It's wonderful to be using the shops.



Here's the star of the show with stock oil finish. I've been applying coats and it's turned out very well. Each angle and/or lighting you see it in will present a slightly different punch.



Here is the near side stock with it's carvings and scroll.



Near side pistol grip - deep relief carved in the round.



The forestock - carved in the round, This is only about a third of it.



The far side pistol grip.



The far side buttstock carving to balance the Orion figure and the Nebula.



And I carved the end cap in the round, and on the front extreme as well. It pulls the long stock together.

Now to let the finish cure to the point of being able to assemble and crate.

I sort of over did the sessions. I extended the duty cycle of the first compressor and it walked out on me! hahah. My arm has threatened the same - but so far I've bought it off by agreeing to rest today. haha. We are getting driving rain and brown outs here anyway. Not a day to carry this stock and rifle between shops and fight the final prep. of the trip north.

Thanks for following along. I know there is a lot to read on the net. I'm glad you enjoy my work enough to join here.

God Bless,
Gary

Look nice Gary.

That's some of your best Gary! You are right about it pulling the the stock together. The flow of the carving complements the long lines of the stock.

I also notice the clean, neat and spacious shop in the back ground. I hope the tools are finding their new home suitable.

Kent

That is going to be one sweet looking airgun. Is the stock straight grained walnut, or mahogany?

Good time to tell the story about what stocks are "supposed" to be made of... according to the kid at the lumberyard...

Right!
Jerry refers to my quest to satisfy a customer who wanted a Coco Bolo stock. I searched the world. Everybody wanted to know what I wanted to do with it. Even today ... You can buy a toilet seat at Lowes and the guy will look at you and ask you want you want to do with it.
Well, everybody kept telling me they had walnut. They said that's what I really neded. I went thru this with about five suppliers. Finally got sent to a company in New York! Bronks. Honest. Receptionist answers the phone. I tell her I was given their name in my search for Coco Bolo plank stock. "What do you want to do with it?" Gunstock. "We have some nice walnut". Thank you. Just the coco bolo. "I'll transfer you to Vinnie in the millwork shop". Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ri........... ng. "HELLO!!!" Shouting over planers and saws in the shop. I go thru ... coco bo ...customer ... told to call ... office transferred ... "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT". I'm a craftsman ... gunstock. "GUNSTOCKS ARE WALNUT!!!!"

Probably why I use other woods as a small rage against the machine ... Haha.

Gary

I'm sorry, rage is made out of figured maple or stainless steel! Silly craftsmen!

Good thing they didn't get you any. You would have probably succum to the toxic dust! Besides a real stock has checkering not oak leaves and acorns and two wrongs don't make a right.

Keep bucking the trends Gary,

Kent

Oh but I did finally get the coco bolo. Made the stock. Early 20 cal rotary breech. Stock weighed about 20 pounds. Haha. Should have used Mahogany. Guy wanted Coco Bolo. I used to use it with knives too. Probably what's wrong with me. Coco Bolo Scrounge or something.



Gary

Forgot ...
Regarding trends ... Haha. I figure if I do it my way for another twenty years - some poor slob that really wants to just cut a grid of parallel lines, will be forced to carve deep relief scrolls, oak leaves, and pictures of me; into his gun stocks. He'll have to to copy the "old timers". Hehe.

Gary

I pity the fool assigned to copy you. You've been doing this how long? And no two remotely the same, it'd be like trying to copy snowflakes.