Claro Walnut Stock- A Work in Progress

[spitfire_er]

While I am no professional, just messing around in the shop. I'm just really enjoying this stock crafting hobby.

Imposter! what a joke, don't let this "hobby" guy fool you!

In all seriousness, great looking work! Top notch!

 

[CStuck]

This piece is also Claro Walnut so this seems as good a thread as any to show off one of my favorite pieces I crafted for myself last year. It even made it to the Sunday Gun post on the main site.
I've got it dialed in pretty well at this point with some Barnes 171gr RL 17 and Winchester brass. I am looking to get some Lapua brass now that they have started to make .284 win


I thought of this build as tactical/practical in that it's a remage setup so I can swap barrels if I want. But my first barrel to start with is a .284win, that with the right bullet will allow me to hunt anything I would want to, even out to considerable distance. I could also load some match oriented projectiles for more competitive shooting without having to change anything on the rifle itself. It's a little niche, but I can buy a new barrel and run something else when I want. I have a spare magnum bolt for it to

 

[CStuck]

Now it has an Atlas Super Cal bipod







Ladder Test of RL 17 46.8 (2704FPS) to 50.4 grains(2906 FPS)

 

[itchyTF]

Are you sure you don’t have your careers mixed up?

 

[Mickal]

Very fine work, impressive

 

[joshb]

You’re doing fantastic work and finding fantastic blanks. I too do it as a fun hobby. What a lot of guys don’t realize is the time it takes to do this stuff by hand. At the end of a project, if you add up the time it takes and what the stock sells for, a guy might end up making $10 an hour! It’s done for the love and satisfaction, not for the money.

 

[epc308]

You’re doing fantastic work and finding fantastic blanks. I too do it as a fun hobby. What a lot of guys don’t realize is the time it takes to do this stuff by hand. At the end of a project, if you add up the time it takes and what the stock sells for, a guy might end up making $10 an hour! It’s done for the love and satisfaction, not for the money.

At $10/hr, you’re making more than I ever could. There is no way I could charge enough to make it worthwhile. The labor and the time is why stock work is for me, and me only.
Have you ever tried checkering? That’s a whole different kind of mind twister.

 

[joshb]

At $10/hr, you’re making more than I ever could. There is no way I could charge enough to make it worthwhile. The labor and the time is why stock work is for me, and me only.
Have you ever tried checkering? That’s a whole different kind of mind twister.

Yes, I tried checkering.........I suck at it! I need more practice!

 

[YEW PLUCKER]

And you say you're NOT a professional?

Wow!

 

[epc308]

Yes, I tried checkering.........I suck at it! I need more practice!

Me too. A good friend that builds stocks also checkers. He tried to get me to try my hand at it for the longest time. I put some nice looking, but slick, finger grip wooden stocks on a bullseye revolver. After fighting them with sweaty hands at summer league, I decided to checker them. They came out pretty well, considering, but damn, it took a bunch of hours.

 

[CStuck]

Thanks @joshb I appreciate the kind words as always bud.

Yes this is a hobby, because I'm not worried about making money, I know this can't. Like some of you guys have said there isn't a way to charge enough to really recoop my time/effort but thats ok. I've learned to accept that, if I can recover my cost in wood, and a then some, then I'm more than happy.

I do it for the love of creating something that hopefully gets passed down and cherrished by the owner. Although some may believe I have my career's mixed up I really do this for the enjoyment and the challenge. I also want to help and inspire anyone who would like to craft their own piece. For all the knowledge I've gained on here, my own failures, and tips/tricks I've picked up. I feel its a duty to pass on that knowledge so it isn't lost. Stock making seems to be getting to be a smaller and smaller group of folks as everything is moving toward composites and chassis.

Here is some of Sunday's details


*Disregard the general mess of my "shop" its really just a 10'x11' garden shed that makes sawdust and chips spontaneously. I intially thought that my biggest hurdle would be my limited shop space and the right tools, turns out it really isn't.

 

[itchyTF]

I thought the butt pad color clashed with the wood also. Black or dark brown.

 

[joshb]

 

[300_whisper]

View attachment 1291686View attachment 1291687

where’s the vomit emoji?!

just kidding…I want a stock from you next!

 

[joshb]

View attachment 1291686View attachment 1291687

where’s the vomit emoji?!

just kidding…I want a stock from you next!

I have a thread that shows you how to make one. Yes? Not that hard.
I’ll talk you thru it! Buy a blank, read the thread and PM me with any questions. IT’S EASY!!!

 

[300_whisper]

I have a thread that shows you how to make one. Yes? Not that hard.

I know…but yours are awesome too!

 

[joshb]

I know…but yours are awesome too!

Well.......since I got OLD, I have to read my Stockmaking post to remember how to do it! I have to take a lot of pee breaks and my walker gets in the way!

 

[300_whisper]

I have a thread that shows you how to make one. Yes? Not that hard.
I’ll talk you thru it! Buy a blank, read the thread and PM me with any questions. IT’S EASY!!!

I may have to take you up on that…I’ll recheck the thread! Thanks, Joshb!

 

[CStuck]

I thought the butt pad color clashed with the wood also. Black or dark brown.

The red recoil pad is to follow the aesthetic of the classic safari rifle like these

(not my images)

 

[joshb]

The red recoil pad is to follow the aesthetic of the classic safari rifle like these
View attachment 1291847View attachment 1291848View attachment 1291849
(not my images)

I guess it’s falls to what your history and experience is. Every custom shotgun or rifle I saw or handled when I was growing up had a Pachmeyer pad on it. It’s what I’m used to so that’s what I buy. The brown White line version goes well with most woods I use. I use the black version sometimes but mostly the brown.