Stock making

[Old Ford2]

Question: Has any one tried gluing two pieces of wood together to make a stock?
I mean taking one piece passing it on the planer, then taking the other and passing it on the planer, then gluing pieces with counter grain direction.
Why would you want to do that anyway, you ask?
All of us who have done any cabinet making, will often glue pieces of wood for stability, and resist warping.
With a beautiful piece of curly maple, or especially with a fine piece of ash often have a problem with wood distortion.
What say you on this insane idea?
One time my stock was not thick enough for a cheek rest, I glued a piece of curly maple to allow for, it came out really good.
Fred

[alex e.]

Not saying it cannot or has not been done.
It's just not the traditional way of doing things we like to discuss.

[rich pierce]

Kit Ravenshear covered this in one of his little booklets. It has been done on original fowling pieces from time to time, especially with very long barrels. Typically on originals a cone-shaped joint was made.

[Old Ford2]

I have seen several repairs to Brown Bess guns that have had a piece joined somewhere in the forearm, but that was a full piece of wood splined and a new barrel channel, and ram rod groove cut as well.
The cheek piece that I referred to in my original post was where a slab of wood was glued to the side of a stock.
It is always valuable when someone addresses a situation that is not always encountered, and how they resolved it.
Fred

[EC121]

There is usually nothing in this hobby that someone didn't already think of a long time ago.  I would build an experimental poorboy type of rifle and see  if the joint was overly visible.     

[smylee grouch]

What glue would a guy use for such a project?

[rich pierce]

They used hide glue originally. On such guns the barrel was probably never removed and the forestock’s sole function was to hold ramrod thimbles.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

This is a clever way to use two 1" boards that otherwise cannot make a gunstock.  Many years ago, I saw a pistol that was made this way...the only place where you could see the joint, if you knew it was there, was along the back of the grip.  Really nice work too.

[45-110]

fancy grain rip sawn and then book matched length wise might be almost acceptable in the looks department!
Hmmm?

[sydney]

Hi I did it years ago for a butt stock
   Glued it with wood glue
   I saw it the other day and still looks fine
    Also did a checkpiece when using a blank that was too thin
    Can t see it unless you are looking for it
  sydney

   

[oldtravler61]

 Several years ago. I did a custom stock for a friend. Two pieces of curly maple on the out side's an a strip of birdseye in the middle. Used proteins glue. Turned out really cool. Well he was happy. Big modern caliber an it hasn't come unglued since.... so go for it...

[Old Ford2]

Our pat time here is mostly traditional, with limited room for experimentation or risqué.
In cabinetry I have seen joints that are almost impossible to detect.
To attempt to make a longrifle we are restricted to start with a piece of wood not much thinner than 2 1/2 inches, and even that is cutting it close.
I have made modern rifles that were limitless in choice of materials, but that is not what I am suggesting.
Sometime we come across a piece of wood to die for, but for some unholy reason, somebody decided to cut it at 1 1/2 inches.
Imagine a beautiful piece of crazy curly ash 8" wide and 6' long and 1 1/2" thick , and 16 pieces air dried for twenty years.
You walk away with your head hung down as if someone shot your dog.
Fred

[SingleMalt]

Bill Brockway had a caplock "poor boy" rifle that he restored the forestock on with a V-shaped joint.  I believe it was maple on both the original and replacement wood.  His joint was perfect, but he couldn't match the color of the wood. 

[Goo]

[Sometime we come across a piece of wood to die for, but for some unholy reason, somebody decided to cut it at 1 1/2 inches.
Imagine a beautiful piece of crazy curly ash 8" wide and 6' long and 1 1/2" thick , and 16 pieces air dried for twenty years.
You walk away with your head hung down as if someone shot your dog.
Fred
[/quote]


So get the precision planer, glue and clamps out......   It's an art

[Marcruger]

I have seen it done in rifle stocks for strength and stability. Cut a thick plank down the middle, swap sides, and glue back together.
In slender longrifles, I believe it would make a stronger rifle if the right glue joint is made.
I would certainly stain both mating sides thoroughly before glue work, as glue does not take stain.
I think with the right "antiquing" and careful planning of the tang, butt return, and toe plate, it would be nearly invisible. Especially with a wear plate.
There is a modern rifle company now that offers a stock made this way, and it is hardly visible, but stronger and resists moving and warping. Best wishes, and God Bless, Marc

[RL]

Barring traditional, laminated is the way to go. All my centerfire benchrest rifles are laminated wood. Yellow,white, or hide, carbon fiber or glass it all works well. This is what I plan on doing my next build, having 500 bf of 1" quartersawn sycamore. Pure snakeskin. A vacuum press helps but not required.

[little joe]

Have not tried that however I have Glued a slab of wood on for a cheek piece. Rare but historical correct.

[Old Ford2]

I have seen a very well known gun maker ( traditional muzzle loader ) who makes the forearm sooo thin that the inlays pop through into the barrel channel, or just flake away the remaining wood, leaving the forearm with little to no wood on either side of the stock, as well as no support for the balance of the wood on the forestock.
Being a traditionalist no way would he/she ever use laminated wood for a stock.
It is great being a contemporary gun fudger ( is that how you spell it ?)
That is why I use aluminium and JB WELD "a lot"
Fred

[RL]

Ha! My first "Hawken" is now pillar bedded with aluminuim spacers and epoxy. I'd like to say it was the plan from the start. And to think I could of just mounted a plum bob in the xy vise and maybe come out right.

[ddoyle]

Fred,

I say go for it. Strengthwise you will not loose anything and you might gain something. Why spend precious dollars for someone a 1000 miles away to chop down a tree when there is adequate and desirable material at hand? Heck call it a greenhouse gas initiative and maybe J.T will stop by, shed a tear and write you a carbon tax credit cheque

[Old Ford2]

ddoyle,
A visit I would rather not have!
Have a great day!
Fred