where to get a walnut thumbhole stock?

[UT PROSIM]

I have been thinking about starting another rifle project and i would like to take some old beat up barrelled blot action ( remington, winchester or mauser) refinish it and get a rough cut stock for it and make it look pretty.
but the only thing is i cant find a thumbhole stock that isnt laminate... i am looking for a rough unfinnished stock i can finish, checker and add caps to. But i dont have the tools or know how to start from a blank, i atleast i dont think so.

what tools does one need to inlet a stock? becasue i might have them and most of all this is a learing project for me so if i jack up a 50 dollar peice of wood ill live.
Pat

 

[hardluk1]

Unless your wood working skills are first class cabnet quality i would not try to make a stock from scatch. This is one company that can get you a stock at diffent levels of finish. Richards Micro-Fit Gunstocks Inc. (rifle-stocks.com)

 

[rattletrap1970]

Boyds too

 

[Smokey Joe]

Stock work...

Ut Prosim--You said

what tools does one need to inlet a stock

Here's a list:
Dremel tool or equivalent, with several grinding/sanding heads. This, IMHO, is the most important.
Scrapers--You want a flat scraper and a round-end one. Small enough to fit into bbl channels and action inletting.
Small, sharp chisel (Not essential, but sometimes handy.)
Sandpaper, woodworking grits
Steel wool, grade XXXX
Ordinary hardware store spray satin spar varnish
Miscellaneous rags, cleanup stuff, and so on
Glass-bedding kit
Modelling clay
Masking tape
Length of surgical tubing for wrapping stock & action while glass-bedding sets. Works just as good as using the bottom metal and the screws, but no risk of gluing the screws in place! You wrap it on like a giant rubber band, tuck the loose end under, and it holds.
PATIENCE. If it's your first stock, GO SLOW, try-fit the bbl/action often, then try it again. It's much easier to take a little more wood off than to put it back on!!

BTW, you start with an "unfinished" (not varnished) stock from Boyd's, not with a chunk of wood, unless you're already a master wood carver. Boyd's will sell you a plain chunk of walnut if you want, but....

Boyd's will sell you the stock, and supply a finishing kit if you want to buy it. I got all my finishing stuff locally. The Boyd's telephone people are very used to talking newbies through a tight spot. The glass-bedding kit should come with instructions. Brownell's Acra-Glas Gel works good. BE SURE you use enough release compound! I use a spot of axle grease on top of the release compound any place I'm unsure of.

Boyd's will send you a catalogue for the asking. They also have a website.

When you have the action fitted to the stock, and glass-bedded, then you varnish the stock. It's a standard wood-finishing project from here on out, and as always, the most tedious part is the sanding. But all of this is just work, it's not rocket science nor achemy, and if you take your time and try to do it right it will come out nice.

Contacts:

Brownell's: 1-800-741-0015; www.brownells.com

Boyd's: 1-605-996-5011; www.boydsgunstocks.com

I'm sure I've forgotten something vital; I'm equally sure someone else will add that something to the list.

Please let us know of your decision, and keep us posted on your progress!

 

[jdowney]

what tools does one need to inlet a stock? becasue i might have them and most of all this is a learing project for me so if i jack up a 50 dollar peice of wood ill live.
Pat

In short you need a bench chisel, a few carving chisels, a scribing tool, a scraper for the barrel channel, and a drill or preferably drill press. If you can find a copy of Al Linden's book(s), he covers most everything and how to make stuff like the scriber and scraper. Oh, and a hand plane to true up the top of the blank if you don't have a jointer.

After inletting, you'll need a few good rasps and if you're in a hurry, an angle grinder.

Goby Walnut used to sometimes have reject blanks for cheap, send them an email to ask about it.
http://www.gobywalnut.com/catalog/index.php

This guy's wood is very reasonable, lowest grade blanks are better quality than FAS wood from a commercial yard, and about the same price (except for shipping of course).
http://www.clarowalnutgunstocks.com/products.htm

Making a gunstock is not a trivial task, and it may take several attempts to get one you're really proud of, but its fully worth doing. Fitting up and finishing a "90%" stock is much easier, though still a ton of work - they're more like a 50% stock, the vendor just did the quick and easy stuff. I'd encourage you to aim high and try one from scratch, don't worry about making mistakes, that's how you learn a skill.

You might also be able to get a custom roughed stock from Boyds or somebody, tell them what you're after and maybe they can help you out if you want to go that route.

 

[UT PROSIM]

i have all the equipment ya'll have listed out for me (some of the cheaper stuff i dont i can get from midway) i make knives as a hobby so im familiar with working with wood and metal.

i appreciate all the advice and ill keep ya posted with my choices and if i might make a thread for when i actually start, i think it might entertain some guys on here.

 

[UT PROSIM]

i really think i want to try to do the stock from scratch. but i have a few of questions:

what grade of walnut should i buy for a first project? and what grade do most manufactures use for the average stock? (i have a m1 garand i refinished and it has beautiful wood and would be happy with that quality grade)

are there patterns for the fitting of the rifle or should i cut my dimensions the same as the original stock of the rifle?

and what is sap wood exactly?

i have a whole month during winter i can work on this project so i'll have plenty of time to plan and draw up my own patterns and figure out exactly what i want, but if any of you guys have taken on something like this and have tips and dumb mistakes for me to look out for id really appreciate that too
Pat

 

[oneounceload]

so if i jack up a 50 dollar peice of wood ill live.

that won't be walnut.........not even beech or birch - might be pine

 

[viking499]

A stock from scratch is not to bad. A thumbhole stock from scratch would be a challenge.

Sap wood is the outer layer of wood on a tree. The part that the nutrients travel up and down. A tree consists of sap wood and heart wood. Usually noticeable when looking at a cut tree. There is two different colors, one dark and one lighter. A good example is a cedar tree. The red color is heart wood, the white around the outside is sap wood.

 

[snakeman]

Boyds makes excellent stocks. I love my jrs!

 

[UT PROSIM]

oneounce, there are lots of low grade walnut for around 35 bucks.
and thank you viking, does sap wood give a stock weak points?

 

[viking499]

Sap wood is usually not as "seasoned" as heart wood. Sometimes softer, weaker, usually higher in moisture unless kiln dried, splits easier, etc.

 

[jdowney]

does sap wood give a stock weak points?

Sapwood is also more prone to bugs (usually powder post beetles), mildew, and general decay. It was traditionally avoided in gunstocks and furniture for these reasons, and because large chunks of clear heartwood were more readily available.

As to cost, those $35 blanks of Wally's are about the best deal going, though shipping can be a bit rough. Buy four or so and he'll usually pick up the shipping.

Seriously, find Alvin Linden's books. There were 3 volumes, the first tells you all you need to know about inletting. It's often reprinted (the other two less so), and readily available at a reasonable price:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=1379973875

Inletting is typically done by scribing your cut lines using the metal parts rather than a pattern or an old stock. Its more accurate that way and you can get a really tight fit with some practice. Even if you're going to glass bed the pressure points, you still want a snug fit where it shows.