# handmade stocks



## takamineman (Jun 3, 2010)

Has anyone ever made a stock from scratch?  I'm gonna build a rifle and have a modest amount of wood working experience--was wondering about warping issues, etc.  As far as getting it the shape I want it, I can pbly handle that.  I just have alot of unanswered questions.  Any help would be appreciated.  Also, does anyone know where to get a mauser action?


----------



## GAnaturalist (Jun 3, 2010)

I am still building mine, I guess. There was a thread on here, but who knows how to find that. I will try to post some pics. 

I like carving, so this was an interest challenge. I was not easy, especially drilling for the action screws, because you only get one chance to drill the hole exactly where it suppose to be, and thats after doing the majority of the carving/inletting. I bedded the action with agra-glass from brownells, and installed aluminium pillars into the bedding. Savages offer a unique challenge in this area, in that the rear pillar is cut down in half to allow room for the trigger/sear/safety. I would not recommend working on a Savage or Ruger for that matter on your first try. A Remy 700 seems pretty straight foward, I have not built a Mausar yet, however, most have a blind magazine like the savage below, which is not as easy to carve either. I plan on doing a single shot reminton 700 in the future, with three action screws, should make for an accurate rifle, and easier to carve. 
Inletting is easier with the mill I have now, but fostner drill bits and a assorment of chisels make it easier if you do not have a mill. 

No warping issues. The wood is pre seasoned, or I seasoned it for a year. Some say walnut needs longer, I don't know. It worked for me. 

I usually do relief carvings on the stock after I finish the rough cuts, etc. but with the one in the pics I will inlay with curly maple veneer (to contrast with the walnut), probably just some red oak looking inlay patterns. I shouldn't be that hard.


----------



## GAnaturalist (Jun 3, 2010)

More pics


----------



## GAnaturalist (Jun 3, 2010)

I had to use a hand saw, hatchet, drawknife, etc. no special tools for that build. 

Oh, p.s., as far as difficulty....welcome to h e l l.


----------



## takamineman (Jun 4, 2010)

that's some beautiful work!  I only hope mine turns out half that nice!


----------



## 99Tarbox (Jun 6, 2010)

Did a whole thread on cutting an SKS stock.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=467324


----------



## mattellis2 (Jun 6, 2010)

wow, i missed the conclusion to that thread...it looks great!  do you have any pictures with the action sitting in its new home?

why the different forearm cap?


----------



## 99Tarbox (Jun 6, 2010)

mattellis2 said:


> wow, i missed the conclusion to that thread...it looks great!  do you have any pictures with the action sitting in its new home?
> 
> why the different forearm cap?



The forearm cap was an experiment...as was the whole project.  I'm still working on the gas tube cover, so it technically not complete.  Below is the closest to complete I have as an image.  I've taken it out shooting without the protective cap on, but the gas tube installed, and it shoots very nice.  Heavy as heck though.


----------



## mattellis2 (Jun 6, 2010)

again, looks good!  not crazy about the forearm, but the grain in the buttstock is amazing.

slightly off topic, but do you have a source for sugar maple?

-matt


----------



## 99Tarbox (Jun 6, 2010)

Nope, not around where I live now.


----------



## GAnaturalist (Jun 6, 2010)

99Tarbox said:


> Did a whole thread on cutting an SKS stock.
> 
> http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=467324
> 
> ...


----------



## olchevy (Aug 18, 2010)

Did you ever get around to finishing it? i am very interested in it...


----------



## mike bell (Aug 18, 2010)

that wood is worth more the the gun....


----------



## 99Tarbox (Aug 20, 2010)

I haven't finished mine just yet...well, at least the gas cylinder cover isn't done.  I've had it out shooting without that though.   

GAnaturalist, how is yours coming?


----------



## STRYCNINE (Aug 20, 2010)

So this is where you're at........lol.


----------



## 99Tarbox (Aug 21, 2010)

Is not!


----------



## mike bell (Aug 23, 2010)

Heres two of my unfinished stock projects.  A birds eye maple for a win m70. and a fancy walnut chin stock for a 10/22    one of these days I'll get to them


----------



## Dakotaman (Nov 11, 2010)

Wow! 99Tarbox, that is some nice stock. You may have the best outfitted SKS in America... nice job. Just plain beautiful! I am embarassed to show my hunk of wood. I started like you did with a hunk of walnut and I whittled away on it for three months. I did this over 40 years ago and still remember the anquish. I needed a left handed stock for my right handed Mauser and couldn't find one. I did most of it with rasps and took off a little at a time. After a while, I got more and more bold but it took a while before I could visualize where the barreled action would go. I didn't do nearly as nice a job on my forend. My problem there was that I used a light birch spacer and the walnut dust kept staining it as I filed away wood and I never could get it clean. I screwed my butt pad on the end of the block of wood and shaped the wood to the shape of the pad. I originaly dug out the action bed but have since glass/pilar bedded it. Although you will float the barrel, use a barrel bedding tool... it is worth the money to get the right size and a nice round channel. Mine did warp a little after 20 years so the barrel hit the forend. I sanded it out without a problem. I wanted a real straight drop on the stock so I also had to get the stock bedded early to make sure where the bolt hit when it was all the way open. As you can see, I didn't put too much contour in the forend because I wanted to keep it simple. Nowdays, I would put more effort into that. It was a fun project though and it gives your rifle a lot of sentimental value. The real wood can shoot plenty good. This is the fourth barrel on this guy and all have shot sub-.2 and this one shoots sub-.1 with modern barrel technology. I included a shot of a hundred yard target to show you that home made wood doesn't hurt accuracy.


----------



## GAnaturalist (Nov 11, 2010)

99Tarbox said:


> I haven't finished mine just yet...well, at least the gas cylinder cover isn't done.  I've had it out shooting without that though.
> 
> GAnaturalist, how is yours coming?



I was going to wait until the finished product...but it is taking me too long. I doing a couple of other projects too. 

I added a 3 pound lead weight to the inside of the butt stock (after boring out the butt stock, then bedding the weight in place). 
This is the same stock as above in the thread, for a .204 Savage. 
just some final shaping and staining, I still have a long way to go. I want a grip cap/extension and fore end cap made of tiger maple to contrast, and inlay a pattern of leaves, etc. out of tiger maple.


----------



## takamineman (Nov 16, 2010)

that is a sure enough nice stock!  I did a rough draft on a piece of oak from my friend's back yard that turned out pretty good, now I think I'm ready to try it on some walnut.  I learned ALOT on the first try...way more of what NOT to do than what to do!  It was fun but the oak just isn't the stock I want handed down through the family.


----------



## GAnaturalist (Nov 17, 2010)

Yea, I found my walnut, or, I found a walnut tree. Just plain straight grain, and there were some small knots. I just cut it with a chain saw, and let it season for about a year. I still have the other halve. I will use it some day in the future; however, I have my heart set on CURLY MAPLE, or tiger/fiddle back maple blank. They run about 100.00 for the blank, but I am doing it ! Maybe for a Mauser scout type rifle.


----------



## takamineman (Nov 18, 2010)

yeah that'd be beautiful!  I really enjoyed building the Mauser. I was just another good/creative way to be around guns.  Too bad I can't make a living in the gun industry--I'd sure do it!


----------



## NCHillbilly (Nov 18, 2010)

Y'all do some amazing work.


----------



## Twenty five ought six (Nov 18, 2010)

I was really skeptical about you building a gun from scratch, but you have done an amazing job.

Congratulations.


----------



## FRAMER (Nov 21, 2010)

what do oyu mean by "season" the wood?


----------



## GAnaturalist (Nov 23, 2010)

FRAMER said:


> what do oyu mean by "season" the wood?



When you cut a live tree down you have to let it dry out before carving for best results. Slow and steady is best. Letting the wood dry to a point of very little water remaining in the wood is called seasoning. 

I cover the ends of the wood with waterproof wood glue, others use latex paint, resin, etc. This keeps the wood from checking (cracking). I also remove the bark, and keep the wood in a dark cool place for a period of time depending on the species of wood. 

D


----------



## FRAMER (Nov 25, 2010)

I been thinking of making my own stock set for an AK. You cut some oak or walnut, I do not remember. 
The wood had been outside for 1-2 year.

It looks like a pain to do your own stock.


----------



## takamineman (Nov 29, 2010)

A piece of red oak is what I used.  It is alot more of a pain than going and buying a stock, but it's fun also.  I tried to work on mine just when I wanted to, so that I never felt like I had to.  Didn't wanna be on any time frame.


----------



## GAnaturalist (Nov 29, 2010)

FRAMER said:


> I been thinking of making my own stock set for an AK. You cut some oak or walnut, I do not remember.
> The wood had been outside for 1-2 year.
> 
> It looks like a pain to do your own stock.



That is my next project, an AK stock set from scratch, and common tools. Tiger Maple wood. 

I will post a thread on that next month.

D


----------



## FRAMER (Dec 15, 2010)

GAnaturalist said:


> That is my next project, an AK stock set from scratch, and common tools. Tiger Maple wood.
> 
> I will post a thread on that next month.
> 
> D



PLease do, as I do not have the balls to try one.


----------

