I'm done with pre-carved stocks

[Clark Badgett]

After getting a trade gun assembled, and a rifle about 70% assembled (before I ruined it due to dumb buttplate) I have decided I will just deal with stock blanks from now on. It is much easier to get wood to conform to metal than trying to get metal to conform to wood.

Lessons learned so far
1. Keep them power tools away from my wood
2. Keep tools sharp
3. Beginners should avoid curvy buttplates until they have some experience.
4. Straight side barrels don't balance real well.

Ain't learning fun?

[necchi]

Ain't learning fun?

It is! 

[rich pierce]

You're a quick learner if you've already figured out its best to work from a blank!

[David R. Pennington]

I'm still learning, but I skipped the precarve lesson. I built my first one from a band sawn blank. Mainly because I couldn't afford a precarve at the time and besides, that looked to me like the funnest part.

[Clark Badgett]

David, I do not like band saws. The wife is finally approving the purchase of a quality carpenters saw, so I'll likely not use any more power tools except for the drillpress. I work with big power tools all day long, and this is meant to be a hobby and I have come to like the quietness of the hand tools. I am taking a few silver linings away from this. I now have a shaped stock to practice my carving on. I'm even going to tack a piece of curved sheet brass on the side and try some engraving. Will use the forearm to practice some cherkering on. And since I found the straight sided barrel way too muzzle heavy I cut it into 12" lengths and will make some pistol barrels from them. I will finish up the trade gun sometime before warm weather shows up.

[BrushCountryAg03]

Amen brother, I feel the same way!

[kaintuck]

I like some precarves, and if folks like Dave Keck does them you would like them too.....I found it challenging to cut the tree, have it sawn into planks, wait three years for the blank to dry, then start making chips.....
Now my elbows and hands thank me for letting the bulk be trimmed off.....

That being said......I still have 5-6 blanks hanging around

Your rasps will be your best friend when doing a blank!!!!!

[flehto]

Clark B.....Although I much prefer to build from a blank, once in awhile I also use precarves. Sorry to say that most of the precarves do have inletting over runs....some more serious than others.  The minor mistakes are easily fixed and if the errors are major, then it's  sent back.  The most aggravating is a warped and twisted forend and the bbl must be further inletted.....if the precarve sat around for awhile w/o a bbl, that's the result.

The 4 items you enumerate can apply  equally to building from both a blank or a precarve......Fred

[Clark Badgett]

Fred, the trade gun precarve wasn't too bad, but the lockplate inlet was real touchy, too a bit of shimying to get it looking right. I am shaping the mouldings now and I can make it work. The biggest disappointment was the pre-let for the rifle. Everything went together great until the buttplate, and the only plate I could find that wasn't a lot wider than the wood was too curvy for my beginers skills. Tried it anyway. Wish they would have left the stock with just a touch more material to sink the plate into, another 1/4 " would have been workable, even after removing over a 1/4" from the narrowest heeled plate I could find. Over all not a total loss. I'm getting better at inletting with each, so it's all good.

[Curt Larsen]

If power tools give you the chills, have a look at Hershel House's old video.  I do like his Kentucky lathe though and use it to sharpen pins for underlugs.

[ken]

I do not mind a precarve stock, but I do not want it pre inletted. I can do the lock and trigger just fine and it is easier tojust inlet them than to have to make all the adjustments. Yes I wish they would leave a little more wood in some places. Both blank and precarved  have there pro and cons, just have to think and work there it  ken

[jamesthomas]

 I had a chance to look over a Late Lancaster Kit from Tip Curtis over the weekend and it is nice, the lock was about 85% inlet with just the internals inletted the front and back of it was not inletted, also the breech end of the barrel was left uninletted also so you had room to be able to line the lock and the touchhole perfect and not have any gaps to fill later.