Need Help Laying Out Stock, First Time From Blank

[Keithbatt]

I'm working on my third project, concurrent with a second.  This is a large bore English sporting rifle.  I have attached pictures of the wood from both sides.  Having only carved from a precarved stocks before, and dealing with the grain coming as it is, I'm needing some guidance.  To me, it looks like the grain will not work well through the wrist on one side, but when looking at the other side it looks better.   I'd be happy to post more pics of the wood if it helps with direction.  The wood is shown next to the Track of the Wolf plans which will guide the shaping of my stock.

If I attached them properly, it looks better in the first pic, but straight across the wrist in the second.  Thoughts?  In the first picture, I can cover the outline of the stock with the blank in the orientation it its in.

Thanks,

Keith

[FALout]

Making a photocopy of your plans to cut up as a template can help in layout.  You can sometimes see how to tilt your template to get better grain in the wrist area if you have enough wood to move things around.  Your blank looks pretty much straight grain so there is only so much you can do to get a better flow through the wrist.  That doesn't make the blank a bad choice, just that you will need to keep that area in mind when working it.

[kaintuck]

While following the wrist curve with grain curve is best, that piece you have is just fine.  Some fellows have a rule, almost a mantra they follow, not really needed.

When the Japanese warrior lost a fight, he would kill himself.....Americans just regrouped and fought again.....different mind sets.

Looks great to me.....start making chips!

Marc n tomtom

[Pete G.]

If the grain really bothers you, drill a hole from the breech down through the center of the wrist and insert some 1/4" all thread rod set in Acruglass.

[gunmaker]

Make a pattern from plexi-glas then you can see where grain needs to be.....Tom

[eddillon]

Keith,
Band saw a profile of the stock from 1/4 inch plywood.  Paint both pieces white.  Use the piece with the hole in it to determine layout.  Once this done, mark a couple of reference points.  Now take the profile piece, lay it on the blank aligning it with the reference points.  Trace around it with a felt tip pen.  Saw along the outside edge of the felt tip line.  You will have a blank with some wiggle room.
Are you off today?
Ed

[Keithbatt]

Not working today... May have some time to work on this.

[smart dog]

Keith,
I have a roll of clear acetate that I use to place over the plans and then trace the outline on the acetate with a sharpie.  I cut the stock outline out of the acetate and place it on the blank so I can see the stock and the grain (also figure) of the wood, and position it to best advantage.  The grain does not have to run exactly straight down the wrist but what you want is dense grain that continues all the way through the wrist without terminating in the tell tale "V" (run out) where the grain ends.  Once I determine the layout, I trace the acetate stock outline on the wood and cut.  I only need to create the acetate template for the butt stock area as far forward as about halfway between the lock and rear thimble.  The rest of the stock can be directly drawn on the wood once the butt stock is positioned and traced.

dave

  

[Rich]

The acetate works great. If you use paper rather than acetate or plexiglass, the paper will stretch and move around on the stock as you trace it.

[CHARLY]

 Hey  Keithbatt ---am working on identical stock build---long rifle
 WOW -- so that's what a track of the wolf full size stock pattern looks like --love that stock shape ---had no idea that's how the plans are used ---

I have been struggling to  cut a decent /accurate Pennsylvania or  Beck style /shape- stock from  Mahogany trees I cut here in  Zululand ---all by guesswork--made bad mistakes--
I have only small fotos to work from  --no nice big patterns like your fotos show

  Will you still need those full size paper patterns when your stock is completed?
I live in the bush ----any chance you could fotocopy or send me your pattern ?-if you no longer need them ?

please don,t discard your patterns or templates ---poor people in  Africa would really appreciate your waste paper----can,t afford those catalog  original plans --thanku for showing me the size /scale of your stock build---good luck
regards--  Charly

[Keithbatt]

I absolutely won't discard them... And I may be able to send them off, but I work slowly!   This is for an English sporting rifle (half stock).

Keith

[CHARLY]

Thanyou  Keith--
hope you get a  nice grain---will wait patiently for your paper templates till xmas--

meanwhile -here is my grain --African Mahogany hardwood --all crooked -in-accurate dimensions
 wrong shape ---nice color-- & grain-that's all ---chainsaw cut so many magnificent trees -teak acacia --etc
all wasted trying to work from small internet fotos---



oops ----my fotos will have to wait---won,t attach on this photobucket fiasco method

[ShutEyeHunter]

If the grain really bothers you, drill a hole from the breech down through the center of the wrist and insert some 1/4" all thread rod set in Acruglass.

+1. Not period correct but effective and undetectable unless somebody has an X-ray machine handy. I do this whenever I can on high recoil center fire mountain rifles as well

[Keithbatt]

All for naught!  I made a template, and cut out the stock.  It had been in my shop (garage) for over 6 months and showed no signs of cracking.  It cracked badly from the end grain once cut. I suppose it was holding more moisture than I thought.

I ended up ordering a piece of English Walnut (I preferred it to this black all along) from Dunlap. This piece was bought from a lesser known wood supplier.  I suppose I should have gone to Dunlap in the first place. Wayne assured me that the piece I bought would have a strong wrist appropriate for my project.

Thanks for the hints.  A lot of learning going on over here.

Keith

[Ryan McNabb]

It wasn't holding moisture, it was holding stress.  I always try to cut a rough stock shape out of the blank ASAP and let it dry with as little wood around the final stock as possible.  It's going to move, and the sooner the better so you know what you're dealing with. 

Gary Brumfield (I think it was Gary?) dealt with this subject in JHAT when he discussed the original stock blank they found.  Those big monster 30 pound stock blanks aren't doing you any favors.

Wallace Gusler sometimes bolts his stock blanks to the wall while they dry which I think is a neat idea.