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Author Topic: What wood would  (Read 14341 times)

RMHC

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What wood would
« on: October 24, 2011, 05:17:41 PM »
 What flavor of wood , would you prefer to work with
making long rifles ?
 Maybe toss in the reason why too ...
think mine would be a straight grained walnut.
lets hear yours ???
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Offline Dphariss

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2011, 05:47:40 PM »
Quote from: RMHC on October 24, 2011, 05:17:41 PM
What flavor of wood , would you prefer to work with
making long rifles ?
 Maybe toss in the reason why too ...
think mine would be a straight grained walnut.
lets hear yours ???

Compared to real sugar maple, American Walnut is a poor stockwood. But its easier to finish than Maple. Weaker, harder to work, but in a factory setting its easier to make a gun from.
And I have stocked quite a few guns in the stuff. Used to do two a week at one time.
I would not stock a long rifle in it now though I have done a few in it when I was a kid.
There was a reason most longrifles were stocked in hard maple. Its a stronger wood, its easier to carve than walnut.
Dan
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roamer

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2011, 06:39:21 PM »
Cherry
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RMHC

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2011, 01:09:45 AM »
 cherry is good , seen some fine cherry wood rifles too.
 I have a Birds Eye Ash rifle that was made for me ...
very distinct pattern indeed.
 Maple may be over-rated
(duck/cover head)
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Offline Habu

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2011, 02:24:00 AM »
In a perfect world, I'd be able to sort through as many red maple planks as I wanted til I found the perfect blank.  The best of red maple is about like decent sugar maple but has nicer figure and color.  I've never found a red maple full-stock blank that nice, but I've found a few decent pistol and half-stock blanks.  

Edited to add: Actually, that red maple in the front yard is a decent tree . . .   I may have to saw it before I move, just in case.  I'd hate to leave a perfect stock blank behind.
« Last Edit: October 25, 2011, 02:32:49 AM by Habu »
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dannybb55

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2011, 02:28:37 AM »
Most long rifles in Walnut are Appalachian rifles aren't they. I have seen an old one in pine with the knot where the patchbox should have been.
I have never seen a LR in ash that is an antique. Didn't we hash this out last week?
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RMHC

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2011, 03:05:17 AM »
 last week
that's like 20 bottles ago
 ash is a fine wood.
they used to paint trade rifles too.
 seen yellow pine mountain rifle / southern stocks
things turn near black and hard as a rock.
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camerl2009

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2011, 03:36:24 AM »
my great uncle taught me how to carve although i never got as good as him yet but i remember what he told me about sharpening chisels and i go to a 8000 grit norton sharpening stone and its sharper than a razor

the trick is to make sure the bottom and bevel are flat i use 180 grit wet/dry sand paper on a piece of glass then work up to the 8000 grit stone

it works wood like peeling a apple with a fillet knife

sugar maple is my choice i love the color it has and i found a good size chunk in my uncles shed thats been there for a long time i just have to get it cut into a blank i mite even have some left over for a priming flask  ;D
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Offline FALout

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2011, 03:46:33 AM »
I like cherry.  It can hold detail pretty good, maybe not as well as maple, it cuts easy enough, and smells great when cut on a saw.  The color gets better with age.  Only drawback is it's light weight for a rifle, good for a fowler.
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RMHC

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2011, 04:05:48 AM »
 Reminds me of an original Hawken a fella had a picture of ...
was stocked in APPLE wood.
strange as all get out.
  Seen cherry used in some fine fowlers.
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WyomingWhitetail

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2011, 05:02:06 AM »
I've always wondered what an Osage orange or Russian olive stock would turn out like. Probably be heavy as all get out but would be interesting.
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SPG

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2011, 05:36:11 AM »
Gentlemen,

Sugar maple is probably like many things in the gun business...it works so good that people are always looking for something different.

My feeling has been that longrifles stocked in other hardwoods were done because sugar maple wasn't available, or affordable.

When considering all requirements for a stock wood it is very tough to beat hard sugar maple.

My two cents...

Steve
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2011, 02:53:31 PM »
I believe walnut came into fashion for military stocks because it machines very nicely, stable, needs no stain, and weighs less than maple.

Tom
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RMHC

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2011, 03:14:05 PM »
 think ya be right about the walnut
and think board for board walnut has a higher percentage of usable wood.
juss mee thoughts
I like walnut ... clearly my favorite for a working gun.
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Offline Bill of the 45th

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2011, 03:39:17 PM »
For a while there I liked that Black plastic wood on them modern guns, ;D  but now Suger Maple is king for me.

Bill
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Offline Dphariss

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2011, 03:58:04 PM »
Many long rifles have small wrists, especially some the the later guns.  They are weak through the lock mortises for the same reason.
Making a small wristed rifle from walnut does not appeal to me. Especially when I have the wood shipped to me and have little control of the quality.
They have started making baseball bats from Hard Maple. Maybe this is why wood suppliers are trying to push red maple on everyone... But I doubt they use Curly maple for bats ;)

Dan
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Offline WadePatton

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2011, 10:00:05 PM »
wrt osage orange/bodock/hedgeapple/bois d arc.  i have some nearly 20 years in the plank--sawed 8/4.  heavy as lightweight concrete and plain.  but i love the cured color of orange/brown. 

probably make some pistol grips and knife scales from it.  tool handles and mallets.  oh yeah, and loading blocks.

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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2011, 10:56:03 PM »
..or walnut for bats.

Occasionally you'll find hard red maple. But you won't know unless you pick your wood out in person. Same thing goes for walnut. It ranges from punky to very hard, depending on the density, where it was grown, etc.

But there ain't nuthin like sugar maple (acer saccharum), for carving and detailing. Consider it a blank canvas for the gunsmith. Yummy stuff.
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Offline Ezra

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2011, 11:28:43 PM »
Quote from: Acer Saccharum on October 25, 2011, 10:56:03 PM

But there ain't nuthin like sugar maple (acer saccharum), for carving and detailing. Consider it a blank canvas for the gunsmith. Yummy stuff.


Well, now, you would say that, wouldn't you... ;D


Ez
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RMHC

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #19 on: October 26, 2011, 12:20:54 AM »
 know what acer wants for x-mas ...
wood.
  Maple ... Sugar Maple doooo carve good.
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Offline JCKelly

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #20 on: October 26, 2011, 02:22:28 AM »
Maple makes nice bats because it is hard = hits the ball further. Also breaks a lot, vs ash.
Are we sure that walnut was/is used in North America & England for military stocks, vs maple, strictly for economic reasons/boards per tree?
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RMHC

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #21 on: October 26, 2011, 02:47:20 AM »
obvious back in the day , very little went too waste.
 think walnut would give more board feet per tree
least straighter longer cuts... vs maples.
 
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camerl2009

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #22 on: October 26, 2011, 03:03:57 AM »
i have a sugar maple close by just waiting to be made into stock blank or two
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Offline whitebear

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #23 on: October 26, 2011, 03:48:30 AM »
In Kendigs book there are are several references to stocks made of fruit wood, apple, pear, and such.
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: What wood would
« Reply #24 on: October 26, 2011, 03:49:22 AM »
Quote from: JCKelly on October 26, 2011, 02:22:28 AM
Maple makes nice bats because it is hard = hits the ball further. Also breaks a lot, vs ash.
Are we sure that walnut was/is used in North America & England for military stocks, vs maple, strictly for economic reasons/boards per tree?

No, JC, no surety on my part, just hazarding a guess. I must apologize, for my musings above look like I'm stating a fact.


 
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