I've gotten a lot of inspiration from the Pro's here and amateurs like myself so I thought I'd share my project. It's been in stall mode for about a year as I'm determined to checker it myself. I just haven't had enough time to practice so I may send it out so I can get it done. I'll rust blue it myself. Too many tools installed the barrel, safety, barrel band and bolt handle for me. I bought the blank from Presliks and the bottom unit is a Jerry Fisher round bottom.I need to get some thick headed screws, should have done that first, it would have made timing and dressing the screws a lot easier. First Fisher bottom metal for me, different but I think I like it. I have ways to go but this one I like pretty well. Constructive critisism welcome. Always look to learn, except photography, beyond help.

Very impressive stock work to my eye, the I letting looks excellent.

Looking really good Dempsey.

Only thing that I would do is to make the forend a bit slimmer but that's my taste maybe not yours. I would have to handle it to be certain. Might just be the camera angle.

I would, big caveat there, along the top barrel channel bring the edge lines in to about .125" from the barrel and round out.

Adam

Thanks. The forearm is a little slimmer than it looks. I'm six four, two eighty so for me the rifle is petite. It does look chunky in the photo.

Wow, looking good! What did you choose for the barrel specs? Thanks for the pictures and keep us"posted"

Very nice. I do however agree with the suggestions re the forend. Also, I would have made it a bit shorter. But it looks good and if it works for you, that' what counts.

The barrel is a #1 douglas, forearm is 8in. I should have tried some alkenet root but I'm slow to change. I have some now mixed up to finish a practice stock for checkering, it looks like beet juice. I'm not real thrilled with the cheek piece but I never am. It is a good hobby though, I wish I had started years ago. Melts away the stress.

Was the stock from a blank by hand or from a pantograph?

Adam

From the blank. I use a palm router to hog out some inletting. A poor substitution for a mill but I don't get real close to final dimensions. Seeing Duane's pics with his mill makes me want one, one day perhaps.

Two suggestions.
1) As others have said, I would trim the fore end a bit. What does she weigh now?
2) Sell it to me. Really beautiful. Great work. Hope to see more!

That rocks! Excellent stock work!

Wow that is fabulous. Your first job? All I can say is you need to hang up a shingle and get moving.

Great work.

Best wishes, Chris

Duane should look at your pics and get some ideas on how to clean up and organize his bench.

quote:

Originally posted by dempsey
Seeing Duane's pics with his mill makes me want one, one day perhaps.

Very nice work ....

I also like the bottom metal .. what is exactly a round bottom metal ..and where do you buy em ??

Thanks

Just exquisite work on an eye-popping blank. Your inletting is as good as any I have ever seen! I, too, would prefer a slimmer forend, but then I am not 6'4"!

All I can say is WOW. That is great work. If that is a #1 barrel, then the forend is fairly slim. I might bring the edge at the top of the barrel channel in a bit, but that would be it. I don't like red guns, so I would just start with the finish without the alkenet root, but that is just a matter of preference.

Nice wood and Great work!! I'd be proud to carry that up and down the mountains.

Way to gooooo, good job and your stock has very nice grain. Length of Forend looks OK to me. Hard for me to be sure from your pic, but wonder if you need just a little more wood removal from barrel channel.....can you slip a dollar bill between barrel and the wood?

Amateur? Fooled me!

Dempsey...If you can repeat the same quality on the metal polishing as you've done with the wood, you've got some real potential there. Big fan of the shorty fore end. CB

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I hope to have it finished by fall. It is my third from a blank. I started with semi-inlets, good practice but frustrating as well. Then I did a few patterns and had Mike Kokolus, God Bless him, turn off my patterns. Much better than a semi but I figured why put so much work into a pattern, just do it from the blank. I'll probably still use a pattern for things like a Savage 99. I have nothing to drill the thru bolt. I did a 99 and really enjoyed it so I bough one to do for myself.

Allen, the bottom metal I believe is a Jerry Fisher design produced by Blackburn, probably Swift now since they bought Blackburn. It has a rounded shape to it. I bought mine at Midway. I'll post a pic.

Custom bolt, is that an English blank with a Alkanet root finish? I like the slight reddish undertone. If my forend was that short I'd be holding the barrel with my left hand, long arms, but I do like how they look.

quote:

?.. I, too, would prefer a slimmer forend, but then I am not 6'4"!

That is something that is often lost in the critique of a custom rifle.
Just who was it made for and what are the desired specifications of the client.
I, myself, agree that a slimmer forend which comes in closer to the barrel shank is preferable, but I bet my hands are way small compared to a man of 6'4"!
The option is to use a heavier barrel to make it "look" right but then it would be too heavy for caliber.
This may just be the optimal compromise between aeshtetics and function for the end user.
The fact that the end user is also the maker makes me lean toward the side that this stock is "just right"
Great work!

quote:

Originally posted by dempsey:
Custom bolt, is that an English blank with a Alkanet root finish? I like the slight reddish undertone. If my forend was that short I'd be holding the barrel with my left hand, long arms, but I do like how they look.

The blank is actually California black walnut. My cheapo camera's flash did lighten/redden it up a bit. The finish is TruOil with 2 or 3 coats of Chem Pak Satin Custom oil. I'm 6 foot nuthin' with long arms and I can shoot freehand with my elbow on my belly very well with this rifle. Another photo.

Dempsey I really like the shape of that cheekpiece and the comb nose fluting. Wish I could inlet that well. Great wood too!

I have big hands with long fingers so I appreciate a little "fuller" fore-end too.

Thanks Evan. I'm always interested in what people like in their rifle. This one fits me well. I pulled out my favorite factory rifle, a Ruger Hawkeye in 257 Rob, and the forend circumference is very similiar. I like that Ruger because for me its a trim little rifle though the LOP is way off for me. Now to get myself to an eye Dr. Once I hit 46 my close up vision went south in a hurry. They may not make a visor powerful enough if I don't get some glasses soon and I really need to get busy with checkering practice.

Very nice work and a nice piece of wood. Do you have any details on the scrapers shown in the background of the one pic? I've got a ton of chisels and carving tools but I think some scrapers like those would be nice for finishing the inletting.

I think it is difficult to judge the proportions of the forend without seeing the full length of the barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by gzig5:
Very nice work and a nice piece of wood. Do you have any details on the scrapers shown in the background of the one pic? I've got a ton of chisels and carving tools but I think some scrapers like those would be nice for finishing the inletting.

The ones on the left with longer handles are made by Royal Arms. He used to have a semi inlet business but sold. I believe the tools are still available though on Midway. I use these quite a bit. The shorter handled ones Brownells sells. The Jerry Fisher scrapers are quite handy as well, not in the photo. I think midway, brownells or both sell those.

I believe you're correct SR4759. I'm going to work on photography skills and take better pics when finished.

Very nice work and I especially like your detail work on the bolt release and thumb slot and how they run together, outstanding...

I would suggest on your nice Mauser that you have the chamber cut to the 06 length magazine and thats usually done by me by seating a 160 gr. Barnes X .284 ( one caliber deep )...Or the same as a Brno mod. 21 or 22...even then all the 7x57s I have built and owned shot the 130 gr. Speer, the 175 gr. Nosler and about everything in-between very well indeed..

I have read many articles about how short bullets won't shoot in long chambers, but that has never been my experience with the use of good barrels like Lothar Walther, Krieger, and Douglas..

An added plus is you get 7x57 IMP velocity with H414 powder and carefully worked up max or near max loads.

How do you like the shorter handled scrapers? I need to use scrapers more often.

I had to do a LOT of checkering practice before I had the courage to start scratching up a "real" stock with the training wheels off.

The short handled ones are ok. I use the others more mainly because it's easier for me to keep a good burr on them. The Fisher scrapers are incredibly simply and work great except in tight spots. A must have imo.

I hear you on checkering practice. I want to do a lot more before I do some on my stocks. Time is my enemy lately, my job is a 40 hour salary for 60 hours a week.

Good move on the set of your bottom metal screws, they will come to North and South within a year as a rule and if not you can use a match head of water and squeze them a tad ever week or two., otherwise when built North and South they sometimes go past North and South within a year and then need indexing....

I'm building a 275 Rigby on a G33-40 for myself as we speak, I have a switch barrel custom on a Brno mod. 21 action in 7x57 with the optional barrel in 9.3x62, worked out perfect. the one gun safari rifle..

I'd sure like to roll that rifle over in my hands a bit. It's a dandy!

Dempsey,
What kind of finish did you use?
Looks great by the way.

I used Dalys SeaFin. Good Stuff.

Dempsey

Did you every complete your 7 x 57 project. Checkering and other minor details?

Very Nice!

For what its worth on the front corners of the bottom metal and the round corners on the front rings..I notice a ever so slight gap on the front cornors of the bottom metal and that could very well be the lighting of the photograph..

But never the less, I usually take a match stick and drop droplets of water on those cornors then lightly compress the metal in a bit at a time to get a crush smooth wood fit. then with the cornors damp, I put the gun together and let it sit over night.

I raid the pawn shops and buy all the good old steel screw drivers I can find for making scrapers. I heat and bend them, dip them in water, then shape them to what I want. I might put them in the oven and cook them to a light blue for temper, but mostly not..I have a hundred or so. I keep a few half finished ones in a box in case I run into a spot that requires I make a special scraper. You can make them round or flat, long or short or both. Just my two bits, and I like them better than most of the ones you buy..I do have to have a few of those green Jerry Fisher angled ones from Brownell, they work well and of course the pocket knife is a main tool.