Author Topic: stock wood  (Read 6952 times)

Offline Daniel

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stock wood
« on: January 21, 2015, 05:32:24 PM »
  I think I have asked this before, but can't remember.
Besides walnut, maple, cherry and ash wood what is available for stocks ?
I'm going to have Mike Davis build in the white for me a Southern rifle that's
in Newman's book Weapons of the Revolution . It's the one with a grease hole
and 66 cal rifle.
Daniel     Ecc.4:12

Offline Swampwalker

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2015, 05:36:02 PM »
I've seen several of pear or other fruitwood.  There's also at least one rifle (by I. Haines) of mohogany.

Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2015, 05:44:15 PM »
Quote
Besides walnut, maple, cherry and ash wood what is available for stocks ?
Apple and for a southern gun I have heard of "ivory walnut" which I was told was actually Butternut. Also heard of a couple made from Persimmon but suspect you would have a problem finding a large enough blank.
Dennis
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Offline Darrin McDonal

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2015, 05:52:53 PM »
There are a few originals out of, yes-oak but not too many. ::) Contemporary guns have been stocked in mulberry, osage, hackberry....   
Darrin
Apprentice Gunsmith
Colonial Williamsburg
Owner of Frontier Flintlocks

Offline Daniel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2015, 06:06:01 PM »
I can't imagine osage. That's a heavy wood. Makes great bows.
I thought about oak but not sure. This is an early rifle so I want it
right.
Daniel     Ecc.4:12

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2015, 06:21:17 PM »
There are a few originals out of, yes-oak but not too many. ::) Contemporary guns have been stocked in mulberry, osage, hackberry....   
Darrin
Leonard Meadows made a Bedford full stock from oak just before he
made my walnut full stock.I saw the Bedford at Farris's gun shop in
Portsmouth Ohio.Len said "NEVER again" on an oak stocked gun.

Bob Roller

Offline Daniel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2015, 06:25:48 PM »
Thanks Bob. I will mark that one out. What about beech, or would that be more military or trade gun wood?
Daniel     Ecc.4:12

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2015, 06:44:10 PM »
Thanks Bob. I will mark that one out. What about beech, or would that be more military or trade gun wood?
Some of the full time stock makers will have to answer that one.I have done most,what few there were in Walnut.That first one might have been birch but my memory of it is weak.I am not a gun builder and my
attempts are fraught with mistakes and with arthritis in my right wrist and hand,I woill not attempt to do
any more inletting of a lock.

Bob Roller

Offline Daniel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2015, 07:16:23 PM »
I understand the arthritis. I was going to try to build again but can't because of that and nerve damage.
The best I can do is finish work.
  I may just stay with a plain maple.
Daniel     Ecc.4:12

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2015, 08:08:30 PM »
Perfect!
D. Taylor Sapergia
www.sapergia.blogspot.com

Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Daniel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2015, 08:22:24 PM »
Settled. Plain maple. Thanks guys for the help here.
Daniel     Ecc.4:12

Offline Majorjoel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2015, 11:47:59 PM »
Now that you're all settled in to your choice of stock wood Daniel, I thought I would like to also mention another wood that I have seen used on a contemporary rifle build. It is Madrone  (Arbutus menziesii) or sometimes called Madrona from the west coast of the US.  Ron Scott from this very forum used it for a very fine jaeger style rifle back a few years ago and it was a real beauty!
Joel Hall

Offline David R. Pennington

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2015, 01:57:42 AM »
Daniel is that the rifle with the square to octagon barrel? I built a .62 loosely based on that gun but I used an oct. to round barrel and put a sliding wood patchbox instead of the grease hole. I like that gun and talked to Ed Rayl about making the square breech barrel but decided to go with the oct/rd. It is a very good shooter and for a big bore is easy to shoot. I have shot 20 round  matches with it and taken several deer with it. I used black walnut. 







VITA BREVIS- ARS LONGA

Offline Kermit

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2015, 03:15:20 AM »
I have heard of "ivory walnut" which I was told was actually Butternut.

Yes. Butternut was/is sometimes called white walnut. It's fun to carve, because it's about as soft as pine. Probably not what I'd want in a stock. The tree is in the same family as Am. black walnut. It kind of reminds me of working with the wood of paulownia/empress tree.

http://www.americanwoodworker.com/blogs/tips/archive/2010/07/24/butternut.aspx
« Last Edit: January 22, 2015, 03:20:38 AM by Kermit »
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly." Mae West

Offline Daniel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2015, 05:27:32 AM »
Dave, yes that's the one. Been wanting that for a long time. Charles Burton is making the barrel.
Daniel     Ecc.4:12

Offline Daniel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2015, 07:58:37 PM »
I have all my parts ordered for this. I will rework a Tulle trigger guard for it. Got an Early Ketland unbridled lock coming too.
It will either be a .66 or .60 rifle. Maple stock. Really hoping on a .66 if Charles has a rifling head for it.
Daniel     Ecc.4:12

Offline David R. Pennington

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #16 on: January 23, 2015, 02:55:38 AM »
Keep us posted and show us some pictures as you progress please.
VITA BREVIS- ARS LONGA

Offline Daniel

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Re: stock wood
« Reply #17 on: January 23, 2015, 04:02:09 AM »
I will. Going to be a .60 cal. I will get barrel in late April.
Daniel     Ecc.4:12