand rubbing oil finish.

 

[beardedhorse]

Ordered a fancily, tight grained curly maple stock from Freddie Harrison of Tennessee on a bison hunt near Fort Wallace, Kansas in the nineties and canoed to Fort Des Chartres to pick it up. Was in the $200 range in the 1990's and never regretted purchasing it.

 

[necchi]

I'm curious as to what a piece like that would look like.

That kind of wood comes from old tree's.
Those old tree's don't grow on farms like corn does. Ya don't get to plant and harvest them in a few years.
Those cut's are a rare find.
You think finding ginseng is tough, or Amadou?
Finding a mature grade 5 curly trunk,,(?),, in 2023,, is retirement money for a wood cutter.(!).

 

[GREENSWLDE]

As carving on stocks barely exist on British guns our preference is for the high end figure on our stocks. Colour and tight figuring is our thing. Look thru' blanks offered by H&H , Purdey and Co.ltd.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

As carving on stocks barely exist on British guns our preference is for the high end figure on our stocks. Colour and tight figuring is our thing. Look thru' blanks offered by H&H , Purdey and Co.ltd.

Yes you are right, all the top uk gun makers take wood from the root ball where the beautiful wood is, now seems all Turkish The stuff i buy is the left over wood from the trunk. More inclined to split . I have a walnut tree 60 years old but trunk is only 12” dia. The root probably not big enough , you seldom see carved stocks in uk, it’s just not done,

My .6/12bore cape rifle 1853, probably has french walnut, as EM Reilly the son went over to buying french walnut around 1849 , very nice wood , who would want carving on it, Photos

 

[Joemolf]

I feel that the figure in my SMR is most adequate. On staining with aqua fortis it turned out darker than I had anticipated. A picture may be posted when I’m finished. It’s being finished with a Classic Pilkington hand rubbing oil finish.

Yes mine turned out darker also; though I am more than happy with it. Many old guns are dark and I read here that Aqua Foris tends to continue darkening. I’m not clear if neutralizing it with ammonia stops the darkening. I did wipe the barrel channel and any other inlet areas where I had some excess to prevent the barrel, lock and other furniture from rusting. I left the barrel in overnight to keep the stock safe and in that short time the barrel had already rusted.

 

[LME]

Anyone here ever paid $600 plus change
For a curly maple stock? I'm curious as to what a piece like that would look like.
Any pic

What makes a piece of maple curly? Is the more expensive wood closer to the stump?

Although stocks made from stump wood especially roots produce fine wood curly wood can come from upper part of a tree. School is out on why some trees have curl and others don't? The general thought is disease or damage to the tree is the cause. You can get some beatiful stock wood by cutting the boards on a slight bias staying clear of following the grain.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Yes mine turned out darker also; though I am more than happy with it. Many old guns are dark and I read here that Aqua Foris tends to continue darkening. I’m not clear if neutralizing it with ammonia stops the darkening. I did wipe the barrel channel and any other inlet areas where I had some excess to prevent the barrel, lock and other furniture from rusting. I left the barrel in overnight to keep the stock safe and in that short time the barrel had already rusted.

I was taught to use a strong solution of baking soda to neutralize the aqua fortis. It has worked well for me over the years.

 

[SOLANCO]

If you have access to a specialty hardwoods mill go look at the kind of wood you want. Ask to see flat sawn and quarter sawn. The difference can be astonishing. In sycamore, for example, it is the difference between boring and beautiful.
Take along a spray bottle of water and a rag. Wetting a board can make seeing the grain easier.
Be polite and stand back if they are busy. Enough wood for a gun stock will not be their sale of the day. Some mills will sell cut off scrap for next to nothing. It can make unique pistol grips.