Making gun stock blanks from scratch?

[jay07ag]

So I was thinking it would be a pretty cool gift idea for my dad and my brothers to make custom gun stocks out of a walnut tree from our farm. I have no idea how much that would cost or how much time it would take to cure/dry the wood, but I think would be a pretty awesome gift if I could eventually pull it off. Im not opposed to making it a "several year project" and I am willing to spend a little dough on it, but was just curious if any of you guys have ever done this or know someone who has or who could?

Any help would be appreciated, gracias!

[Jason Fry]

I've made one gun stock, and I have some experience working with raw wood. If it was me, I'd cut the wood into stock blanks that were at least 1" larger in every dimension (especially thick) than you think you'll need. I'd give them a coat of paint, then put them away for at least a year, maybe two. If you can get them to cure without cracking, then comes the challenge of fitting the gun to the stock. How much time it takes from there is largely dependent on what available tools you have, how skilled you are at using them, and the amount of attention to detail you pay.

I did one out of pine, with hand tools, with terrible fit and finish, in about 3 days. Now, with better tools, I'd guess 15-20 hours worth of labor, but that's just a WILD guess.

[Cajun Blake]

I suggest doing some serious homework before venturing into this process. If you have the time, patience, and money ... then GO For It !!!


this link below will help as it will take many years from start to finish. I highly suggest sending blank to someone with a duplicator & mill, then finishing it yourself.

http://lumberjocks.com/haldougherty/projects

good read ......

"..... tree should be taken to the sawmill as soon as possible. If it's going to be a while, the ends should be sealed with anchorseal or a wax type seal. The open pores in the wood allow more water to escape than the sides of the wood and as the ends dry faster, checks and cracks develop. You'll save at least 4" to 2 feet on the ends of the logs if you seal them. The lumber also needs the ends sealed while drying. Any wood going to a kiln is subject to drying stresses that can result in honeycomb or casehardening which will result in unusable wood. If the kiln operator sticks your 3" thick blank in with his usual load of 4 quarter (1 inch boards) and uses the same drying schedule because he doesn't have a load of 3" thick wood to dry, you'll end up with junk. If you find a solar kiln operator in your area, you'll have better results. The heat builds up in the day and at night the moisture condenses back on the wood to add moisture back in. This gentle drying cycle will help reduce case hardening and honeycomb.

I stack my stickered lumber for gunstocks under a covered area for at least a year to let them air dry to about 20% moisture. My shop is in a 2 story farm house and the upstairs area is unheated and uninsulated. I stack the lumber I'll be using for the next 3 months upstairs where it gets hot in the daytime and cooler at night. I also make laminated target and varmint stocks so the thickest lumber I usually cut is 1 1/2" to 2" with the bulk being 1" rough cut. After 30 days in the summer the moisture content is down to between 6 & 12%. Google lumber drying or solar kiln to find out how to test it yourself. Wood that's stored in a barn is air dried and won't go down in moisture content to the point needed for stocks or furniture. It has to be further dried in some way. 10 to 15 years is what it takes to dry a 3" blank to good stock material...

Dead standing walnut trees are very long lasting, but on the ground the moisture, bugs and whatever will ruin them in short order.

Your best wood from your log will be in the root ball and the first crotch. Walnut looks best plain sawn. Quarter sawn walnut has straight grain look that's ok, but not as beautiful as flat sawn. Every sawyer I know, saws for "grade" which means they are looking for straight, free of knots, furniture grade lumber... Not what makes the best gunstocks and to get them to cut your log for beauty is going to be difficult. Take your crotch with 2" at least toward the limbs and 3 to 4" toward the bottom. You want the feather in the crotch in the butt with straight grain from the wrist forward. Have your crotch flat or slab sawn through the crotch and fletches (slabs) cut from top to bottom. The center 3" will be quartersawn and the grain will be different but still beautiful. The 3" above and below that will be beautiful. Or should be... you never know till you cut the log.

Good luck with your project and if you have any specific questions pm me and I'll be glad to answer them.

Hal Dougherty .... "

[jay07ag]

That's great info! I'm not opposed to making this a lengthy project and I can be patient with it. I'm curious - since I live in East Texas, is it even worth trying to air dry in a barn? Or do I just go ahead and plan on finding someone to kiln dry it? And yes, I would probably send the blanks off to be formed and then finish them myself.

[dustoffer]

Blake nailed it--send to someone with a duplicator and tell them the pattern (Monte Carlo, Ruger, Winchester, Weatherby - puke!) etc.

Will take several years for the wood to cure--but maybe can get it kiln-dried? Not sure how that would work with gunstock blanks.