I have an 03A3 stock that has been in my possesion, as a semi inleted pre shaped stock, for four years.

I don't know how old it was before that, but it should be dry.

A friend and I reacently started finish inletting it to my rifle.

We now have it inletted and glass bedded And it is starting to warp.

What is causing this and how do I stop it.

Does this mean that this stock will always have the tendancy to warp and is therefore worthless or can it be salvaged.

It is really a pretty nice piece of walnut and I hate to loose it but I would hate even more to put alot more work into a piece of kindling.

Which direction is it warping?

The forend tip is moving to the left of center.

What did you use for bedding compound ?.

Did the ( extatherm ) this is the Heat process from epoxies get real high ?. What moisture content was the blank /. Where was it stored prior to inletting ?. How far did you go with the bedding compound . Out to the tip , full length ?.

last question ; Did the warp travel too the direction of the inside ring grain of the wood ?. Ring growth , has an inner and outer side .

Shot straight know your target . ...

I'd try inletting something stiff the length of the barrel channel. Square aluminum tubing perhaps.

Since it's moving to the left of center, it's probably a California (liberal) blank!
Seriously, You can minimise warpage by hollowing out the forend a bit. Just cut a couple of recesses, slightly less than barrel width and about 3 inches long, under the barrel. Leave about 1/4 inch of wood at the bottom and leave a bridge between the two recesses. Now, after the forend has stabilized a bit after this (a month or so) you may fill the recesses with epoxy to restore rigidity or you can just seal them off with an epoxy finish. Your choice. Regards, Bill.

It sounds like a storage problem where one side of the wood was exposed to more moisture and has started to dry more. I have bedded 3/8" stainless aircraft tubing in several of my friends guns and in one plastic stock (Old Remington) that flexed like crazy.

Fishing pole blanks or more to the point . pieces of them carbon Boron tubing makes LIGHT STIFF inserts also .

I was curious as to the side of the warping in relation to grain orientation .

Most wood has the tendency to warp inward toward the small side of the annual rings . Some times referred to as cupping . This can carry over to quarter sawn cuts as well . Depending on several other factors .

Shot straight Know Your Target . ...

Thanks for all the replies.

Dr.K,

I used acru-glass gel for bedding compound. Only the action and chamber area is bedded so I dont think the heat process is a factor. The blank was stored in my shop, which is a frame type bldg. copleatly finished inside and out and very well insulated with heat and air, only while I am working, in there. (about 8-10 hours a week) I must mention that we have had an unusally wet, moist spring and summer, this year. I have no way to know the moisture content of the stock but, as previously stated, I would think it was very dry. I will have to take the bareled action out of the stock and study the ring grain in order to answer your remaining questions, Right now it is sitting with a wedge between barrel and stock, pulling it in the opposite direction of the warpage.

Thanks again for all the help,

Chris

I have used solid, oriented strand carbon fiber rods of 3/8 diameter to stiffen abs forends on Steyr's for use with bipods. It is incredibly stiff. May want to tightly inlet some to take the warp out and hold it. Though I've seen grade 8 bolts bent by highly figured walnut before.

RiverMan 1 ; Was the blank sealed on the end grain , prior to your using it ?. Humidity , moisture is a killer on any wood , that has not been totally finished or sealed prior to working .

I know a lot of people who are going to just raise hell with my next suggestion .

Remove the action place the blank or stock in the wifes oven ( LOW TEMP ) 200 degrees or under . If you can jig a straight edge of steel so as to pull the warp . let it set for 3 days in that oven .

If the oven is out Make a dry bulb box , takes longer leave in a couple of weeks !.

I always try to take it 1/2 more the distance of the warp then let it relax and hopefully it will go just where it's supposed to . Center !.

Then stiffen up the front end with Carbon Boron or SS tubbing . What ever your most comfortable using or have access to .

If you know any one who makes custom fishing poles , that's the place to pickup shorts of tubular carbon and or boron combinations . Scants or cut offs normally are yours for the asking . Then epoxy them in .

Good Luck . Shoot Straight Know Your target . ...

Riverman,
I had a barrel channel flex like that once and cured it by "post tensioning".

I cut a slot in the barrel channel much like Bill Leeper described. I then used a piece of flat stock and bent it at the mid point. I bent an amount that the forend had to be flexed to the right for the metal to fit in the slot. The flex in the steel held he barrel where I wanted it. This was a trial and error method involving a number of bends and adjustments until it was satisfactory. I glassed it in to make it permanent. The corrective flex stayed in place.

Hi Chic: Just curious...was that a slab sawn?