I have visited boat factories and have watched the workers hand lay up fiberglass for boats.
I would imagaine that is somewhat the same way that synthetic stocks are made by the various makers, although I believe that they now are also using other materials that are lighter and stronger.

The question is this.

Why cannot this be done at home by anyone?

Keep track of all the threads on stocks from manufacturers that don't fit, etc.
Having seen the first run of fish tanks for use at the fish farm I worked at, I'd guess you would wind up with something rough, full of voids and, most importantly way too heavy.

2 cents

Well I guess I'm qualified to answer this question ;

quote:

The question is this.

Why cannot this be done at home by anyone?

Not everyone is foolish !.

I could easily manufacture composite stocks of high quality. As I have near 38 years experience

in the composites related field , all the necessary knowledge as well as equipment required .

Then I snap back to reality and remember just why I don't , I don't want to go broke !.

Even for myself building a couple is pointless at the price and quality others are making them now .

Having helped perfected this composite construction technique does qualify me .









I'm also handy in other mediums as well . If it's available off the self


BUY IT , as it's doubtful you can produce it for less !.

Why do some people build their own furniture?

I wasn't really thinking about "producing it for less" so much as I was thinking about:

1. Available for a particular rifle.
2. Fit.
3. Time waiting for one to be delivered.
4. Getting it exactly the way you wanted it. rather than the way they want to give it to you.
5. Satisfaction of doing something oneself.

Just exactly what are the steps to make a synthetic stock like say McMillian does it?

For a C/F stock see attached pics---all you have to do is build a mold. This is 100% CF with HOK clear (8 coats) with HOK Kameleon Opals added:


Tim Manners made this one.

i found someone out in Washington state when i was looking at making fiberglass stocks that had written a book on that subject. i kept googling until i came up with it. without pictures i can't explain it. the bottom line is this, you take you existing rifle action make a mold and then another mold of your stocks outer features. i couldn't follow the book and didn't want to go through the hassle. the book went in my wood stove. i may have had to give the guy like $15.00 for that book. also a gunsmith out of PA also had a video of how he makes his own stocks and he shows all of his molds and the extensive infrastructure to make a stock. i've got other ideas for making them, i'm just in the grad school to finance my hobby. what i did was compromised and make my stocks from scratch from laminate and have been very happy since they fit me unlike factory stuff. take care

quote:

Originally posted by Nate D:
A gunsmith out of PA also had a video of how he makes his own stocks and shows all of his molds and the extensive infrastructure to make a stock.

http://www.shopfloor.org/2008/...ers-ultimate-rifles/

JC

Nothing saying you can't but imho I'd save my money and just buy a stock due to the fact that the building of the mold alone would cost more then one or two new stocks. And it's the mold that is the key to it all. But sure with the right investment in materials and time you can do it. It's going to make one hell of a mess though

I personally did work in a custom composite shop years ago and let me tell you unless you really want to do it I'd stay away.

The easiest way is to build a laminated stock of wood and cover it with carbon fiber. If you want lightweight use laminated balsa. You can control your weight and shape. No molds to build.
Butch

it can be .. but like chambering a barrel and threading it (reamer and threa tool is "cheap") ... but requires a large investment in tooling, machines, and learning ...

you are looking at, if you want to use CF, at least 1500 bucks for a "CHEAP" setup .. and then another couple grand in learning how to do it .. then getting the first "10" or so out for free, THEN modifying your designs ...

i thought about it .. i LIKE advanced materials, and I LIKE mucking about with them .. BUT .. there's thousands of bucks and hours to get started, for probably a sucky product.

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
The easiest way is to build a laminated stock of wood and cover it with carbon fiber. If you want lightweight use laminated balsa. You can control your weight and shape. No molds to build.
Butch

GRET idea ...

I use to work in the fiberglass industry. I mainly did tooling. I made plugs and molds. I got the notion to make the perfect synthetic stock to fit me. I made a wood stock and whittled and bondoed and sanded to get the perfect shape. When I got done I ended up painting the stock black and bedding the rifle in it and using it. I just couldn't get motivated to make a mold and go through that whole process. It is a lot of work.

Furthermore when the mold is made it is what it is. It is hard to make changes if you get a different idea.

There was an article in Precision Shooting years ago about making fiberglass stocks by laying glass over a foam core. The author was a bench rest shooter and made his own stocks that way.

A popular wood for BR use is Pawlonia. It is almost as light as balsa and is very stiff. It is very easy to work. The best way is to laminate both vertical and horizontal carbon fiber cloth and vacuum bag it-no clamps. Put it in the mill to do the most of the inletting. You can finish the inletting by hand while it is in the mill. You can do like Jim Kobe does to get rid of a lot of excess wood in the mill and then you can hand shape it. I bed with either Bisonite or Devcon Titanium. You can then put a carbon fiber skin on it. It is very strong, stiff, weather proof and can weigh 18-20oz. You can add weight when building it if you want it heavier.
When you get down to it, the only advantage is tailoring it to yourself.
Butch

just melt some plastic milk bottles

I didn't make my point very well as others elaborated on start up cost . While using some form of medium

for the stocks shape is all well and good but does defeat the purpose of a Composite stock ,doesn't it ?.

Melting milk jugs is reminiscent of (I believe many of you refer too them as " Tupper Ware stocks " !.).

Over laying a fabric onto a stock isn't difficult but to do so and have it LOOK GOOD IS !.

My suggestion would be taking an old beater stock you're going to strip and refinish any way ;

then get some fabric from the wife or ? and use 3 M spray adhesive 90 or 70 an see what it looks like

before purchasing S glass ,carbon , Armid or kevlar fiber and all the other necessary mediums involved .

BOL .

So, a McMillan stock is a hollow stock? 2 pieces put together and then filled with something? What?

Yes, that's why the molds are so substantial; to withstand the internal pressure of the expanding foam. McMillan is filled with different densities of foam, depending on the final weight you want. I don't know if the material is different or if they just inject more for a denser set.

Some stock makers lay in extra glass in stress points like the wrist, forearm and even solid glass/resin columns rolled up in a cylinder to make pillars for the action screws before injecting the foam (Clifton and Rimrock, for example). All sorts of proprietary methods are used for reinforcement. I even heard some redneck uses tongue depressers, lol.

If you want a little precurser to the amount of work required to smooth and finish a home made foam filled stock, buy a basic, out-of-the-mold MPI and try to finish it. That should tell you if you want to try your own home-rolled stock. My bet is not no, but hell no!

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
A popular wood for BR use is Pawlonia. It is almost as light as balsa and is very stiff. It is very easy to work.

I just registered on here recently and already I'm learning things. I didn't know that stuff had any use at all, it's like a weed around my place. They grow incredibly fast and if you cut one down a dozen more seem to sprout from the stump.

Clark

If some of you would like to attempt to make a synthetic stock here's a new product which could help you .

Epoxies, Etc. is pleased to announce the development of a new Urethane Casting Resin. The 70-2170 has an "ABS-like feel and appearance." This resin system was designed for Product Development and Low Volume Manufacturing.

The 70-2170 provides an inexpensive method to develop parts for pre-production evaluation, market testing, clinical trial, and low volume production.

The 70-2170 has the following properties:

* Dimensionally Stable
* High Impact Resistance
* Excellent Machinability
* Fast cure
* Easy 2:1 Mix Ratio
* High Durometer


http://www.epoxies.com/tech/70-2170R.pdf

Clark,
Maybe you better start harvesting it.
Butch

This is just a few pics of a redwood carbon fiber benchrest stock that I built a few years ago.





Bear in mind this is a BR stock and not what you would want on your Mauser. It is very stiff and very light.
Butch

Not my flavor but damn nice work!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by BackwoodsBum:

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
A popular wood for BR use is Pawlonia. It is almost as light as balsa and is very stiff. It is very easy to work.

I just registered on here recently and already I'm learning things. I didn't know that stuff had any use at all, it's like a weed around my place. They grow incredibly fast and if you cut one down a dozen more seem to sprout from the stump.

Clark

Poplar is used quite often in the manufacture of guitar bodies for electric guitars, Along with being the filler for any laminated furniture or.
They just take a thin laminate of maple and glue down on the guitar bodies. Bass wood is also very common.
Remington uses it in the 870 express stocks

It is a very stable wood but very plain jane in grain and figure so it's not used as anything other then a good solid base material

butchlambert ; Curious as to why you choose Redwood ?.


http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/strength_table.htm

It must be nice to have a milling machine!!!!

I chose redwood because it is very still and if you handpick your planks, it is very light. To build a good balanced 10.5lbs. rifle you need a roughly 20OZ stock. That is total weight including scope.
Butch

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
So, a McMillan stock is a hollow stock? 2 pieces put together and then filled with something? What?

McMillan stock shells are filled with expoxy and "microballons" in the barrel and action area. Foam is used in the butt. After the interior has hardened, the action and barrel channel is CNC milled for the barrelled action it is sold for.

Pay the programing cost and McMillan will mill any barrelled action you want in one of their existiing patterns.