If you had a blank with straight grain with a dark streak that will be in the forearm would you try and center the streak best you could and leave it as flat as possible? Or to the extent the blank would allow taper the streak down towards the grip?

Post a pic of the blank. I am looking for a stock with the blank streak.

Lay it out so as much of the streak possible is still in the finished stock. Assuming it is a nice looking streak; a picture always helps.

quote:

a picture always helps.

Yep but it was late and this old man was tired. So after this morning.

This is my first choice. With the dark streak lining up with the bottom line of the forearm. It also allows the streak to show along the top of the butt.


Taking the line parallel to the top of the forearm gives this

An the real plain Jane approach would be to remove the line

Paul,
Here is my choice with the black line. I laid this out so the line came up thru the grip and ended at the top of the forend.

listen to Les. his rifle has the correct layout.


show the pic of the whole blank.

Les
I would love to angle the streak down through the grip but there simply isn't enough wood. On my selected layout the rear top of the action is only about 1/4" below the edge of the blank.

Here is what wood I have.

quote:

Originally posted by LesBrooks:
Paul,
........................... up thru the grip................................

Ignore the line.
Pay attention to the grainflow. It's free, yet priceless.

Paul,

Here is the other side of the blank.

I wish I could find another blank like this for only $75 as this was mark down for the ugly streak.

Jim should remember this rifle from TJSC a way back when?

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

Here is what wood I have.

Other side?
Looks like it's been cut upside down. Should layout really nice if you flip it over.

quote:

Other side?Looks like it's been cut upside down. Should layout really nice if you flip it over.

You might be on to something. I don't think that knot goes very deep but I also think there is enough wood to lay out below it.

Here is the layout swinging below the knot and pushing the limits on the bottom line of the stock.

Would that grain through the forearm make it more likely to warp?

The other side is a mirror of this one.

Les I'd take that $75 blank any day anytime.

knot? bullet????
You're gonna have to make the call on how close you can cut it.

Layout for the stock looks much better to me on your last pic. Grip looks much stronger & flows nicely through the buttstock & forearm flows up or at least parallel with the top line. Too bad Rem, Win, etc can't figure this out.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Would that grain through the forearm make it more likely to warp?

I'd be more concerned with the wrist breaking with poor layout through the grip.

quote:

Originally posted by LesBrooks:
Jim should remember this rifle from TJSC a way back when?

Yes
It's cost me plenty of sleepless nights pondering ways to skinny a mini.

quote:

I'd be more concerned with the wrist breaking with poor layout through the grip.

I agree after looking at it reversed. This will be a Montana PH action so it will not be a low recoil rifle.

The owner is concerned about the grain through the forearm being more likely to warp. Thoughts?

Make the grain flow as straight as possible through the grip and forget about the forearm. True it does look best in your first pic but the grip is weaker that way.

We're going to pin the grip anyway. So looks are all that's left.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
The owner is concerned about the grain through the forearm being more likely to warp. Thoughts?

Is the owner a stockmaker?
A loaded question.
Not sure what's formed his opinion about what's an acceptable layout for a safari rifle. He could be wrong......

What's more important to a client going on safari with this rifle?

1) the point of impact is "guaranteed" (good luck with that){ assumed may be a better word} not to move more than 1/4" @ 100 yards due to changing humidity due to the fact that the grain flows parallel to the boreline.

I'd be concerned how the grain flows on the top and bottom of the blank as much as the sides.

2)that the stock is laid out in a way to insure that the grain flow through the grip has the BEST chance of not breaking through the wrist, lancing through the hand and into his lower jaw with the recoil that a boomer rifle can deliver. This possibly causing the shooter to require surgery in a third world country.


One thing I'm never afraid to do is tell (educate) a client that a blank that's been provided may not meet the needs of the project. IMO, if he has to have the grain flow parallel to the bore then he needs to select a more suitable blank.

Another loaded question. This one just keeps giving and giving.

You want to do it right the first time. Don't you?

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
We're going to pin the grip anyway. So looks are all that's left.

To my eye, the last profile looks the best. I can't ever get past seeing stocks laid out where the grain flows downhill through the grip. A look at a hundred pics of stocks broken through the wrist would more likely have grain flow like the first profile pic than the last.

If anyone really wants to research the strength of wood, check out what's required grainflow wise to build a wooden airplane prop for a certified plane.

Listen to Mr. Anderson (gunmaker). He speaks the truth. That's a marginal blank at best. The guy who cut it out should be whacked with it.

First I want to apologize the Tiggertate for bringing him into this without a heads up.

There are many people on this site that have YEARS of experience more than I do. Heck any rifle I own would function in the blank without fear of issues. And after my second open heart I can't see that changing.

From day one we both agreed that the grain was not ideal. I hadn't thought of turning it until it was brought up today. That said we had also agreed that to be on the safe side I would put a rod through the grip and he would install a cross bolt. Smarter people than me would have to answer if the rod would make it stronger than turning.

I had originally asked my question from a purely cosmetic issue. I failed to say what action it was for or that a rod was planned.

Do I want to build something that someone could get hurt on. NOPE. I do know that Tigger has far more experience with heavy recoil rifles than I do. Unlike gunmaker I don't have the experience. The first layout was a way to add character to the stock "assuming" you used the blank the way it was cut. No doubt the last layout is stronger.

I want to thank everyone for giving so many useful comments.

I still think the blank lays out pretty good. And will make a great looking rifle. To my artistic eye, the dark stripe doesn't add anything to the package. My engineering eye leans toward grain flowing through the grip from the toeline. Even the laminated stocks I did in the past had the grain flowing slightly uphill along the forearm.

I'm not trying to bust Tate's chops here. I'm sure he has lots more trigger time behind the boomers than I. This must be one of those 600 OK projects. I'd much rather shoot Terry's 223. If I were stocking this, I'd probably be picking Wayne's brain.

No apology necessary, Paul. I'm enjoying the opinions and I'm the first to say I only know what I know and that ain't ever enough. The rifle is a 500 AR and the recoil is stout but no where near 600 OK levels. None the less,
it needs to be safe first and durable next. So keep the comments coming if you have them!

quote:

Originally posted by Glen71:
Listen to Mr. Anderson (gunmaker). He speaks the truth. That's a marginal blank at best. The guy who cut it out should be whacked with it.

He's living somewhere in the Balkans. I think that is probably punishment enough...

Honestly, I'd look for a different blank. This one would make a dandy two piece stock blank but the layout is just not working very well for a one-piece big bore stock.

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:
Honestly, I'd look for a different blank. This one would make a dandy two piece stock blank but the layout is just not working very well for a one-piece big bore stock.

Absolutely.

Well Harry took all your comments to heart. Below is the new plan for his Montana PH

Yea!

Well played, sir!

That will work!

And the winner is:

Nice!

That was a good save, Paul. Many thanks!