The topic of "wood" was introduced by our reader, Barnes owner, and ledger customer; who goes by the name "Dory", here on the Rendezvous. He wanted a general overview of the topic of "wood" from my needs for rifle stocks.

Hi Dory,

I like to buy planks that have been air dried. I search out small sawmills and millwork outfits that will deal with me on a personal basis, and let me pick thru their inventory. The one I use most (don't ask) is a family outfit. They have large warehouse sheds and buildings where monster stacks of planks are stored. They let me pick thru them (I don't know why). I sometimes arrive during their lunch break (when the whole mill shuts down, and they have a group lunch - more of a feast it seems).

So, while they eat, I poke around these piles of planks. Seperated by species. I'll crawl up to the top of the stacks - often right under the roof, and start shifting planks from one stack to another. I go thru many, many tons of planks ... looking for he tell tale signs of grain, figure, and color. The planks are rough sawn, so you can't see what's there ... you have to sence alot of it. The "fuzz" from figure shown where end grain presents. The regular curl of fiddleback. The swirls. The butt log sections where most good grain will reside. It's something I learned in the early 70's - as a cabinet maker.

The planks I want, I shift to the floor - far below. Stand them on end. I get some planks from the sheds outside. I get some from stacks in the open air (although ... those are mostly in the process of being shifted around when I catch them outside). Sometimes, I ask them to move a stack for me ... and they'll shift a mountain of stuff, to reveal more access.

I do the best I can - often there's a couple of blanks in an otherwise plank of "wood". I take the good with the plain. My shop's full of the more plain sorted thru pcs., and the stuff which had grain on one side ... but sapwood on the other, etc. I do my best.

Many will already have asked ... "why bother?" Why not just dial up "MrWood.com" or some such? Well, for access, independance, and to try to make a buck off of this trade. There's not so much as many think ... after considering the hours.

Anyway ... I stand up my planks, and one of the elders of the men comes back and sizes them up. He does this in a heartbeat. He has a stick, which he quickly judges width by. I buy the planks by the "board foot". One board foot is 1" thick, by 12" wide, by 12" long. Any combination can yield that unit. Thus ... a board 1" thick, by 6" wide ... needs to be 2 feet long to make one board foot. The same, a board 12" wide, and only 6" long, can be one board foot ... if it's 2" thick. The fellow will judge the board feet of the planks, and then compute (by species) the price per species. I'll head to the office, and pay.



An assortment of one of my expeditions for planks.

I then load the truck, drive home, and begin sorting the wood. I do my best to judge the blanks, in the raw plank form. I cut them, and tun them thru the planer. At this time, I smile, or set them aside in the "wood" pile. Sometimes, I smile very wide ... because I've "done well".



Grabbed this pic, forgot it was all blurry. Probably the way I felt after milling all these planks. haha.

Going thru all of my planks, rough cutting, examining, and milling them ... is a huge job. Once done, I grade them. I paint the end grain of all the blanks to seal the end grain, and stabalize the blank. Next (if having a stock sale) I photograph each side of each blank. I serial number them, and put them on the net for the group who have seemed interested. Once purchased, I mark the customer's name on the painted edge, and store them inside in my shop. They wait for their steel action to be complete, before I start working the wood. The stock is the last thing I do on a gun.





These were sold, and are in the shop awaiting the completion of the customer's rifle.

Since so many enjoy wood discussions, I've also posted this answer to Dory's question, as a seperate topic.

Gary

Gary said:

"The butt log sections where most good grain will reside"

Cuz thats the part of the tree exposed to or subjected to the least stress and insects? Makes sense.

Great write up.

Hi Dan,

Don't know about insects ... but wherever the tree "IS" stressed the most, is where it will produce the most wild grain. The crotch of big limb intersections are another. The tree has to build up structures to support stress areas. The root system, also absorbs minerals from the ground, which are leached into the butt section. They color the wood.

Low stress areas, produce the most straight grain wood, of the least contrast, to the best of my knowledge.

Gary

hehe

Gary, you just KNEW I would be drawn to this topic like a moth to the flame

Anyway, I can attest that Gary has some awesome stuff - in fact I have a figured mahogany blank "on tap" at Gary's woodshed, just waiting to become a Gemini..bullpup!!!

not to mention that curly Koa piece for a Heritage....

on the other hand....we don't want Gary to feel that his metalwork is second fiddle !



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2009 01:14AM by Jim.

That's right Joebill ... I count too! It's not just the "stupid tree" hahahaha.

Gary

Hey, I think I recognize that blank. That should make a fine smokepole, or should I say smokeless pole. If I'm not mistaken, it's destined to be a Yukon, exact details pending.

Here's a beauty, hope you can see the depth of this stock when compressed.



This one's on loan from Julio. It's a Yukon II 58 GS. 600+ ft/lbs It's one of my daughter Emily's favs. Did some testing which I'll post elsewhere.

Kent

Awww man, you get to play with all the toys Kent. Make sure you post lots of pics. We want to see video of 143 yard shots . . . you've got the room for it!

-- Jim

Hello Kent,

Hey ... I had to go check ... but I "do" see an "Overmyer" for no. 22. Now ... I'm not sure if that's you, your wife, or your daughter! hehe. It's on the wood rack, so ... if the shop critters haven't eaten it ... it's nice and dry and waiting.

So, you had the Yukon out ... that's great. Julio told me he'd left it in your care. Looks real good. Gosh ... it's a shame the barrel got all rusty though ... that gulf weather I guess. haha. I wish I had a crate of those things. I'd like one myself.

Gary

me too , with a pistol grip , and a schnabel , in stainless , oops ,,, im getting carried away again ,, do you , or have you ever done either a alustock , or a plastic one , just out of curiosity ,,, .

Hi Tom,

No ... on either.

Gary

still looking for fibreglass trees , still , you never know , well actually , im sure you do . i would like to see your take on a styer style adjustable alu stock , it would be interesting to see which took the most man hours to complete.

Hi Tom,

Well, I'm sure you can see that something like that, has to (should be) engineered with a futuristic action in mind. You can't take something that's designed to be inlaid in wood, and hang scafolding all around it (to my way of design). So ... you need a purpose built action ... probably futuristic ... to fit the project, as I see it.

Then too, you can't just hacksaw and poprivet. So, all of three hundred surfaces have to be finished, and most likely anodized. For these reasons, it's never appealed to me. On top of that, compare the errector set feel of the whole thing to a detailed relief carved classic gun and stock, and the two seem light years apart to me. One can be made by any machineshop with competent workmen. The other can only be made by an artist. Just doesn't seem like the thing I should be doing.

The molded stock is just a factor of repeat production. You don't do that in a custom shop. You do that in industry. Same action, over and over ... justifies making the dies and molds for a composite stock.

Best,
Gary

I thinkthat rose tree is very quality wood for stock? is it true ?

Ertogrul,

If you are refering to "Rosewood" ... it is indeed a beautiful, dense hardwood. It is, however; very heavy ... and I've never seen a gunstock made of Rosewood. Usually, lighter weight woods are used.

Gary

Figured Mahognay? Curly Koa? Oh please stop!

Yer killing me!

rose wood ,,, ooohhhh ,,, it would fit the sci fi action in an anodised one off alustock . see whats happened here now. another twenty years of models , all you have to do now gary is make them . i had more of a garyesque alustock in mind , ala nemoesque 20 000 leauges styled .well , ok , maybe not. do you ever totally surprise yourself with wood choices , maybe something turns out to be a real gem , or maybe quite the opposite .
carbon fibre ,,, oops there i go again
regards
t

I keep going back to my love of full-stocked military rifles, where most everything but the action is covered by wood. Gary, have you ever made a rifle like this? Would you make a rifle with wood that covers up nearly all your metalwork...?

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I nearly choked on my coffee ...... cover up ...... my meta ... cough .....

Hey ... we need to see pics of some of these ideas you keep talking about ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2009 02:28PM by barnespneumatic.

How about a vid?

[www.youtube.com]

Given the similarities, I think a Maverick done in the style of this rifle would be neat.

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