Greetings,
Anyone have any experience checkering myrtle? I just finished a 2-piece stock/forend in myrtle & the wood was terrible to work with. It could not be cut with a chisel but chipped instead. In places it was very soft. Of course, the customer wants it checkered. I tried 18LPI on a scrap piece of wood. It cut poorly and produced copious amounts of dust that made me cough. Perhaps, I just got a bad blank, but it appears the wood is unfit for gunstocks and checkering.
Many thanks,

Roger

I have to respectively disagree, Roger. Myrtle Wood is totally fit for gunstock blanks as long as you harvest the Myrtle Wood at the right time. If you don't, my understanding is that it can be rotten or too soft. I have two beautiful guns made out of Myrtle Wood, both by Cecil Fredi. One is blond, in outstanding Tiger Myrtle, and the other is a little darker blond in Fiddleback Myrtle. The Fiddleback Myrtle looks three dimensional in the light. The Tiger Myrtle is stocked in a Model 70, .270 Winchester and the Fiddleback Myrtle is stocked in a Model 70, .300 WSM. Both have been to Africa and Mexico and killed scores of plains and other game. My Myrtle stocked rifles do not have checkering, but neither do any of the other rifles that Cecil built for me in Shell Maple and Bastogne Walnut. My suggestion would be to call and check with Cecil of Cecil Fredi Gunstocks in Las Vegas and discuss any checkering potential. His number is: 1-702-382-8470. He currently has about 32K gunstock blanks in various stages of drying and a whole warehouse of gunstock blanks for currently for sale. It seems to me that the last time I discussed Myrtle Wood gunstock blanks with him that he said that he can no longer get them and that they were very valuable and sought after for gunstock blanks. Hope that this helps. Good luck.

For your information, the top rifle is Tiger Myrtle (.270), the second rifle is Bastogne Walnut (.375 H&H), the third rifle is Fiddleback Myrtle (.300 WSM) and the fourth rifle is Shell Maple (.22-250). Love my four thumbhole rifles. Accurate, deadly and dead steady.

I think you may have had a rough blank. Couple years ago I stocked a Brno Mod 1 in myrtle and it wasn't the battle I was expecting. Checkered pretty well too. Played it safe with 20lpi.

I used a piece of Myrtle on my Model 52 Silhouette rifle. It did have some soft spots. I checkered the grip (for grip!) and it checkered OK at 20LPI. Not nearly as mice to work with as decent walnut, but OK. I used it because I had it, but can't say I liked it. Regards, Bill

Not my cup of tea, Im a European walnut buff. I did a couple of maple and Myrtle, I checkered by hand in those days, and got by with said myrtle and maple, but it was difficult and I like dark wood..tiger strip adds to the misery in checkering and finish to a degree, sorta!

quote:

Originally posted by RogersGunWorks:
Greetings,
Anyone have any experience checkering myrtle? I just finished a 2-piece stock/forend in myrtle & the wood was terrible to work with. It could not be cut with a chisel but chipped instead. In places it was very soft. Of course, the customer wants it checkered. I tried 18LPI on a scrap piece of wood. It cut poorly and produced copious amounts of dust that made me cough. Perhaps, I just got a bad blank, but it appears the wood is unfit for gunstocks and checkering.
Many thanks,

Roger

You just got unlucky Happens wth ALL woods no matter the species. Done a few ....no drama, but can't say I hold it in high regard

PS. Any possibility of an adjustment from the wood dealer?


In the old days, if one ran into an isue with a Oakley furnished blank, he'd say "You throw that SOB in the fire pkace, a better blank is n the way"

Still might be a dealer out there with a rock solid ethic...let me know if you find one.