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Author Topic: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun  (Read 2343 times)

Offline Wyoduster

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Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« on: November 21, 2018, 02:39:43 AM »
 :o
 So what is your opinion.. I have a two, 150 year old Chestnut 2 x 10's used of course... and thinking I'm going to build Squirrel rifles out of them. Whats your thoughts ? Too soft? Just finishing a couple Ash stocked guns and next is this project... Please stop me if its a mistake ....
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2018, 02:57:48 AM »
I saw an original in the Lenor Museum in Norris Tn the appeared to be stocked in chestnut. My dad made a lot of picture frames out of American Chestnut, the stock of this rifle appeared the same.
« Last Edit: November 21, 2018, 10:59:19 PM by Eric Krewson »
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Offline Mauser06

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2018, 03:10:03 AM »
Janka hardness is 540 while sugrar maple is 1450.  If that helps at all.


I've never used it...and dont know how significant the Janka hardness is to gun stocks..
« Last Edit: November 21, 2018, 03:11:28 AM by Mauser06 »
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Offline jerrywh

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2018, 03:37:43 AM »
 Answer= YES. Too much work for bad wood.
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Offline Frank

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2018, 04:08:07 AM »
To much work goes into a gun to use a funky piece of wood.
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Offline Cades Cove Fiddler

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2018, 04:44:21 AM »
 ??? ??? ???.... Back in the 1960's the governor of Georgia came to visit old Jesse Holder at his shop on Wildcat Creek, near Coker Creek, Tennessee,... (at that time, old Jesse was one of the only gunsmiths still making longrifles in these mountains),... He wanted Jesse to build him a LongRifle with a stock of Georgia red cedar,... Jesse told said governor that cedar was too brash and would break apart at the first gunshot from her,... Governor then replied,.. She will never be fired,... will only forever hang on my office wall,... !!!!... Jesse got paid, and Governor got his red cedar rifle,... guess stocking material depends on the use intended,... !!!! .... regards,... Cades Cove Fiddler,...
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Offline B.Habermehl

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2018, 04:50:36 AM »
I built my personal target Longrifle on a Curley chestnut blank, chippy, splintery, and relatively soft. Open grain that soaked up a ton of finish. Really pretty when done. Not a piece of wood for a beginner or for a relief carved stock. Worked a bit like a softer piece of walnut. BJH
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Offline smallpatch

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2018, 06:45:44 AM »
One more thing.
Dimensional lumber is measure before it's planed.  Usually a 2 by, will measure 1 ½".  Not many styles will work with wood that thin.
Save it and make some shooting accessories.
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Offline Ky-Flinter

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2018, 07:15:14 AM »
In the early 1960's a 2x4 actually measured 2 inches by 4 inches.  I bought some 2x4's recently.  They measured 1-3/8" by 3-3/8".  150 year old 2x10's might well be 2 inches thick.

-Ron
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Offline Lucky R A

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #9 on: November 21, 2018, 02:33:30 PM »
Hey,  BJ, I bet I know where that curly Chestnut came from.  I have a friend who seemingly has the hots for the other blank that is there.  It seems a little pricy though. 
See you at Lewisburg.

Ron
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Turtle

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2018, 02:41:54 PM »
 A friend of mine restores antique barns. many of them around here were made of chestnut. He uses hemlock for replacement wood and documents the substation. He halls chestnut the hemlock of the 19th century. Anybody do a hemlock stocked rifle?
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Offline Nordnecker

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #11 on: November 21, 2018, 02:42:21 PM »
I would resaw that stuff and make a nice shooting/tool/keepsake box out of it. Chestnut is nice for dovetailed drawer sides. I made a turkey call out of chestnut one time. It didn't have a good tone.
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Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #12 on: November 21, 2018, 04:28:21 PM »
Sounds like fun but I don't know if I'd do it. I'm working with a piece of cherry at the moment that is in a close race for the softest piece of wood I have ever worked with, much softer than any piece of walnut. It crushes real easy, got to have super sharp tools, can't get lazy about sharpening. If i'm going to do a cherry gun again I'm going to have to find a tree locally and have it sawed, the Midwest seems to have the only good cherry I have ever worked.
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Offline ed lundquist

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #13 on: November 21, 2018, 05:12:12 PM »
Hemlock is junk. Barn board, construction lumber, .softwood stringy and notty
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Offline Robby

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #14 on: November 21, 2018, 05:14:47 PM »
I'd would probably give it a go I like a challenge. If you stay within what the wood offers and are patient it will work out. It wouldn't be my first choice, but if it was in my shop, yeah, I'd be thinking those thoughts.
Robby
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Offline Wyoduster

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #15 on: November 21, 2018, 07:46:09 PM »
Interesting thoughts.... they are over 2" thick... and probably soft.. considered doin other things but guess I want to punish myself.. building 32 caliber so shouldn't shatter in my hands.
Haven't begun yet but ........  :-\
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #16 on: November 21, 2018, 11:01:56 PM »
Quote from: ed lundquist on November 21, 2018, 05:12:12 PM
Hemlock is junk. Barn board, construction lumber, .softwood stringy and notty

Helmlock 7/8" dowels make good 6' Atlatl darts.
« Last Edit: November 21, 2018, 11:02:37 PM by Daryl »
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #17 on: November 21, 2018, 11:08:01 PM »
I don't know if this link will work, mighty long, lots of pictures, the bottom rifle in the case looks like chestnut but I could be wrong. If you step through the pictures it will come up.

I grew up just on the other side of the ridge from the old grist mill. I spent a lot of time playing on the water wheel and fishing for trout in the river below Norris dam where the museum is now located.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x885c466ab3d621b7:0x6dbeec14fae23590!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipObr4ulN7SaRh0_UIrs5i9bo5E59kIQ4EtlS2hq%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5slenoir+museum+hours+-+Google+Search&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipObr4ulN7SaRh0_UIrs5i9bo5E59kIQ4EtlS2hq&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_lfC4o-beAhWOT98KHQTRCs0QoiowDXoECAcQCQ
« Last Edit: November 21, 2018, 11:12:55 PM by Eric Krewson »
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Online JBJ

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Re: Am I NUTS? Making a Chestnut stocked gun
« Reply #18 on: November 22, 2018, 04:43:31 PM »
Probably more than you wanted to know but see the following:
https://www.wood-database.com/american-chestnut/

Eric, pictures made me homesick!

J.B.
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