Tell me what you think about the general layout of the grain and the value of this Claro gunstock blanks.





This is not my style of wood, but I am curious because there is such a difference in wood prices. Sometimes a peice looks plain and goes for an amazing amount of money.

Here is you chance to guess the price of this wood?

Not a real wood expert, but I would like to see a better view of the top. I want the grain to run straight with the bore. The forend I prefer to be straight too, but can run slightly uphill.

Also want straight through the grip or slightly downhill to the toe. You must accept that you don't get it all in one blank unless you are in the upper levels of stock blanks.

Looks kinda like this on thats supposed to be black walnut

That is a nice blank, where did you get it?

pertty sure I saw that blank on eBay, looks like a nice claro blank to me. I'm not a big fan of claro, but I think thats a nice blank. If it was dry and I could get it for a good price I would buy it.

The second pic somebody else posted looks like a blank that bill soverens had.

I am more curious than anything. The blank is on eBay. I see several people bidding on it, not me.


Just wondering the value. I see these go for $60 on eBay and the next day one that looks the same goes for $300

quote:

bill soverens

Does he sell wood?

Yep, that one I have I got from Soverns. Dont know if bill has anything else, about 6 months ago he aquied a big slab of black walnut he found in someones garage and cut it into blanks and sold them in AR classified

Do you have a web address for him to view a site?

OKH ,Do a search his sig has a web page I think ,I think it was a one time deal though

No guesses on how much this is worth?????

maybe a few hundred pounds of this???

333_OKH,
If you are looking for a Black Walnut blank, try Robert Watts at Watts Walnut
I own 3 of his blanks.

Here is a link to some pictures I posted on my projects in another thread.404 Jeffery Project

Rusty,

what are the grades of the wood on your rifles, and do you remember what you paid for your blanks??

As far as I can see, Watts does not list prices on his website??

- mike

quote:

As far as I can see, Watts does not list prices on his website??

He doesn't post the price. Email him he will send you pictures and what he has in stock. A couple of months ago. Exhibition was $300-350 Extra fancy was $175-250 and fancy was $150.

That stock on ebay has only air dried 4 months.

Thanks a lot!
- mike

Rusty--

I send you a private message, but the 404 looks great. I will look into the Watt's.

I originally posted this to see how much people would guess the value at. I am not the owner, nor a bidder, but rather just placing it as a game to see how close we all got in the end.

333_OKH,
got your message feel free to contact me directly at any time!

Mike,
It's been two years ago when I bought the blanks from Robert. As I remember he never gave me a grade, we just talked and he told me he had a couple of blanks that were really nice and told me he'd let go of them for $200.00 USD apiece.

He later called me and offer another blank that I also bought. It is at Tip Burn's place now. I haven't decided what to do with it yet?

Let's face it guys you can always pay more, but a good value for a stock that you will be drag'n through the bush is what you are looking for! That's why I went with Watts!

The current price of this blank is 202 dollars but it is only 4 months since cutting. Check out the eBay website...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageNam...205249502&id=&sasel=

I thought this one sure looked nice. (Not Mine) Ebay Auction

quote:

don't cuss farmers and ranchers with your mouth full
NAHC Life Member

I love the quote!

I live in the land of conflict. We have a lot of Dairies and Ranches and a lot of vegetarians

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
I live in the land of conflict. We have a lot of Dairies and Ranches and a lot of vegetarians

California is my favorite place in the world. I would love to own a ranch that stretched from Monterey to the San Joaquin Valley. Just too many dang people!

I would love to see less people and more ranches....You know, when I was growing up here, we had more cows in my county than people...but alas the city people have found us as a retirement home.

I am puzzled by eBay. For a period of two or three years, there were incredible buys on wood. I bought bunches of great blanks for little money. About a year ago, the people with the good buys disappeared, and now the only major player left seems to be the guy with this blank who sells only wet wood. However, since he is the only game in town, it seems like the blanks are bringing huge prices for fresh wood. There are only a few other dealers who occasionaly have wood listed.

I understand.

I have about 800-1000 pounds of burl Claro walnut in an air drying location right now that I could cut up and sell ,but I thought about 3 years would better in air dry. Below is a test piece I took off the large slabs and planks just for show.



This wood is totally wet and this peice is from the outside, but I have some slabs that are 8' x 6' and 4-6 inches thick. One of them is 8 inches thick, but I will be ripping it soon.

quote:

Originally posted by GSP7:
Looks kinda like this on thats supposed to be black walnut

Its black walnut. van

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
Tell me what you think about the general layout of the grain and the value of this Claro gunstock blanks.





This is not my style of wood, but I am curious because there is such a difference in wood prices. Sometimes a peice looks plain and goes for an amazing amount of money.

Here is you chance to guess the price of this wood?

I,ve seen a blank go for $475-$525. van

quote:

have about 800-1000 pounds of burl Claro walnut in an air drying location right now that I could cut up and sell ,but I thought about 3 years would better in air dry. Below is a test piece I took off the large slabs and planks just for show.

Well then maybe the wood I have drying will be worth a small fortune. If it pays for my new rifle I will be more than pleased.

Just an update.....

That peice sold for $304.69 !!!!!

Pretty good price for the seller when it was cut 4 months ago!

i looked at that blank on ebay, and thought that, being wet, it was worth mebbe MAYBE 50 bucks, as I can get you FAR better for $425, dry as a bone, in claro or bastogne.

jeffe

I am amzaed by this! Maybe I should start selling my burl Claro now?

I'd give $175 for it. I just wouldn't want to shape it. There's a much higher chance of getting "good" blanks out of a Claro tree then an english tree. There is a lot more fiddleback in the average claro tree so it shouldn't bring too high a price. Therefore supply and demand would dictate a lower price for the average claro blank then the average english. The claro trees are just squirrel bait. The english trees that get cut for gunstocks are from someone's orchard that aren't producing enough nuts and they are far and few between. I doubt there are many english trees grown in Cal. just for shade. Layout on that blank was great! It just burns my nose too much. Claro is not the stockmakers favorite wood. Great big pores, hard to fill and not as strong as a good piece of english.
gunmaker

Great I have a thousand pounds of a burl stump, all Claro. The top of the tree was a nice English, but the owners cut it for firewood!!!! An then chipped the smaller peices. I just barely managed to keep the stump from going to the barrel grinder. The piece above I pictured is just a small outer peice.

I am looking for a blank now, and I think I give up on cherry???

.

There is a stock maker in Ohio that I met this year that may be interested in this wood. His name is John Maxon. He is a good guy that makes some beautiful guns. If you want I could get his contact info and you could check with him. Just a thought. That is some awesome looking wood for sure.
Joe
bingbangboom@charter.net

As you might have read, I saved it from the chipped. It was growing in a local and Company owned Inn at the localtion of the last Comapny owned Timber town. They cut it down and removed it to make more room around the courtyard of the inn...

Fabulous wood with a distinct history.

I really have to second liljoehbrshooter on John Maxon, he´s a really nice guy! I had the plesure to meet him at the world benchrest shooting championship at Kelblys range, North Lawerence OH this Sep. Mr Maxon showed the BR crowd some blanks and the rifle that was on the cover in the Sep issue of Precision Shooting.

Outstanding work!

Here is mr Maxon on the left hand side explaning something.


Some blanks that he brougth to the range.


Finally the rifle and the issue of PS beside it.

The top blanks is reallt nice as is the completed gun. That is one of the best target stock I have seen.

The gun on the picture is actually a (live) varmint rifle! Its built around a 40X action with a 6 BR barrel.

Mr. Maxons is a member of the Custom gunmakers guild, forgot to mention that above! He´s even one of the gentlemen that started the Custom gunmakers guild!

Stefan