A friend of mine has a sawmill and has had an itch to start sawing gunstock blanks. Here are some pictures of his first run.
He would like to get a pattern and cut them down to gunstock blank sizes to finish drying them, anybody have a pattern they can send a copy of?
These slabs are 10-12" wide 8 feet long and 3" thick.

Tell him to not get too aggressive about cutting them down. All things being equal, oversized blanks sell for a premium. 2.5-3" thick, 36-40" long, 7.5-9" wide at the buttstock and 3.5-4.5" wide at the foreend would be a nice big blank. If the slab has good grain in the foreend, cut the length at 42-44" for a mannlicher length blank; they sell for a premium.

Be sure to seal the ends to help prevent cracking.

Nope sorry... no patterns!
I think I would leave them in there present form for the drying period.
"Or" since feather crotch in no longer in vogue, bring or send them to the house. I'll keep em till the make a come back!

I like the grain flow above the crotch figure.

quote:

crotch in no longer in vogue

You are going to have to introduce me to your frind when I get home in FEB!!! Too bad those blanks wont be ready for several years - they would be perfect for my varmint 223!!!!

My buddy has a lot more wood, some fancier and some plainer, if you guys want I can post more pictures.
These logs have been stored outdoors off the ground for about 18 months and will take some more drying to be complete.

Simply place a rifle on a sheet of template material and trace around it leaving about an inch all the way around it.

I have three different shotgun stock patterns I got when attending Jack Rowe's doubles class a few years back. I can make copies for you. I'm in Hartland Twp.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike in Michigan:
Simply place a rifle on a sheet of template material and trace around it leaving about an inch all the way around it.

Cut a blank to these dimensions and you will have just reduced the value of the blank by half. Let the stockmaker cut it down as he sees fit. Wood is a lot easier to take off than to put back.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
A friend of mine has a sawmill and has had an itch to start sawing gunstock blanks. Here are some pictures of his first run.
He would like to get a pattern and cut them down to gunstock blank sizes to finish drying them, anybody have a pattern they can send a copy of?
These slabs are 10-12" wide 8 feet long and 3" thick.

That certainly is beautiful wood. Is it black walnut? Thank you.

quote:

Is it black walnut?

That would be my bet!.....beautiful!

Yes it is Black Walnut.
Do you guys want to see anymore ?

quote:

Yes it is Black Walnut.
Do you guys want to see anymore ?

is the pope a catholic?????

Dos a bear shit in the woods???

Does Obama suck???

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Yes it is Black Walnut.
Do you guys want to see anymore ?

is the pope a catholic?????

Dos a bear shit in the woods???

Does Obama suck???

That means YES!

ddj

quote:

Tell him to not get too aggressive about cutting them down. All things being equal, oversized blanks sell for a premium. 2.5-3" thick, 36-40" long, 7.5-9" wide at the buttstock and 3.5-4.5" wide at the foreend would be a nice big blank. If the slab has good grain in the foreend, cut the length at 42-44" for a mannlicher length blank; they sell for a premium.

Forest is right! these should NOT be cut into anything but nice blanks, and they are nice!
Yes, I would like to see more...

Here is some more wood.
Not all of it is gunstock wood, some of it will be sold for tables and mantles but it is very pretty wood nonetheless.

snellstrom,
Make sure your buddy uses something like Elmers glue to seal the surface of the wild grain like the feathered crotch. It will help to keep it from checking from drying to fast. I imagine he may know it already but I would rather mention it in case he does not.

One thing that Don Cantwell, God rest his soul, told me a long time ago was to select the absolute best blank out of a cut like that first and don't try to get two when they would be inferior to the one you get. If those slabs are 10 to 12 inches wide you will likely only get one blank thru the feathered crotch anyway.
I tried cutting my own wood and quickly left it to the experts. Talk about a lot of work!!!

And DO NOT just cut the blank 1" around the outline of a stock. Take a look at the size of a normal blank. It is wide enough to allow you latitude in the way you lay your pattern on the wood.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by vapodog:
Does a bear shit in the woods???[QUOTE]

not a polar bear!

Seal ends with latex paint , apply several coats over a 2-4 day period properly stack with air stickers at least

1" in height about every 8-12" down the length . if possible store in side at the very least under cover .

A shed works well especially a North facing one .On stacking remember to make a solid foundation as flat as

possible and stack that wood min. 2Ft. off the ground 3 Ft. is preferable with good air flow under wood .

If using a tarp don't lay it on top of your stack with out putting say 2X4 on edge across the stack

secure ends of tarps on the end grain direction of your stacks ONLY . DON'T tightly cover or strap tarps around

the stack . After 4 months reapply latex paint to end grain again recover . If the feather crotch shows signs

of fuzzing or checking apply an epoxy sealer only to the slab faces . NOT on Edge grain .

After about 2 years check moisture content with a moisture meter on edge grain and end grain .

If you wish to see faster results contact someone with a Kiln and experience . ...

My Buddy has a quantity of these to sell either in slabs or in rifle blank form, where might he look to sell them?
Any wood buyers I can put him in contact with?

Contact Mitch Talcove if he isn't interested he knows who would be . Several Gun Smiths and stock
carvers reside in this forum I would think placing an advertisement in what ever classified section
would be OK .

http://www.anexotichardwood.com/