I am embarking on what I think will become a long term endeavor: building rifle stocks from a blank. I have a mentor here who does fantastic work who has taken me under his wing and I just laid out my first project last night. I decided to start small--restocking my wife's deer rifle with a myrtle blank he was nice enough to give to me. The grain layout is less than perfect and although I know this will be primarily a learning project, I still want the stock to be good looking and functional for her.

I have read articles stating that you can hog out the fore end leaving only 1/4" of wood (leaving the tip whole, of course) and glass in chainsaw files or sections of fiberglass fishing rod covered with layers of fiberglass cloth to prevent any movement of the fore end over time. I know this seems a bit sacreligious but does make some sense.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of thing or opinions on its necessity? Thanks to all for the input.

snowcat---

All that's needed is a piece of box aluminum available at most hobby shops. Route or inlet a channel for the box metal and epoxy. I tape the ends of the box to keep it light, but be sure to drill a small air equalizing hole in it.

Myrtle is a REAL test of your woodworking skills. Do it, but realize that better wood will be easier to work. Don't give up on the project because you don't get perfect results. Myrtle is like cutting epoxy impregnated Q-Tips with a chisel if it's not gnat shaving sharp.

If you're creative with a tapered spacer (one by fours C clamped to both sides of the blank), you can lay out the channel under the barrel and cut it with a router before you start shaping and still have a good edge to locate from.

Snowcat, you don't have to embark on something like that to begin with. The forearm may not move and likely won't. No need to fix a problem that does not exist. You can also remove a wide slot under the barrel channel to decrease the strength of any wood movement without putting anything in the slot created. Just dont start doing it to begin with.

Thanks for the warning on the myrtle--my mentor has done some tech. impressive things with this wood but it's pretty hard for me to get excited about it. Trial by fire I guess, we rough inlet Sat.

It amazes me to think that you two regularly set plane to stock blanks worth well over one of my year's total discretionary income. I'm going to try to stock my wife's Savage in what would have otherwise been fire wood. Kind of takes the pressure off.

As far as the reinforcement of the fore-end, I think I may do it traditionally and see if problems develop and inlet reinforcement later if necessary. As much to avoid bristling my teacher with something unorthodox as anything (showing me several of his stocks the other day he inadvertantly pulled one out that he had glassed and he acted like his 80 year old mother had just found dirty magazines in his room, "it was a long time ago...") Thanks for the tip on the breather hole, with as much elevation as I tend to gain and lose in a day chasing elk the forearm would have exploded otherwise

Seeing the work you two do is an inspiration. Two hands, tools and the will to do it right. Asperation's better. Even with cross grained myrtle.