Do it yourself Stock making thread

[CStuck]

I also have another slab from the same tree that should be arriving today via UPS (Measures: 38"x 10 1/4"x 2 3/4") I believe I will be able to make 2 stocks from it.


I got this piece of walnut for a steal of a deal (about $100 to my door) I got this great deal because it is a small world and I happened upon a gentleman that I didn’t realize I knew... sort of… I found this gentleman selling walnut on Ebay and he had a decent selection of walnut with some figure to it and I saw where is was shipping from, the name of the town caught my eye. This gentleman lives in a tiny town of less than 4000 people in the middle of corn/soybean country in Iowa. As it happens this small town is only minutes from another small town that my mother’s side of the family is from. My great grandfather owned the grain silos and general store back in the 1930’s in this little farm town. So after thinking a bit, I wrote him an email telling him who I knew from around him and asked if he knew anyone with the family name, turns out he knows some of my relatives.

Here is the next blank/blanks I will be getting to work on shortly

 

[Bully]

Beautiful progress @CStuck . Your work just keeps getting better and better.

I was going to scrap my original project. I'm not happy with it at all. However a good buddy asked if he can have it. I don't love the thought of it going anywhere as I really am unhappy with it but what the heck. On it goes.

I have some Poplar drying with glue as I type this. Gonna give it another go. Material will be a good bit thinner to start and I'll glue the forend "wings" on after i get it all roughed out.

 

[CStuck]

Beautiful progress @CStuck . Your work just keeps getting better and better.

I was going to scrap my original project. I'm not happy with it at all. However a good buddy asked if he can have it. I don't love the thought of it going anywhere as I really am unhappy with it but what the heck. On it goes.

I have some Poplar drying with glue as I type this. Gonna give it another go. Material will be a good bit thinner to start and I'll glue the forend "wings" on after i get it all roughed out.

Thank you bud. Getting better and learning more and more each attempt.

Scrap it? Sorry to hear you are unhappy with how it turned out. Hopefully it was good practice if nothing else, have to use each one as experience to get better for the next one.

 

[Bully]

Thank you bud. Getting better and learning more and more each attempt.

Scrap it? Sorry to hear you are unhappy with how it turned out. Hopefully it was good practice if nothing else, have to use each one as experience to get better for the next one.

Yeah. I really didn't like it for me. I'm sure in the right hands it will be cool. I just don't think those hands are mine at this time. Hence, I'm gluing up another and will give it a go this weekend if not sometime this week. Should be better than the last one and not as good as the next.

 

[joshb]

CStuck: That’s some beautiful walnut! I’d love to get my hands on some of that! I’ll pay shipping and then some! Does your source have any more like that? I’d love to buy a couple slabs of it. I could finally do something nice!
Here’s a thought on fixing defects. I have inlayed pieces of ebony. I’ve inset silver quarters with the new owners initials. You can also inlay the same wood. It’s just a little chisel work. When doing the same wood, see if you can find a piece of scrap that has the same grain pattern. I inlay a 1/4” thick piece. You can make them almost unnoticeable if you’re careful. If you want to do the silver quarter, I can send you a couple and give you the forstner bit size. I’ll check but I think it’s 35mm.

 

[CStuck]

CStuck: That’s some beautiful walnut! I’d love to get my hands on some of that! I’ll pay shipping and then some! Does your source have any more like that? I’d love to buy a couple slabs of it. I could finally do something nice!
Here’s a thought on fixing defects. I have inlayed pieces of ebony. I’ve inset silver quarters with the new owners initials. You can also inlay the same wood. It’s just a little chisel work. When doing the same wood, see if you can find a piece of scrap that has the same grain pattern. I inlay a 1/4” thick piece. You can make them almost unnoticeable if you’re careful. If you want to do the silver quarter, I can send you a couple and give you the forstner bit size. I’ll check but I think it’s 35mm.

I like the coin idea, I may try to find a hobo nickel or something funky and different. I liked the mosaic cross pin idea too but think the coin may be closer to the dia I need.


I've purchased a few pieces from the wonderful people at Wilson Tree Products (http://www.ebaystores.com/wilsontreeproducts) you will have to check back about once every week or so for new pieces for sale. I've seen some absolutely stunning pieces of wood go through their ebay store. At first, when I was shopping for my first blank I couldn't justify bidding more than $50-100 on a piece with no experience, and now I regret not buying some or having set aside the time to bid on a piece at the last minute. A few weeks ago I missed a bid by $5 for not having my phone on me. It was an exhibition grade super gorgeous piece it was near triple the price but looked worth it.

Another eBay seller who I have seen with some amazing pieces is Quaking Aspens. You should check this ebay store fairly frequently too. I don't believe I've seen more than 3 pieces for sale at any time but normally at least one beautiful one
( https://www.ebay.com/usr/quaking_aspens?_trksid=p2053788.m1543.l2754) I wasnt ready to buy a quality piece when he had this one up for sale. View attachment 1073891

 

[joshb]

Wow!!ser!!! That’s fantastic!

I have to mention that I don’t sell my stocks. Once or twice a year, I do an “eeny , meany, miney, mo” pick from a list of members that asked me to make them one. I’ll make them a stock if they make a donation to the site. That helps cover the bills.
So I’m making a member a stock and I find a small knot in the butt, about the size of a quarter. Ding! The light went on! A friend had given me his Dad’s Jeweler tools, so I engraved the initials in a Liberty quarter and glued it in place. He loved it! Whew! It coulda gone the other way. Send me your address. I have old dimes, Nickels and quarters. An Indian head nickel would look cool there!

 

[CStuck]

Wow!!ser!!! That’s fantastic!

I have to mention that I don’t sell my stocks. Once or twice a year, I do an “eeny , meany, miney, mo” pick from a list of members that asked me to make them one. I’ll make them a stock if they make a donation to the site. That helps cover the bills.
So I’m making a member a stock and I find a small knot in the butt, about the size of a quarter. Ding! The light went on! A friend had given me his Dad’s Jeweler tools, so I engraved the initials in a Liberty quarter and glued it in place. He loved it! Whew! It coulda gone the other way. Send me your address. I have old dimes, Nickels and quarters. An Indian head nickel would look cool there!

I hope you can find a nice piece of a future project at one of those ebay stores. Both have treated me well in the few I have bought. If you want I have few more websites that sell stock blanks that are priced within reason. Its easy to find the expensive stuff or the thinner blanks that make normal monte carlo hunting stocks. But when you are searching for a wider piece at a decent price...I've got a few spots bookmarked lol.

Thats cool, I have been thinking of doing a give away soon or a raffle for local group (just haven't decided on who I want to do it for if I do a raffle).

I don't really sell mine either, at least not officially, it is more of a friend wants me to make him one then he pays me for some of my time and the wood. I am not in business making stocks, but its nice to have a hobby that can help pay for itself. Also I am not an FFL so I can't take possesion of anyone's firearm to make a stock for it, so I can only make ones for a Rem700 as that is what I own and can use as mock up. I started doing this because I wanted something no one else had. Also I couldn't afford to have someone make one for me so I said why not try it myself. Then I got such possitive responses that I have made a few more. I've sold one because the guy really really wanted it and I wanted to recoupe some of the time/money spent on it so I could buy another piece of wood.

 

[Bully]

Round 2:
Poplar and some 1/4” ply used as packing material from a gift from a friend in Delaware...
I added clamps (last pic) after the pic was taken.

 

[joshb]

That looks like you’re getting somewhere. I woulda sent better wood if I’d known you were going to use it!

 

[Bully]

That looks like you’re getting somewhere. I woulda sent better wood if I’d known you were going to use it!

Thank you for what you sent along.
It actually worked out perfectly and I'm really happy with the progress this time.

 

[boltfluter]

Round 2:
Poplar and some 1/4” ply used as packing material from a gift from a friend in Delaware...
I added clamps (last pic) after the pic was taken. View attachment 1074872View attachment 1074873View attachment 1074874

Bully,

That is looking really nice! The lines look really good and very balanced! You guys have amazing talent!

Paul

 

[Bully]

Bully,

That is looking really nice! The lines look really good and very balanced! You guys have amazing talent!

Paul

Thank you Paul. Your work is amazing as well.

I just had a discussion with my wife last evening. My plan is to increase my skillset and get an FFL so I can build rifles part time. What I WON'T be doing is building stocks... it's a PITA. I'm going to build this one and one more for myself and then I'm done. Too much work!

 

[boltfluter]

Thank you Paul. Your work is amazing as well.

I just had a discussion with my wife last evening. My plan is to increase my skillset and get an FFL so I can build rifles part time. What I WON'T be doing is building stocks... it's a PITA. I'm going to build this one and one more for myself and then I'm done. Too much work!

Bully,

If you need any help with speeds and feeds when using a mill or lathe feel free to hit me up. Happy to help if I can!!

Paul

 

[Bully]

Bully,

If you need any help with speeds and feeds when using a mill or lathe feel free to hit me up. Happy to help if I can!!

Paul

Thank you. I'll most likely take you up on that.
All the best!

 

[Bully]

All glued up and clamps off.

 

[joshb]

Thank you Paul. Your work is amazing as well.

I just had a discussion with my wife last evening. My plan is to increase my skillset and get an FFL so I can build rifles part time. What I WON'T be doing is building stocks... it's a PITA. I'm going to build this one and one more for myself and then I'm done. Too much work!

It’s a labor of love, really. I like making them. Mine take about 40 hours to do. I tried to do one faster and it took 35. I bought a duplicator to save time, but it doesn’t really. Setting it up eats the time I might be saving. A CNC machine would do it but I suck at computers. “Production” isn’t why I’m doing it, anyway. I’m an old retired guy just keeping busy.

 

[Bully]

It’s a labor of love, really. I like making them. Mine take about 40 hours to do. I tried to do one faster and it took 35. I bought a duplicator to save time, but it doesn’t really. Setting it up eats the time I might be saving. A CNC machine would do it but I suck at computers. “Production” isn’t why I’m doing it, anyway. I’m an old retired guy just keeping busy.

I hear you. I'm doing these for me. No thought (anymore) of doing it for anyone else. I had a glimmer of that at the beginning but between doing hair and doing the metal work on rifles, I'm good.

 

[Bully]

Little by slow...

 

[joshb]

Getting there.