Carving a Stock

[HuntAway]

Has anyone tried to carve their own stock? What wood did you use? Is there a good wood to practise on first for us less (notice how "us less" is almost like "useless")adept individuals?What tools other than a sander and a few chisels would I require?

My guess is TC will never come out with a lefthand thumbhole for the Omega so it is going to be a build your own sort of affair.

Any and all comments / info gladly received.

Thanks,

HuntAway

[sabotloader]

HuntAway

Personally I think this is a far bigger project than you might think....

What I might suggest is to pick up a cast off TC Omega lanimate stock and build your thumbhole from there. You might even be able to do it with a synthetic stock but you will need to add andshape fiberglass resin.

Just some thoughts...

[HuntAway]

Thanks sabotlader. Aren't the syntheticshollow??? Can you add wood to a laminate? Much of the wood could be taken out with my router. It would be the fine inletting where the problems would arise I think.

[frontier gander]

its not hard, just time consuming. Never done a thumbhole so that would really slow the process down. I'd use maple or walnut if you attempt.

[sabotloader]

HuntAway

Aren't the syntheticshollow???

yes, they are but there is nothing that says you can not fill the stock with resin then start your shaping.

Can you add wood to a laminate?

Certainly - the asiest thing in the world is to do is add wood to wood...

Much of the wood could be taken out with my router. It would be the fine inletting where the problems would arise I think.

Hole saw - then router then - rasp/chisel- then sand paper - then sanding blocks - then fine sand paper.

If you could get a right right hand thumbhole for a pattern you would be off to the raceses....

mike

[HuntAway]

I see Boyds has blanks for sale. I see three that I like.
http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Images/Parts/100-042.jpg
http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Images/Parts/100-145.jpg
http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Images/Parts/100-143.jpg

With a preference in order of appearance. Arelaminatesmore stable than just a plain walnut? I wonder about the glue letting go in wet / damp weather after several years. Solid wood wouldn't present that problem.

Walnut blanks are 1/2 the price of the laminates as well. I could order two in case I screw the first one up.[]

[sabotloader]

HuntAway

IMO only... Laminates (woods) are less expensive than quality clear walnut.... the glues they use nowdays will hold up.... especially if you seal the wood up with a good finish. Theoretically laminates are stonger than the pure wood and I guess I think they are.

Walnut blanks are 1/2 the price of the laminates as well. I could order two in case I screw the first one up.

I did not think that a walnut blanks would be less expensive...

Tough decision - glad you have to make it and not me...

[lemoyne]

ORIGINAL: HuntAway

Has anyone tried to carve their own stock? What wood did you use? Is there a good wood to practise on first for us less (notice how "us less" is almost like "useless")adept individuals?What tools other than a sander and a few chisels would I require?

My guess is TC will never come out with a lefthand thumbhole for the Omega so it is going to be a build your own sort of affair.

Any and all comments / info gladly received.

Thanks,

HuntAway

Yes, I have built a number of rifles except I only made a barrel once and that is a bear.
You might try birds eye or tigerstrip maple it is the best wood to work with and if you do a good job, then stain it with triminic acid sand that off [this will leave the soft part of the wood dark and bring out the grain in the hard part. I would suggest a tung nut oil finish.
Tools if used right and very carfully a scroll or band saw. a routing table, and a table saw greatly decrease the amount of work.
Unless you get a stock blank thats roughly to shape you really dont want to try it with just a few chisels if available a belt sander is very helpfull for shaping.You might check out some places like this.
http://gunstocksplus.com/blanks.html

[HuntAway]

I'll have to check with the neighbours for a scroll saw.
Thanks for the link Lemoyne. Their stocks seem geared towardstraditional rifles. I'm looking at restocking my Omega.

[yeoman]

Huntaway - I think you should give it a go. I've built several long bows starting from a log. They weren't easy and things that are rewarding rarely are. Starting from a split stave, I built the last and best one in 12 hours, roughing it out with a band saw and the rest with draw knife, rasps, and sand paper. That was using Osage Orange (hedge apple, bois d'arc). Beautiful wood but hard as iron. That involved following a single growth ring of the tree and constant "tillering" to assure balanced limbs, something you won't have to worry about in a stock. I'd go with maple as others have suggested for the first try. You may want to select a piece according to the grain; quarter sawn if you want beauty. I'd sure want a stock in hand before and during the process to look at and handle to result in a near replica. Don't know how you'll get that. The inletting is what has held me back from trying this myself. More tedious than anything. If I had a thumbhole stock to copy I'd be tempted to make one for my hawken components! Wouldn't that be a Heinz 57 with my GM barrel on it!

Do you suppose TC might have a cracked stock they'd part with for a template?