Wood Blanks for making stocks.

[mcfadden222]

My buddy cut down a black walnut tree last summer and still has a few big logs left. I am going to try and make a stock from one of the pieces we cut. Below is a picture of a piece. I have seen these on other sites from $40 to like $800 plus! Not sure why some are so expensive. My question is, are these blanks worth any money?

Before planing...

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After...

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[paintballdude902]

im sure if you precut the blanks you could put them on ebay and make a decent amount

 

[cruisin23]

I don't know your location but I've got a friend who deals in wood who may be able to give you an idea. His website is cookwoods.com

 

[NTP19]

Well my other hobby happens to be woodworking. I can garuntee that blank is not dry enough to work yet. Figure 1 year of drying per inch of thickness as a general rule. You could find someone with a kiln which will cut that time down significantly. For furniture grade lumber (which I would use for a stock) you are looking for 7-10% moisture content. Work it before then and the wood will move as it continues to dry and most likely crack and check. HTH

 

[mcfadden222]

I am in KY. I will check out his website, thanks....

I was aware it was not near dry enough. But how to I determine a 7-10% moisture content?

 

[NTP19]

Moisture meter, mine has 2 pins in the top that you stick into the wood and it will give you the moisture content. Picked mine up at lowes on sale for $20. If you have any buddies that do serious woodworking they may have one you could borrow. Just keep in mind that in a thicker piece the outside will dry faster then the center. Ideally you would slice off a little from the end and test it in the middle of the board along with around the outside

 

[Tomcat47]

Don't they refer to that as stabilizing it before you work it?

I think Grizzly Woodworking sells stabilized blanks of exotic and hard wood?
they may not be big enough for rifle stocks though?

That is a pretty nice piece of Black Walnut for sure!

 

[NTP19]

Correct Tomcat. Not sure about grizzly though. I have some of their large stationary tools but never heard if them selling wood. Kentucky produces some of the nicest black walnut you will find.... something about the soil there. Black walnut around here doesn't get that deep dark color like it does in Kentucky, but cherry grows like weeds around here and hard to find nicer cherry anywhere

 

[Sam1911]

Don't they refer to that as stabilizing it before you work it?

I think Grizzly Woodworking sells stabilized blanks of exotic and hard wood?
they may not be big enough for rifle stocks though?

No. Stabilized wood is impregnated with chemical resins to try and fill the pores, grain, and any other voids to keep the wood from absorbing and releasing any other moisture ever again. That will keep it extremely dimensionally stable. It is a chemical process usually applied to fairly thin items like knife scales.

Dried wood is simply allowed (or forced) to give off moisture down to some very low percentage. (~15% or less for building, ~9-10% or less for furniture/stocks) The wood is still free to absorb and expel atmospheric moisture through seasons and changes in humidity. (That's why in old houses with real wood doors and windows, those doors and windows tend to be looser in winter and sometimes stick in the summer.)

...

Mcfadden, you are going to want to sit on that blank for a few years yet, even if the moisture meter reads low. The core is still going to be too moist. If I were you I'd put clamps on the ends of the stick to try to reduce the tendency of the piece to check and crack as it dries. As you think about using that blank, remember you want to cut away the sapwood (the differently colored stuff that came from the edge of the tree, nearest the bark) and also cut out any pith (the center of the tree where the rings are smallest). Use the good clear heartwood in between.

You've got that one piece to work with, I understand, but the closer it is to quartersawn or rift, the more stable and high quality it is likely to be. The closer to true flat-sawn, the less worthwhile it will be. See this: http://www.aboutcivil.com/imajes/fig6-4.jpg

 

[NTP19]

Good points Sam. You alot of guys will use a product like Anchor Seal that you "paint" on the end grand of the wood that will keep the end grain from drying out much faster than the core which will cause checking and cracking in the end of the board. If you air dry the piece, you can only expect to get the wood down the the moisture content of the air where ever you live is. For me here, 10-11% is about as low as it gets as some of the lumber i have in my shop tests currently in that window.

Another good point on the quarter sawn vs flat sawn. Quarter sawn stock is much more stable and resists movement, twisting etc much better. Easy way to tell what you have is by looking at the end grain. If the grain of the wood runs top to bottom you have quarter sawn, if it run parallel or has an "arching" shape horizontally, you have flat sawn. Not that flat sawn lumber is worthless by any means, it just has more tendency to move, bow or twist as it drys. BTW, what are the dimensions of the piece you have there?

 

[Old Dog Man]

Stock blank

I'v never done one from a fresh cut blank, but have been told by old smiths (older than me,and that's old) that the ends should be coated with parafin wax while they are curing to keep it from splitting, is that true. Al

 

[stan rose]

Wood fibers are like straws, when the wood is cut perpedicular to the grain the end of the fibers are open like the end of a straw. It is at these open ends that moisture is either accepted or expelled at the greatest rate. If you seal the ends with wax it forces moisture to be expelled through the grain at a slower and more even rate, the more even the curing the less chance of splits, checks, cupping and bowing. Also if you have a door that swells every summer rubbing wax on the bottom and top of the stiles during the fall or winter will help keep it from swelling again.

 

[NTP19]

If you have any old oil based paint laying around some people will use that to paint on the end grain, although probably not quite as effective as a designated product. I know wood turners who do bowls and what not will seal their entire blank in wax to keep it from splitting and cracking with very good results. Just tough to dip a whole piece in wax if its too big.

 

[mcfadden222]

Oh man a couple of years?? That sucks. Can I speed the process up? I just read somewhere that kiln wood sucks so I'm scared to do that. I'm gonna cut about 8 more blanks which I don't care to wait on. I just wanted to do one now.

That blank is 32 x 7.25 x 3.25

 

[mcfadden222]

I heard of a black walnut tree that has been laying on the ground for a while. It might be rotton but hopefully I can get some quarter sawn blanks from it. Any other tips if I'm able to salvage this tree??? Thanks for all the replys.

 

[Sam1911]

Oh man a couple of years?? That sucks. Can I speed the process up?

In walnut? Yes. You can kiln dry it or if you can find a place to do so, RF dry it. (Kind of like microwaving the wood.)

I just read somewhere that kiln wood sucks so I'm scared to do that.

Forcing the drying in a kiln can cause some problems. But it doesn't always. Air drying is the less abrupt, stress-inducing way to do it. Natural things just take time.

 

[NTP19]

Kiln dried wood is no worse than air dried lumber. In fact many people will only use kiln dried lumber as a lower MC can be achieved and the process kills any bugs or eggs that may be present within the wood. I would not hesitate to kiln dry those for stocks, you just need to find someone with a kiln. I figure of its good enough for fine furniture, its good enough for gun stocks

 

[Tomcat47]

Thanks Sam..... I been around wood all my life with my Dad and Grandpa(rip)....I watched them do things, never really got into it, but thought it was neat.

They made doors and cabinets and the such, but Grandpa..he made these wooden bowls and stuff that required a special talent to keep them from splitting and cracking when he was done....just a real art!

And I presume it had a lot to do with moisture etc. But he made some beautiful stuff! Bowls, salt pepper shakers, kleenex box covers, jewelry boxes. Maybe I can take some pics and share? Not really guns, but on the subject at hand somewhat.

I wish he was still here, and wish I had payed more attention to his craftsmanship....could have learned something valuable!

I have however used the stabilized wood for knife handles! I would love to take some of the ideas of my Grandpa and see it in a rifle stock....here are some samples of the stuff he used to make..usually more than one type of wood and usually several types actually.

 

[GuysModel94]

That walnut looks like it would make a beautiful guitar!!

 

[Old Dog Man]

Get-er-done

 

[NTP19]

Nice bowls tomcat. Those are called segmented bowls. It does take alot of planning and talent to make those come out right. Looks like your grandfather did awsome work. I do mostly furniture, dressers, beds, rocking chairs, tables etc.

 

[DM~]

First of all, i mill all of my own lumber, includeing some stock blanks, here's a walnut going on the mill, (can you see the anchorseal on the end of the log?)



I mill out, both lumber and stock blanks, it depends on what THAT log will give, as not all walnut will turn out good stock blanks,



For gunstocks out of walnut, you don't need to quartersaw. In fact flat sawing makes a much nicer stock, and anyway stock layout is MUCH more important than quarter vs flat. Just sawing out thick slabs does NOT make your best, strongest stocks. See how i milled this walnut so i can get good layout,



I can't stress enough how important the "layout" of the stock blank is!!!

Then use Anchorseal on the end grain and highly figured area's, or even melted wax, oil paint is the WRONG thing to use, and latex works, but it works poorly!

Once that is done, the blanks need to be stacked on stickers and covered to air dry,



After a couple years, you can move the blank inside a house for another 6 mo. or longer BEFORE you start butchering it!

DM

 

[NTP19]

Great Post by DM,

I have zero experience with making stocks but I'm guessing that what DM is referring to with the layout, is that you want the grain to run the full length of your stock blank. If the grain runs perpendicular or at an angle to the length of the stock you are creating a weak point that could potentially break off.

 

[mcfadden222]

Wow dm. That is awesome.
So here is my newest source. Wonder if it is salvageable? I have not cut into it yet, just found it the other day.

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[mcfadden222]

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