First let me say I HATE trying to layout a flat sawn blank. That said a member here has sent me a gorgeous piece of Cherry for a muzzle loader stock.

As I said the blank is basically flat sawn. Looking at the end grain there is a slight bow that runs along the flat patches of grain.

My plan is to lay the stock along the flat patches thus along the line of the curve. Hopefully giving me the most marbling.

Thoughts???

I'm sure many of you have laid out this type blank and heck free advice is cheap.

Turn 180 degrees. Bring forend up to the top of the stock blank. Better figure and more swirl around the 360. Plus you get a better strength in your lock area.

Thanks Dennis
Had someone else say run along the edge. I need to take some better pictures in the sun as well as the other side. There is some sap wood along the edges.

Will post better pictures of both sides Monday

I'm cheap I normally use a piece of cardboard to layout. But I can see how being able to see what a slight move might give.

I normally have no issue laying out a quarter or 3/4 sawn blank. Easy for me to see the grain.
Am I over thinking the flat sawn grain?? Should I be laying it out just like I would for a normal blank?

As you can see some sap wood for the most part not more than 1/4" deep so won't effect the layout much.



If I ignored the flat grain I would flip and capture the C/D end with the A/C being the top line.

Thoughts?

You know how to do it; first focus on the grip grain flow, and secondly, looks. It's always good to get confirmation though.

quote:

You know how to do it;

I know. Have done it 100s of times. Just second guessing myself.

Ramrod. You have a well figured maple black that will generate a very nice stock depending on the layout. Can you tell us the dimensions of the blank including thickness? Can you post a picture of both ends? Do you have rough dimensions of the new stock? Does it have a cheekpiece? I'd get the grain flow in the wrist correct and decide which side of the stock will get the feature grain. Is the stock going to receive checkering? Any other details? Once these are decided shape a piece of plexiglas or leaxan so you can move it around on the scribed pattern to to an optimum layout. Sure you can get one maybe 2 stocks out of this blank.

Ron

Ok, there is big myth that needs some help here. Sap wood is just unstained wood that has no less strength than other wood. Gary Goudy taught a way to make it look better. Use a propane torch and lightly scorch the wood until it starts to turn brown. NOT Black. Then when you put your finish on the stock the light colored wood will have absorbed enough tannic acid from the torch to turn the color of the background. You can practice on the blank and then after you have it blocked out and shaped you will be practiced enough to do a good job.

quote:

Use a propane torch and lightly scorch the wood until it starts to turn brown

The top 1" or so of this Bastogne is sap wood. Just hit it with a torch and a touch of die since the wood was so dark.


The Cherry blank above is thick enough that the sap wood will not be an issue for the stock being cut. Most of it is less than 1/8 only point that is 1/4 is at "C" and that will be above the butt line. It is a simple Renegade stock no cheek piece etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Dennis Earl Smith:
Ok, there is big myth that needs some help here. Sap wood is just unstained wood that has no less strength than other wood. Gary Goudy taught a way to make it look better. Use a propane torch and lightly scorch the wood until it starts to turn brown. NOT Black. Then when you put your finish on the stock the light colored wood will have absorbed enough tannic acid from the torch to turn the color of the background. You can practice on the blank and then after you have it blocked out and shaped you will be practiced enough to do a good job.

A good article by Hal Hartley in the old NRA Gunsmith Guide showing how to do this with lots of photos.

Glad you remembered; I have been losing sleep over that fifth vehicle for 2 years. But for the DPCD, they just used Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, and DeSoto.

WoodHunter,
I just had a HOT flash!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I see some dreams in that pile.

quote:

Originally posted by Dennis Earl Smith:
Turn 180 degrees. Bring forend up to the top of the stock blank. Better figure and more swirl around the 360. Plus you get a better strength in your lock area.

That makes sense to me, but I'm a novice. If you did use this and push it to the top, could you get two out of the blank, top and bottom? May be ambitious but I love Cherry and hate to see any of it go to waste.

Well basically this will be what it looks like.
SmallCal might be room. Will know for sure tonight or in the morning. Got a piece of Bastogne mounted I need to go cut.

Much better layout IMO. Upward flow in barrel area and better looking flow thru wrist. Even slab sawn a good call on black powder. Have not seen blank top yet to guess at possible warpage direction due to stress relief. Suggest you oversize on first carve and let set for 90 days to equalize internal stress. Then have fun!

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Got a piece of Bastogne mounted I need to go cut.