The good news is that I found this walnut blank in my woodpile from wood sawed in 1957

Side one:



flip side:



The bad news is that the wood is only 2.10 thick.....

Give me some ideas what to do with it....

Hornet

Try you hand at a accubond type laminate.

quote:

Originally posted by aliveincc:
Try you hand at a accubond type laminate.

I have considered sawing the blank to split it's thickness into two 1" pieces and gluing them to another walnut piece 3/8" thick between the 1" pieces....is this what you mean?

Williams Microfit uses such techniques to make stocks...a sandwich between 2 nice sides of walnut or other high-grade wood. They might do it for you...not sure. It would also firm up the diagonal grain flow through the grip if you wanted to chamber it in a heavy-recoiling caliber.

That's thick enough for a nice shotgun stock.

Looks to me like the perfect candidate for a sandwich laminate, split the blank down the middle. That would solve the problem of the grain flow in the wrist, and maintain the character of the butt area.

KB

how thick should it be really?

Would a classic with no cheek piece fit?

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Would a classic with no cheek piece fit?

Easy.

After having seen a sandwich laminate in hand, I wouldn't go that route.

IMO the pattern could be flipped to solve the grain flow problem nicely.

2.1" is PLENTY to make almost anything except a full Schuetzen or Benchrest stock, as long as your smith is competent and works from the blank or is careful when setting his pantograph adjustments.

If you can't or don't want to flip the pattern then the wrist can be GREATLY strengthened by the addition of an epoxied rod down through the wrist's interior into the mass of the butt. It's worked for me for over 30 years now.
Regards, Joe

Would make a nice humidor.

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Would a classic with no cheek piece fit?

Easy.

After having seen a sandwich laminate in hand, I wouldn't go that route.

I'm considering a stock similar to a M-70 featherweight except with different checkering and thin butt pad and supergrade swivel bases..... but inletted for a VZ-24!

something like this one

I think I would find a Mini-Mark X (Zastava) and make a Mannlicher in something like 218 Bee, 219 Donaldson Wasp, or similar. A gorgeous piece of wood, Vapo!

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Would a classic with no cheek piece fit?

yup...easily

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Would a classic with no cheek piece fit?

yup...easily

I have a big heavy semi-inlet with cheekpiece that I have not shaped or sanded on yet and it is 2.0" at the widest point. I see no problem with 2.1" unless you were going to make a war club.

I really like the basic shape of this rifle but lose the schnabel forend. Just a plain rounded one. Build with a Model 70 in 7x57 or 280.

Aaron



I'm considering a stock similar to a M-70 featherweight except with different checkering and thin butt pad and supergrade swivel bases..... but inletted for a VZ-24!

something like this one











[/QUOTE]

No bad news on that stock! Nicely done!

quote:

yup...easily

I have a light m98 with a cheek piece that in the rough measures under 2.1"

Hi,

I agree with nearly all in that 2.1" is plenty for a diminutive stock worked by the willing stocker.
Please, no laminate unless you want a benchrest/stalking style.

luck,

Stephen

Is that a one piece stock blank? VERY bad layout! But perhaps, like suggested can be flipped the other way.


I have encountered such a problem and built opposing "corners" with Bondo to "twist" the wood into a workable "square" blank

Ever consider building a nice .22 mag?

Laminating is the route I'd take. It wouldn't take a very thick strip down the middle to help a ton and from the side, even a 1/2" thick piece in the middle wouldn't show too much. You can probably find walnut with similar color and that will help.

i hear tell 2.125 is MORE than thick enough....

quote:

i hear tell 2.125 is MORE than thick enough

yup you can rattle around the sides but never botton out

So many thoughts from many of the nation's finest gun builders....thanks one and all!!

I've decided to do something radical.....split the wood blank down the center with my band saw making the inside cut halves identical mirror images and add a piece of similar walnut of about 3/8" and glue it back together with the current exposed surfaces to the inside making the outside mirror images of each other....in this manner I can strengthen the stock a bit and wind up with identical figure on each side.

Since we have several well considered but opposing opinions.....I am forced to believe there is no right or wrong here.....but I do believe that the strength gained with a laminated wood is something this blank will benefit from.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

I for one would like to see progress pictures and reports. I've been curious for some time about the type of project you are taking on.

KB

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
I for one would like to see progress pictures and reports. I've been curious for some time about the type of project you are taking on.

KB

At this stage I'm thinking light to medium recoiling cartridge.....nothing worse than a 280 Remington....

I'll try to post photos as I go...

I especially like the idea of building it out of a VZ24. There's more challange in that than taking a ready to go action such as a M70, or CZ550, etc. Although it may be a matter of opinion that such actions are really ready to go. The thing is that the VZ24 can be altered in just the way that suits you, since it has to be altered anyway.

I have a VZ24 action, that I've spent many hours over the years thinking about what to do with it. So much that actually doing something with it may be a letdown. In some ways I keep it as a mental exercise in possibilities.

KB

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
So many thoughts from many of the nation's finest gun builders....thanks one and all!!

I've decided to do something radical.....split the wood blank down the center with my band saw making the inside cut halves identical mirror images and add a piece of similar walnut of about 3/8" and glue it back together with the current exposed surfaces to the inside making the outside mirror images of each other....in this manner I can strengthen the stock a bit and wind up with identical figure on each side.

Since we have several well considered but opposing opinions.....I am forced to believe there is no right or wrong here.....but I do believe that the strength gained with a laminated wood is something this blank will benefit from.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

When it comes to the slice for the centre portion will you look for a flat sawn piece, which I would have thought would give the most added strength.
Would be interested to hear what is generally used for this laminate.

Von gruff.

Hi Vapo
As a total amateur, i would suggest that you just flip the pattern going a little closer to the notch.
I have made a few (thousands) of riflestocks with cheekpice and mtCarlo out of 2" american walnut. It is just a matter of being accurate when putting the blank into the 5 axis.

The "crutch and burl" of this blank might give you a little of chalange, if using traditional stockmaking tools. Mill as mutch as possible with a sharp ballnosecutter and avoid to mutch roughfiling or longitual cutting, as it might create to deep holes in the wood. Do all the sanding on the buttstock using a long and hard surfaced sandingblock, elswhere the surface might end up beeing wavy
Best regards
Jørgen

PS. your biggest conserne might be the age of that Wood (it might be too old and not killn dried), so you better just send it to my brother in law, so i can pick it up next time i am in Nebraska

quote:

Originally posted by jørgen:
Hi Vapo
As a total amateur, i would suggest that you just flip the pattern going a little closer to the notch.

My apologies for not showing the full length blank...it has some knots and other burl in the forarm section that prohibits flipping the blank.....I'm hoping that sawing to mirror image the wood will present a better layout than I have now....the way I see it is that no matter what I still have a pretty piece of wood.....So I have very little to lose by experimenting.

I have laminated several walnut blanks that were split and have a piece in the middle but haven't bookmatched the sides like you want to though.

I prefer to use quartersawn wood in the middle and laminate carbon fiber in with the wood for strength and stability.

You do have a pretty piece of wood to lose, but laminating is a safe bet IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Would a classic with no cheek piece fit?

Easy.

After having seen a sandwich laminate in hand, I wouldn't go that route.

I'm considering a stock similar to a M-70 featherweight except with different checkering and thin butt pad and supergrade swivel bases..... but inletted for a VZ-24!

something like this one

Looks like a winner to me.

Terry

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Would a classic with no cheek piece fit?

Easy.

After having seen a sandwich laminate in hand, I wouldn't go that route.

I so agree! TC1. When looking to have my stock done I actually found a few makers that were willing to work with 2 inches or more. With 2 inches you had a very slim English stalking rifle style.