Stock materials

[Dusty Stevens]

Back a few years ago when I was making (and trying to sell) custom "Round Saver" shell holding blocks, I slabbed the green woods and had them dried in a local firewood (drying) kiln. Besides Cherry and Maple burl wood, I used Brown and White Ash, Yellow and White Birch, White Pine, Eastern Cedar, and Hornbeam. If any of you have ever slabbed a burl, you already know it's the worst! Besides voids, I've found: dirt, fungi, leaves, twigs, mold, moss, water, and in one - a dead mouse!

Anyway, the slabs went in with a room full of green firewood, and in 7-10 days were ready. Surprisingly, very few cracks developed in the woods as they dried. As soon I got it home I cut them into blocks, then brought them into the house so they stayed dry until I got around to finishing them. Unfortunately, all that effort was a waste of time, since only a few ever sold. But hey - it was fun making them, and I have enough blocks to last me three lifetimes!

Chris Mitchell

Lets see some pics and get them bad boys sold

 

[TrxR]

what light colored wood would you recommend to go along with walnut for a stock build? Im wanting to run it down the center of the stock. Im assuming i want something of a similar density ?

Thanks

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Maple

 

[Bc'z]

Paduac, rosewood

 

[joshb]

Cherry isn’t a bad choice, either.

 

[spclark]

what light colored wood would you recommend to go along with walnut for a stock build? Im wanting to run it down the center of the stock. Im assuming i want something of a similar density ?

Thanks

Butternut.

Same species, similar working quality & density, some refer to it as ‘white walnut’.

Cherry’s close, maple - hard maple that is - is denser, much tighter grained. You might look into Basswood too but it can be fuzzy at the finishing stage.

Here’s a useful listing of hardwood densities.

 

[spclark]

Paduac, rosewood

Both can cause issues with your health & well-being if you’re not well-prepared to deal with their propensity to cause skin irritations & allergic reactions.