Very long Stock Blank?

[sz]

Hello all.

I need a 68-70 inch piece of good maple for a VERY long rifle.  Doesn't need to be super thick.  1-3/4" thick will do, with enough wood to get a 5-1/2" tall butt plate on, and have decent drop at the comb, heel and toe.

I don't need a lot of curl, but some would not hurt my feelings any.
I have tried Dunlap 3 times and I get no reply.

Anyone out there have a source for such a long blank?

[WKevinD]

Your blank doesn't sound that out of the ordinary, a bit thin but within reason for Dunlap. Have you spoke with Danial, or just left messages?
This weather is kicking everyone's butt so they may be dealing with that.
Kevin

[galamb]

I buy my wood as boards from a specialty wood supplier - so not "blanks" but boards.

If I wanted I can get 8/4 Curly Maple, either hard (sugar) or soft (red) 2" thick, 8-12" wide by 10 FEET long (could easily accommodate a 96" barrel .

If one of the stock suppliers can't help you out, look for a specialty wood shop.

You often have to pick through boards looking for the grain direction you want and you do buy way more wood than you need (plus a lot gets wasted), but in the end the cost is often a little to a lot less than from one of the stock suppliers - "because you are doing all the work and dealing with the waste wood".

[sz]

I live in the Wind River Valley of Wyoming.
I am a very long ways away from anywhere that grows maple.

I used to pick it myself when I would come to Friendship, but I don't go anymore because of the price of gas (and everything else) makes the trip to expensive for me these days.  It takes me 23 hours of road time to get there.

A 68"-70" piece is a bit longer than I usually get.  Most of the blanks I buy are 58"-62" long.

Anyone got some to sell?

[FDR]

Look here: the guy with the sawmill should be able to help.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=33796.0

[WadePatton]

I buy my wood as boards from a specialty wood supplier - so not "blanks" but boards.

If I wanted I can get 8/4 Curly Maple, either hard (sugar) or soft (red) 2" thick, 8-12" wide by 10 FEET long (could easily accommodate a 96" barrel .

If one of the stock suppliers can't help you out, look for a specialty wood shop.

...

There's a place in my little bitty tiny town that someone told me to check out.  Today I was down there, but in a rush and didn't stop.  Then this thread, this post--and i thought hmph I should call them boys. 

I looked for contact info.  Found out that i know one of the guys already and THIS is the sort of stuff I'm going to be checking out in person real soon!!!





woo hoo, woo hoo hoo!

thanks for the nudge. 

[flehto]

Talked w/ Daniel at Dunlaps today {Jan. 9. 2015} about a blank that I ordered on Dec. 1, 2014  and at the time he said that he would call when it was shipped. Had a long talk and it turns out that Dunlaps doesn't have a maple blank that I could buy. I was offered a $450 maple blank which was the only thing they had to sell.

Wayne Dunlap is in some kind of therapy and isn't available and Daniel is over his head w/ the on going business.

He said the Japanese are buying up the maple and very little is left for the US market. He also said that the wood business was going well but if they depended on the gun blanks, they wouldn't make as much.

He apologized for not calling me, but the batch of maple that my blank was to come from, hasn't even been processed....so I've come to the conclusion that Dunlaps isn't in the maple gun blank business.......Fred 

[little joe]

 Contact Sweeney here on the board.

[sz]

I sent him an e-mail already.

[galamb]

Wade, if you have a "source" you really got to look

This is what I "find" when I get there...

[Captchee]

 i would give High desert hardwood  down in Eagle a call Steve
 they have a fantastic selection . if its not cost effective to have them ship you something , they maybe able to get you a number for someone closer  to you who  where you can go to  make your own selection
http://www.highdeserthardwood.com/

[Dave B]

When I needed a long piece for a 52" barrel project Fredie Harrison helped me out. He is no longer with us but his family is still in the business in TN. http://www.harrisongunstocks.net/about.html

[FL-Flintlock]

Fred is right, the Asian market is buying up all the hardwood they can get. and as a result, the North American professional wood working industry is expecting 35-50% price increases this year. Expect double to triple that if the bureaucraps institute the DNA mandate along with the associated 8-10 month shipping delays.

[David R. Pennington]

Red maple from 3 inch planks air dried 3 years. Plenty of length for 48" long barrel. Could saw longer ones. Still have a pile of planks. Rough sawn blanks. I haven't planed one out but don't think there is a lot of figure. Looks like some curl. Also a couple cherry blanks.

[sz]

David R,
There is no contact info when I click on your name.
So can you contact me?
szihn@wyoming.com

[Sweeney]

Lots of truth running through this topic - foreign markets are certainly having an impact and current deep freeze here in our area has made production difficult. The supply of curly maple is there but getting it when and how you want may be the challenge ultimately. I know communicating specific details for a blank/plank can be challenging via email or other electronic media. As long as you have the patience I feel certain we on the wood production side of gun building can deliver.

[Tony Clark]

Hello all.

I need a 68-70 inch piece of good maple for a VERY long rifle.  Doesn't need to be super thick.  1-3/4" thick will do, with enough wood to get a 5-1/2" tall butt plate on, and have decent drop at the comb, heel and toe.

I don't need a lot of curl, but some would not hurt my feelings any.
I have tried Dunlap 3 times and I get no reply.

Anyone out there have a source for such a long blank?

if you are still looking, I've got wood for you there is no shortage of it here in Northern , WI. Everything I have is 1/4 sawn stump cut and is over 7 years old. Some decent figure or better if you desire that. The best hard maple in the world grows here... I've got a stock blanks that will accommodate a long barrel. I've logged for 30+ years and have my own sawmill and I know what a good blank is because I also build guns and have studied under Wallace Gusler, Herschel House and Jack Brooks. Send me an email direct if you're interested i don't happen to frequent this forum often.   tonyclark77@centurylink.net