Replies

1. 
   TomT226 | Mar 01, 2009 01:22am | #1

   Cool.  What is that, Oak?  Made a lot of stocks from semi-inletted blanks for Mauser actions, but never one from totally scratch, except for muzzle-loaders.  Used to use "Prussian blue," a dye you would paint the action and barrel with to tell what needed trimming.  Usually trace around the action and use the DP to hog out the waste around the trigger and mag.  We usually "free floated" barrels if they were sporter-weight so as not to change the zero when they warmed up after a few shots.  You can also glass-bed the action so it's a press fit. 

   Wait 'till you start to checker it....

    

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 01, 2009 01:55am | #5

   It is White oak. I think will be ok.

   I am not a gun guy but I could use the Prussian Blue for some refinements. Where do I get that? I was just using chalk to get it close.

   Don't think I am up to checkering it.

1. 
   TomT226 | Mar 01, 2009 03:25pm | #8

   Haven't bought any in 35 years.  May have to google it.  When you finish this'un, you'll be hooked.

   Build a Kentucky Rifle.  Even if you don't shoot it, it looks good on the wall. 

2. 
   Danno | Mar 01, 2009 11:32pm | #12

   My Dad was a gunsmith and had Prussian blue--but it was just in a tube like artist's oil paint--in fact, I'm pretty sure that's all it was. You could go to a hobby store or art store and just buy artist's oil paint in a tube--they may not have Prussian blue, but I would guess that any dark blue would work--Windsor blue or the like. I, myself would avoid anything called Pthaylo or Thaylo blue because that stains and may sink into the wood and be hard to remove. I think there are also compounds that patternmakers use, but I don't know where you'd get those.

2. 
   Danno | Mar 01, 2009 01:23am | #2

   Looks good. You probably know that there are specialized tools for mortising out gun stocks. I have put off doing one--I received a semi-finished blank that I have to inlet the barrel into--the stock has been rough-shaped at the factory (but not even a starter groove for the barrel), so cutting the groove for the barrel will be more of a challenge. I was going to build some sort of sled to use to hold the blank upside down to route it on a router table, but think I'll just cut the centerline by hand with a knife and saw and then gradually enlarging it.

   The blank has been sitting around my house for about twenty years! Talk about putting something off! I also need to decide how to do the tang--probably heat and bend--I stupidly had a pistol grip made and then realized the tang is straight back (it's an old .45-70 and I'm a bit reluctant to mess with it, but the last owner reblued it and did a rather sloppy job (looks like he mopped on cold-bluing with a cotton swab or something), so I wouldn't be destroying it's value much by altering the tang).

1. 
   TomT226 | Mar 01, 2009 01:32am | #3

   Be sure and drill the mounting bolt holes first so you have a relatively flat surface to register the action and barrel accurately to your line.  Usually have much longer bolts that you can start with.  I still have a full set of commercial and military Mauser, and Model 70 turnscrews. 

1. 
   Danno | Mar 01, 2009 01:45am | #4

   Good advice!

2. 
   doodabug | Mar 01, 2009 02:02am | #6

   Thanks, I figured there were tools for the barrel groove but this will be a one time deal for me.

    I saw one company on the internet that has a duplicating machine that copies the old stock with a pin router.

1. 
   frontiercc2 | Mar 01, 2009 03:25am | #7

   Where's the thumb hole??J/K -really looks good- takes more patience than I have.

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 01, 2009 10:58pm | #10

   Thanks

3. 
   Sphere | Mar 01, 2009 04:47pm | #9

   Aha!  I saw another picture you posted in a different thread , table saws or something, and I swore I saw a fore stock in the pict.  Glad I wasn't imagining things.

   Looks like a fun job.

   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

    

   They kill Prophets, for Profits.

    

    

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 01, 2009 10:59pm | #11

   Been fun so far.

4. 
   doodabug | Mar 03, 2009 04:10am | #13

   Made some more progress on the gunstock. A little more shaping then ready for hand sanding.

   
1. 
   TomT226 | Mar 03, 2009 08:50pm | #14

   Lookin' good.  For a vise, we used to take a couple of 2X6's and drill holes in'em for pipe clamps, and drape a piece of carpet in the middle.  You put clamps on the pipe clamps to keep it from moving.  Worked great for spoke shaves, chiseling, and sanding. 

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 04, 2009 02:15am | #15

   I am going to try that, been having a time clamping it in. Thanks.

5. 
   doodabug | Mar 14, 2009 12:22am | #16

   I got the gunstock done.

   It's not perfect by any means but makes me proud of myself anyway.

   10 years ago I wouldn't have even attempted making this from a hunk of wood.

   
1. 
   Sphere | Mar 14, 2009 12:31am | #17

   Looks great. Thats a Marlin izzzn it? I had a 20 ga Goose Gun back in '70.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

    

   They kill Prophets, for Profits.

    

    

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 14, 2009 12:50am | #18

   Thanks, It is a Stevens 58 clip 20ga. The clip holds three shells.

   He calls it his rabbit gun.

1. 
   RW | Mar 14, 2009 02:45am | #21

   I'm a little late on the thread but FWIW you can check out Brownells online and they have all kinds of specialty tools, inletting screws, inletting black, etc.

   I have used for years a tiny jar of vaseline with a little blue artists oil in it for inletting marking. Works the same. Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 14, 2009 05:45pm | #26

   If I ever build another I may try it.

2. 
   FNbenthayer | Mar 14, 2009 03:31pm | #23

   Beautiful job!Looking at the grain flow, I would epoxy or Acraglas a 5" section of drill rod or all thread from the rear of the action-> back through the grip and into the buttstock. Oak is strong, but it splits easily.Jim 

    

    

    

   The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 14, 2009 05:51pm | #28

   Thanks, Somebody told me it looked too heavy as it is and I hope it doesn't split because I don't think I want to make another one for him.

2. 
   TomT226 | Mar 14, 2009 09:54pm | #29

   Seen that done for heavy center-fire calibers like .458's and .460 Weatherbys.  Built some stacked lamination stocks from walnut and maple, mostly thumbhole's to over come that problem.  Never had a stock split there.

   Bet Davey Crockett had the stock split when he was fending off all of those Mexican soldiers.... ;-) 

3. 
   FNbenthayer | Mar 14, 2009 10:32pm | #30

   Yes, it's SOP on the boomers regardless of grain flow through the wrist. If you look at the grain on DB's stock, IMHO, it needs it too. Notice the original stock broke the same way. I'd hate to DB's nice work in two pieces. Jim 

    

    

    

   The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski

4. 
   doodabug | Mar 15, 2009 01:02am | #31

   The original stock broke because he got mad and clubbed a tree with it.

5. 
   FNbenthayer | Mar 15, 2009 02:21pm | #32

   With the wrist pinned, he could hit it three times ;>) 

    

    

    

   The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski

6. 
   TomT226 | Mar 15, 2009 04:45pm | #33

   LMAO

   Maybe he should take up golf... 

7. 
   doodabug | Mar 15, 2009 11:48pm | #35

   If he breaks it again he can make his own.

8. 
   Sphere | Mar 15, 2009 04:58pm | #34

   If you ever do decide to make a KY rifle, I have some really, really sweet curly maple..surprisingly from..Kentucky!

   My firewood is from a guy that buys the butts from a veneer log buyer and I get so much that is so crazy pretty, I keep a stash in the shop that I can't bring myself to burn.

   After it sits inside for a yr or two, I resaw thin slabs ...just yesterday, I sawed some 1/4'erd grain Sycamore that looks like Lacewood it's so spekkly and full of eyes.

   Making the DW a small box out of some wild crazy maple in just a few days..I sawed it in slabs last year, and just planed it to final thickness after I put sharp knives in the planer, this stuff is a bear to plane.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

    

   They kill Prophets, for Profits.

    

    

9. 
   doodabug | Mar 15, 2009 11:59pm | #36

   Thanks, I will keep you in mind.

2. 
   TomT226 | Mar 14, 2009 02:07am | #19

   Hey!  That looks great.  Better'n my first stock.  Looked like a crutch that had been drug through a rock pile.

   NOW yer ready for a Kentucky Rifle.  You get to file the brass too... 

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 14, 2009 05:42pm | #24

   Thanks, I'm not really a gun guy but a Kentucky Rifle might look good on my rec room wall.

3. 
   Matt | Mar 14, 2009 02:35am | #20

   Nice work...  Is that oak?

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 14, 2009 05:44pm | #25

   Thanks, yes it is White Oak that has been in my basement for 10 years or more.

4. 
   DavidxDoud | Mar 14, 2009 05:04am | #22

   nice job - hope the barrel/action is equal to your stock - "there's enough for everyone"

1. 
   doodabug | Mar 14, 2009 05:47pm | #27

   Thanks, the guy I made it for says it is.