Author Topic: Fatal Stock Blemishes?  (Read 1745 times)

Offline Eric Krewson

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Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« on: June 16, 2018, 01:13:13 AM »
I cut a crotch wood stock blank a couple of years ago and want to find out from those more experienced than myself it if it's flaws are too bad as to render it useless. I am thinking about trashing the miscut Issac Haines precarve stock I have shown lately and using this blank instead.

Here is the walnut blank, the picture angle makes it look distorted but it is a normal stock blank. It is 3/12" wide so I have plenty of room to plane the knot in the wrist and one cracked place out of it. The line in the butt is not a crack but where I made a pass with my hand held Harbor freight planer. I checked the M/c with my meter and found the blank is 10% in the forearm and 16% in the butt. I do have a wood drying box so i would put the blank in the box for a couple of months before I try to use it.
 


The pins may or may not disappear when I plane off more wood, will they be a problem if I send it off for buttstock shaping and barrel inletting? Also what width should I shoot for so I can plane it down to get rid of the most flaws?


« Last Edit: June 16, 2018, 01:41:06 AM by Eric Krewson »

Offline t.caster

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2018, 01:42:42 AM »
Let us see the other side, top & bottom in the wrist area. That is where most of the concern would be for me. sometimes the knots run diagonal out the bottom and may not be a problem in it's final shape. If it runs straight thu it might be a problem unless your wrist can be above the fray.

I would need a closer look, and move your pattern around on it to avoid most of the problems, if they really are problems.
It looks like a beautiful rifle or smoothy could be hidden inside there waiting to burst out!
« Last Edit: June 16, 2018, 01:44:35 AM by t.caster »
Tom C.

Offline David R. Pennington

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2018, 01:44:59 AM »
I would go ahead and lay it out and cut to profile and see how much of the junk goes away.
VITA BREVIS- ARS LONGA

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2018, 04:28:51 AM »
Obviously, I have no idea what may lie inside the blank.  The wood has interesting figure and grain.  I'd be concerned about the toe being especially weak with the grain running out as it does.  Cracks and knots don't bother me much.  Good stock wood doesn't grow on trees!
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Offline rich pierce

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2018, 06:07:50 AM »
It’s got nice color, and figure on that one side.  I’d take as little as possible off that crotch grain side while narrowing the plank to about 2 and 5/8” which is plenty for any build. Then start seeing what you get as you start to cut it to profile, one inch as a time, leaving room for adjustment.
Andover, Vermont

Offline Daryl

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2018, 07:52:24 AM »
LOL - Taylor.
Daryl

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Offline smart dog

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2018, 01:52:37 PM »
Hi Eric,
To be honest, I don't like the way the grain and figure run in the butt stock.  I wish that was turned around 180 degrees or there was more wood above the big knot so you could avoid that lower area completely.

dave
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Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2018, 03:38:22 PM »
No chance i’d Use this.  I constantly have to evaluate wood and decide if it will make a good stock.  Find something better.  A plain piece of hard maple might be a good affordable choice. 

Sorry about the kit trouble.  the mistakes and lack of quality in many kits is incredible.  I don’t know how these can be sold in good conscience.  It’s hard enough to learn to build a nice flintlock without compounding things with a bunch of mistakes that must be addressed and fixed.

Jim

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2018, 04:44:50 PM »
Thanks for the advice Jim, I have built one of your kits and know what REAL quality is.

I have a friend who builds, I give him my reject stock blanks. It always surprises me what he turns them into, he cobbles together a mismatch of parts and makes guns that look like attic condition relics that just walked out of the 18th century. He doesn't get hung up on perfection and goes for function. I wouldn't want to be a turkey within 40 yards of the jug choked southern fowler he made out of one of my cherry stock rejects.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2018, 04:45:53 PM by Eric Krewson »

Offline T*O*F

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2018, 07:33:35 PM »
I would use it if the flaws were in the butt or forestock, but never if in the wrist or lock area.  As for planing them out, flaws are seldom skin deep.
Dave Kanger

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Offline P.W.Berkuta

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2018, 07:40:10 PM »
Since I can't see this wood in person and I only have the picture to go by and from what I see I don't like ::). If you say that you will be sending this off for profiling to a stock shaper then I would forget this piece of wood :(. The guy that will be doing the work will not do it because it just might blow apart when he turns it on his duplicater. You may give it a try using hand tools - the only thing you will be out is time :-\.
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Offline Clowdis

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2018, 07:56:55 PM »
It looks like the knot in the wrist goes all the way through the blank. Therefore I wouldn't use it, you'd just put a lot of work into something you may throw away later.

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Fatal Stock Blemishes?
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2018, 08:50:38 PM »
The knot doesn't go all the way through. I just put a forstner bit on it and found it gets solid and turns into a pin about 1/2" down. I think I will take you guys advice and chart another course, thanks.

This blank is from the top of the log, I still have about 40 feet of the main trunk down n the woods, off a steep hill so it will be very difficult to recover, the root ball is out of the ground and the trunk has been held off the ground by the small trees the walnut knocked over when it fell.