Super User Way2slow Posted October 9, 2020 Super User Posted October 9, 2020 Looking for help, pointers, advise, other than have someone that knows what they are doing do it. I've got a 60 year old piece of fancy walnut my brother butchered back in the late 60's where he thought he was going to make a fancy stock for his model 700. Well, it was beyond doing anything for a 700 with it, mainly, what he had done, was for a long action and I no longer have a long action 700. It was however a perfect candidate for a Tikka T3 Varmint so I'm going to try making one for it. For it, I can cut out all the mess he made in it. I've got the barrel and receiver inletting done so they drop nicely in it and pretty soon will be where it's ready to cut the shape. My brother had already made the rough outline cut for the 700, but thankfully he left enough to save it. Shaping a one piece rifle stock is something I've never done. Have made several butt stocks for Remington and Browning shot guns but no long guns and that's where someone with some expertise in this would help. I also have a basic checkering set, I bought many moons ago when I made my first butt stock. Found out real quick I didn't know what I was doing and it has stayed tucked away ever since, I'm thinking about giving that another try but with some scrap walnut first. Again, I'm open for any words of wisdom there also. My brother bought the wood from Bishop Stocks when they were going strong back in the 60's, he paid $20 for it back then and it does look like it's going to make a very nice looking piece of wood when shaped and finished, if I don't screw it up. Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted October 9, 2020 Super User Posted October 9, 2020 I’ve done some stock refinishing, minor inletting, glass bedding, etc. You’re tackling a much bigger project there! But 60 year-old walnut that’s medium grade is likely way better than most fancy walnut today. I have my father’s Remington 700 BDL in 7mm Rem Mag that he purchased the year after the cartridge was introduced. So it’s a 1963 rifle. I refinished the stock as the old finish had yellowed and cracked. When I started applying a hand-rubbed finish I was amazed at how much figure that walnut had. Good luck with that project! Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted October 10, 2020 Author Super User Posted October 10, 2020 I've tons of refinishing, bedding and modifying stocks, just have never shaped a full length stock. Right about now a duplicating router would be nice, but have no desire to buy one just for this project. Right now, cutting the initial shape on the band saw and going to work with a wood rasp seems to be the direction I'm headed. Past experience with the butt stocks tells me tools like the die grinder or disc sander a too fast and too easy the created a low spot. Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted October 10, 2020 Super User Posted October 10, 2020 It’s an art for sure. It takes patience for sure. Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted October 14, 2020 Author Super User Posted October 14, 2020 Slowly coming along, but I think it's going to look pretty good for a $20 piece of walnut (in 1969). I just rubbed water on it to highlight the grain, on finish yet, still too far to go. 4 Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted October 26, 2020 Author Super User Posted October 26, 2020 Well, the stock is made, recoil pad is fitted on and the pillars are in and everything is bedded but free floated the barrel. Sanding is done, just waiting on a dye I want to try, which should be here in a day or two. Gonna try it on some scrap and see if it does what I want to make the grain pop even more, if not, I'll just finish the raw wood. Then all that will be left is the checkering, and not really looking forward to that job. Should have some completed pictures in a week or so. I will say for my first rifle stock, it turned out OK. There were some screw ups and lessons learned, but most of those, I'm the only one that would notice without someone that really knew there stuff examining it closely. Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted November 2, 2020 Author Super User Posted November 2, 2020 Done but not with checkering. Still got to practice some on that and need to order a couple more tools. Not too bad for a first time and a piece of wood my brother was going to trash because he had ruined it. I wanted to add a check piece but after getting the wood blank straight, there was not enough wood in the thickness, and I couldn't offset it because he had already hogged out the middle trying to inlet it. I guess I should also mention, the dye I waited a week on, I didn't use, it made it too dark with the wood already being naturally dark, so nothing on it but the clear finish over the natural wood. 2 Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted November 6, 2020 Author Super User Posted November 6, 2020 Cut me a piece of wood about the shape of the forearm and practiced some 20LPI checkering. I'm ok with 16LPI but 20 is a little harder. Plus I don't have all the tools I need for 20 so had to make do for now. Definitely not ready to try it on the stock yet. m 1 Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted November 22, 2020 Super User Posted November 22, 2020 That’s a nice piece of walnut! Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted November 23, 2020 Author Super User Posted November 23, 2020 Finished the checkering, kept it fairly plain with my skill level, and still have a few Oh S***!, but as long as you don't get up close and start picking the details apart, it looks pretty good. I basically use the pattern in the pic, but without the diamond in it. While I was waiting on tools, I took the "Bubba" out of my model 7, 260 where it had been hydro dipped in camouflage and a lot of it had worn off, making the rifle look like a total piece of ****. Getting that stuff off was a pain, had to redo the checkering on it, redo the blueing (I do my own hot blueing with a lye and ammonium nitrate solution I mix up) on all the metal where they had to sand and scuff everything to dip it, stripped and refinished the stock, really looks nice now. I put some of that walnut dye on it I order for the stock, sure was glad I didn't use it on it. Even on the light colored stock, it was dark, and I mixed it weak and wet the wood to prevent a lot of penetration. By the time I got a dozen coats of BLO on it, it's pretty dark. Quote
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