Anyone make their own stock?

[sailhertoo]

I'm making a stock with walnut and maple, 9 laminant layers of about 5/16".

At the pistol grip I have about seven, 5/16" layers after carving. Is this enough lam layers to keep the stock from breaking at the grip or should I drill a hole and epoxy a steel rod down through the grip?

This is for an F-Class 7mm saum.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[bowslngr]

Your grip is 2 and 3/16" thick?! -- if so, yes; that surely enough.

 

[butchlambert]

If you laminate it with carbon fiber cloth you will have no problems. Sounds if yours will come out at 4ibs plus.
Butch

 

[sailhertoo]

Yep, almost 2 1/2" wide at the grip and weighs in at 5 1/2 lbs.

Did not use carbon fiber, just Tite Bond weather proof wood glue. Just want to be sure. I got many a hour witt'len on this thing.

Thanks

 

[butchlambert]

I hope you have very dry and also cured wood. I hope it stays together for you.
Butch

 

[butchlambert]

Here are a few photos of my black walnut carbon fiber laminate stock. The wood was cut over 50yrs before building the stock. The stock had carbon fiber cloth between the laminations and was vacuum bagged and not clamped.

I built 2 stocks and one was redwood so some of the pictures are of the redwood.

I love my stocks, but wouldn't build anymore.
Butch

 

[sailhertoo]

Very, very nice. Thanks for the pics. Looks like you have the right machinery for the job.

I'll try to get some pics of my stock up.

Would it hurt to epoxy a steel dowel in the pistol grip or just make it weaker? What would you do?

 

[butchlambert]

You do not need a dowel on yours. On a poor piece of wood in a hard recoiling rifle, it would help. On my 458 Lott, 450 Ackley Magnum, and my soon to be 416 Rigby have an extra recoil lug on the barrel and 2 crossbolts.
Butch

 

[HolyMeekrob]

I would LOVE to learn to make stocks, but have failed miserably in finding any sort of books or videos or any instruction at all in the craft. How did you guys learn to do it?

 

[katokoch]

I would LOVE to learn to make stocks, but have failed miserably in finding any sort of books or videos or any instruction at all in the craft. How did you guys learn to do it?

I read as much as I can online and ask questions but a lot of it comes down to figuring stuff out for yourself and learning by trial and error. At least you learn what to never repeat.

Here's a walnut and carbon fiber stock I've done. Different laminating than Butch's.

http://northernriflestocks.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/marlin-980s-benchrest-project/

 

[butchlambert]

Katokoch, that is a very nice stock.
You guys can see how a good stock maker does it outside on the tailgate of his pickup. I think the only power tool Les used was a drill.
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/4711078031 I believe he did an incredible job. It is a step by step build.
Butch

 

[katokoch]

Katokoch, that is a very nice stock.
You guys can see how a good stock maker does it outside on the tailgate of his pickup. I think the only power tool Les used was a drill.
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/4711078031 I believe he did an incredible job. It is a step by step build.
Butch

The amount of talent that man possesses is staggering... everything is so crisp and perfect, and the gun shoots!

Butch,

Thanks. The stock took me longer than I want to remember to finish but it is worth it.

 

[sailhertoo]

Here's a walnut and carbon fiber stock I've done. Different laminating than Butch's.

http://northernriflestocks.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/marlin-980s-benchrest-project/

The carbon fiber sure ate your planer blade up!

Nice stock. Very professional. Maybe I wont post a pic of my stock after all.

What glue did you use with the fiber and did you bag it or clamp it?

 

[katokoch]

The carbon fiber sure ate your planer blade up!

Nice stock. Very professional. Maybe I wont post a pic of my stock after all.

What glue did you use with the fiber and did you bag it or clamp it?

I did learn just how abrasive carbon fiber is the hard way. You need to be careful with it.

Regarding pictures, I disagree... after describing the laminate, you're pretty much obligated to post a photo. It sounds like it should be nice. I recently made a walnut, maple, and cherry blank and it is being worked on by a respected stockmaker. I like seeing how different hardwood laminates turn out.

I use an epoxy resin with the carbon fiber and use clamping pressure. I want to start experimenting with bagging. It sounds like it works very well.

 

[butchlambert]

Remember, It is said the carbon fiber cleaning rods don't hurt barrels!
Butch

 

[sailhertoo]

Thats a scarry thought!

 

[Freestate101]

Butch, am very interested in the details of laminating with vacume bags. Is there an article or website that details the process?

Jim

 

[butchlambert]

Jim,
If you do a search on the web you will find more than you want to know. Send me a PM if you want additional info.
Butch

 

[spclark]

I know the operation is popular with wooden boatbuilders and custom furniture makers. I've experimented with it in the past but not for anything I ever sold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgBSMmqzSJM

http://composite.about.com/od/aboutcompositesplastics/l/aa000109.htm

http://www.tapeease.com/vacuum_bags.htm

http://www.fibreglast.com/category/Vacuum_Bagging?gclid=CMCHhN3y2KYCFYa7KgodtnQVHw

These were all thrown up in my first Googling of "vacuum bag laminating" so knock yourself out!

 

[memilanuk]

Nathan,

Regardless of how 'thick' the stock is through there, you might want to put a rod through it anyway. The last McGee stock I had was pretty thick but it still had a rod through it, and Steve knows a thing or two about stocks.

Good luck,

Monte