Carving a gun stock and forend?

reddog

reddog

Well-known member
Has anyone done this? I purchased a beautiful piece of burl walnut yeaterday and am trying to come up with some kind of project for it.

I know theres all kinds of info on the net, Just wondering if theres anyone here with real experience.

I have a friend who turns custom pens out on a lathe, so I know where any of the leftovers are going.
 
Midwest USA has some interesting video's about stock alterations et al. However, I don't find one that deals with creating a stock from a hunk of wood..

Would think this would be quite a precision task. Perhaps the "New Yankee Workshop" has some info. or old programs that may demonstrate working with a lathe...
 
I have carved out both shotgun and rifle stocks. Even if you are familiar with working with wood it can be daunting.
First you'll have to check the moisture content of the wood to see if you can even have it carved. You may have to wait months to years before it is ready. .
Then if it is something you really want to do I suggest you find someone who has a stock duplicator and have them do that for you. They will take care of all the more difficult machining and shaping leaving you with the final fit and finish. Sounds like you're cheating but you're not. Final fit and finish is quite intense to get it just right. A lot of fitting scraping the high spots and fitting again. When I learned gunsmithing I was told that sandpaper is not a stock makers tool. Wood scrapers are your tools of choice. You'll also needs some Prussian blue which will help with the fitting of wood to metal. You'll also have to finish shape the stock and fit either a buttplate or pad. You will have checkering to do and final finish after that. If you've never checkered I would definitely suggest you get it professionally done. It is easily screwed up.
Lots of steps and time involved to get it right but when you're finished you'll have a really nice stock that you can take pride in.

I don't want to sound discouraging but be frank and honest with yourself before you start. It will help you with making a good choice or wasting a good piece of wood and being disappointed.

PS: Working part time on final fit and finish takes me months to complete. So patience is a true key...
 
Uplandhunter67 said:
I have carved out both shotgun and rifle stocks. Even if you are familiar with working with wood it can be daunting.
First you'll have to check the moisture content of the wood to see if you can even have it carved. You may have to wait months to years before it is ready. .
Then if it is something you really want to do I suggest you find someone who has a stock duplicator and have them do that for you. They will take care of all the more difficult machining and shaping leaving you with the final fit and finish. Sounds like you're cheating but you're not. Final fit and finish is quite intense to get it just right. A lot of fitting scraping the high spots and fitting again. When I learned gunsmithing I was told that sandpaper is not a stock makers tool. Wood scrapers are your tools of choice. You'll also needs some Prussian blue which will help with the fitting of wood to metal. You'll also have to finish shape the stock and fit either a buttplate or pad. You will have checkering to do and final finish after that. If you've never checkered I would definitely suggest you get it professionally done. It is easily screwed up.
Lots of steps and time involved to get it right but when you're finished you'll have a really nice stock that you can take pride in.

I don't want to sound discouraging but be frank and honest with yourself before you start. It will help you with making a good choice or wasting a good piece of wood and being disappointed.

PS: Working part time on final fit and finish takes me months to complete. So patience is a true key...
Click to expand...

Thanks, The thought of letting someone else do it, has certainly crossed my mind. Ive got 30 years of construction experience and 16 years of custom cabinetry experience, but I do know when to draw the line on what my skill set is. :)



20170117_095555.jpg
 
Last edited:
Sounds like we share a lot of the same skill sets... Carpenter and gunsmith for 30 years... Can't make money as a gunsmith so I work in the construction industry... Not to much field work anymore though. Spend most of my time driving a desk.. LOL.. Probably why I build guns on my spare time.

Nice piece of wood.. Do you have enough for a forearm too or just a buttstock?

Couple of pics of projects I have finished....

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/Mauser Final_zps10nmwhay.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/000_0742_zpslh4pt4ko.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0449_zpsahevaks7.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0023_zps7cnoxlea.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0029_zpsfxehzqog.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0033_zpssljo3tqm.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0187_zpsey35i6ce.jpg.html

I generally build one rifle a year just to keep my skills honed..
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
No...no experience whatsoever. I can be of no help at all! But this sounds like a fun project!! Out of curiosity, do you have a gun selected?
Click to expand...

I have 4 Marlin 62s in the safe. 3- 256 Winchester magnums and 1 30 carbine. (along with 2 or 3 57Ms a 57 and a 56..)

One of the 256s I bought with a modified stock. Someone out in the Black Hills tried to do a "european sporterization" on it, or something like that. Its butt ugly, and I would think that I could improve on that. I have a small collection of the Marlin levermatics.

20150310_180102.jpg


The prime candidate is second from the top.
 
Uplandhunter67 said:
Sounds like we share a lot of the same skill sets... Carpenter and gunsmith for 30 years... Can't make money as a gunsmith so I work in the construction industry... Not to much field work anymore though. Spend most of my time driving a desk.. LOL.. Probably why I build guns on my spare time.

Nice piece of wood.. Do you have enough for a forearm too or just a buttstock?

Couple of pics of projects I have finished....

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/Mauser Final_zps10nmwhay.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/000_0742_zpslh4pt4ko.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0449_zpsahevaks7.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0023_zps7cnoxlea.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0029_zpsfxehzqog.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0033_zpssljo3tqm.jpg.html

http://s755.photobucket.com/user/uplandhunter67/media/IMG_0187_zpsey35i6ce.jpg.html

I generally build one rifle a year just to keep my skills honed..
Click to expand...

Nice work! I think its outside of my skill set, and time committment.. :)
 
Thanks... It is a lot of work but I enjoy it though. Having a duplicated stock is the easiest to work with. Fitting the action is the most time consuming part. Then scraping and final finish of the outside comes in second. The hardest part is parting with it after you have spent the time, but I have enough safe queens and space is limited. The ebony forends and crossbolts are just my signature touch. I think it adds a lot to the overall look.
I have taken to building long range target rifles lately. Finishing up my third one soon.

I sold both of those rifles to friends plus a 257 Weatherby I build a couple of years back. One friend used the Mauser used to kill his first antelope buck and mule deer buck. The Winchester was used by another friend to kill his first mule deer buck (2014) and scored another for him just this season(2016). Then his first antelope (2015). Best part of it I was there with them both for each of those animals.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top