Stock wood materials

2066 Views 19 Replies 11 Participants Last post by AndyKunz, May 25, 2022

tallenjr

Discussion Starter · Jan 1, 2022

Okay…it’s official, I’ve been but by the DIY section of this forum for custom stocks. I’ve been a fan of 10/22s for years now, only recently joined this forum though. I stopped at a buddies place today and he has a saw mill and quite the selection of dry aged wood.

He’s got everything from cherry, oaks, walnut, popular, maples, and lots of pine. I had my eyes on a nice piece cherry, 3.5” wide, 6” deep, and 8 foot long…but put it aside for now and might circle back once I get some practice on a few stocks.

Does anyone recommend what might be the best stock material? I’ve done lots of wood working, and oak is my go to for long lasting stuff, but I haven’t seen many people talk about it on here to use for stocks. Plus it will be HEAVY. Popular and maple comes to mind for solid, and lightweight wood to work with. Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks!!

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aztarget

· #2 · Jan 1, 2022

Check out this thread should give you lots of ideas.

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1214719

crackedcornish

· #3 · Jan 1, 2022

well walnut has been a very popular choice for gun stocks for a very long time now

I've had this unfinished walnut 10/22 stock for years...kinda afraid to do anything with it, as I might mess it up...and the flame in that grain is so pretty

maybe, if I had a nicely blued steel receiver and heavy tapered 20" barrel for it I'd get more motivated to work on it

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zr2-s10

· #4 · May 8, 2022

crackedcornish said:
well walnut has been a very popular choice for gun stocks for a very long time now

I've had this unfinished walnut 10/22 stock for years...kinda afraid to do anything with it, as I might mess it up...and the flame in that grain is so pretty

maybe, if I had a nicely blued steel receiver and heavy tapered 20" barrel for it I'd get more motivated to work on it

Start sanding at 220 grit, and end up at say 600 grit, and it's ready for a satin or a high gloss finish.

Trentcamp

· #5 · May 23, 2022

Yeah man that deserves to have something done with it. That's way to pretty a piece of wood to have hidden. But I'm a wood snob for sure. Where do you find something like that? I might be interested in trying to do a build if I had something like that.

GladesGuy

· #6 · May 23, 2022

Walnut or Maple usually tops the list for many reasons. How much figure you can get really makes the difference.

toomanyguns

· #7 · May 23, 2022

I would say laminate is the best; just not the most traditional. I have never made a laminate stock, though.

Walnut is good and looks good but sometimes chips around sharp edges. Very hard; lots of tool sharpening.

Maple is very good with all kinds of figure. Figured wood looks good but is harder to work with.

Cherry works well and is durable but is sometimes prone to splitting.

I've used Red Alder for several stocks. It's fairly light weight, works well, and has some grain to it.

I've even used basswood and white pine for very lightweight stocks. I usually paint those.

I don't use Poplar because I hate the smell. OTOH, I love the smell of Red Alder.

I'm not a gunsmith or stock maker by trade but have made a few stocks (~40+).

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crackedcornish

· #8 · May 23, 2022

Trentcamp said:
Yeah man that deserves to have something done with it. That's way to pretty a piece of wood to have hidden. But I'm a wood snob for sure. Where do you find something like that? I might be interested in trying to do a build if I had something like that.

sorry to say, but some time in the early to mid 90's (can't remember exactly) when Reinhart Fajen was going out of business, they were selling off the inventory cheap

I bought about a half dozen various 10/22 stocks...sold most of 'em off

here's a bad pic of a birdseye maple I kept

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TEDDY BEAR RAT

· #9 · May 23, 2022

Walnut, maple, and cherry, in that order, but depending upon the figure and color. The odds of finding a highly figured cherry blank would be lowest. Oak is usually too heavy, as you mentioned, and the elastic modulus is not as good as walnut, then maple, again, walnut usually being the best for a gun stock. The ability to accept checkering and dyes also factors in to the decision. For a 10/22, anything you like that is reasonably machinable will work.

Trentcamp

· #10 · May 24, 2022

crackedcornish said:
sorry to say, but some time in the early to mid 90's (can't remember exactly) when Reinhart Fajen was going out of business, they were selling off the inventory cheap

I bought about a half dozen various 10/22 stocks...sold most of 'em off

here's a bad pic of a birdseye maple I kept

Yep. That's my kinda stuff there. Beautiful.

dbr65

· #11 · May 24, 2022

OK, TBR, not a 10/22 stock, but what would you say about Myrtlewood?

Doug

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Wood Bicycle part Trigger Air gun Gun accessory

Wood Jewellery Twig Metal Art

Musical instrument Wood Body jewelry Jewellery Fashion accessory

Wood Metal Fashion accessory Sword Bronze

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Trentcamp

· #12 · May 24, 2022

That'll work. Absolutely beautiful. Who done that one?

TEDDY BEAR RAT

· #13 · May 24, 2022

Myrtle is more popular than cherry for gun stocks, and I’ve seen mesquite, apple and ebony stocks as well, but methinks you’re just looking for an excuse to show that thing off again!

dbr65

· #14 · May 24, 2022

Methinks you are correct, TBR.

However, I know that you are very knowledgeable about various woods for gunstocks, and I had not heard of using Myrtlewood for a stock until Mike Turner offered me the blank. So I was interested in your opinion. Evan Koch made the stock and he said it was the first time he had worked with it. He liked he way it worked and his checkering came out great.

He used Macassar Ebony for the buttplate and grip cap, as well as the escutcheon for the forward action screw. Evan does beautiful work!

Doug

TEDDY BEAR RAT

· #15 · May 24, 2022

dbr65 said:
Methinks you are correct, TBR. However, I know that you are very knowledgeable about various woods for gunstocks, and I had not heard of using Myrtlewood for a stock until Mike Turner offered me the blank. So I was interested in your opinion. Evan Koch made the stock and he said it was the first time he had worked with it. He liked he way it worked and his checkering came out great.

He used Macassar Ebony for the buttplate and grip cap, as well as the escutcheon for the forward action screw. Evan does beautiful work!

Doug

Just yanking your chain. I don't think I've made a stock from Myrtlewood, but it's hard to argue with how that looks. I tried to make some stocks for a 1911, or something, out of Tulipwood, the cream-colored rosewood with beautiful pink streaking. It was kind of like working hard soap. I recently made a balance bike for No. 5 grandson out of zebrawood, though, and I could see no reason it would not work on a gun stock...it seemed a bit heavy. I also had a screwbean mesquite blank I almost used for a stock but backed off. I think Weatherby used screwbean for its .378 and .460 rifles for a time. Birch and beech are very good woods but are usually characterless. Stocks have been made from most every kind of wood one can imagine, but I think the universal use of walnut, even in military rifles, speaks volumes.
Speaking of shameless pic posting, zebrawood frame and forks with a padauk seat:

Wheel Tire Bicycle Bicycle tire Bicycle accessory

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dbr65

· #16 · May 24, 2022

Whoa! THAT is really slick! A new family heirloom.

👍

Doug

Trentcamp

· #17 · May 25, 2022

I remember way back when a writer I used to read a lot by the name of Ross Seyfried had some pictures of a rifle that had a screwbean mesquite stock. It also was a work of art. Can't remember the rifle but I remember the wood. I'll have to see if I can dig up some pics

crackedcornish

· #18 · May 25, 2022

every once in awhile Ruger will screw up and put a nice piece of wood on a Carbine

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BobSc

· #19 · May 25, 2022

Myrtle can be beautiful and is easy to work but it is difficult to find. It only grows in a small area of SW Oregon and Northern California along the Coast range and trees large enough for gunstock blanks are rare to come by...
A buddy did a mesquite stock quite some time back and it was a bit heavy and pretty plain looking with very straight grain . I remember talking to the wood butcher who carved it and he told me it was very brittle and hard on tools to work...

IMO, Maple and Black walnut are the most satisfying and easiest woods to carve stocks out of and are relatively plentiful and cheap.

AndyKunz

· #20 · May 25, 2022

Is that a different myrtle than what grows across the south like a weed, and gets some pretty good sizes?

If only kudzu could be used ...

Andy

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