I’ve recently decided to try my hand at stock carving.

From what I’ve been able to gather, I can make a pattern stock first that a stock duplicator can use as a template to get my blank pretty close to ready for finishing. This will save me from destroying the blank, no?
Since I’ve selected a blank, I need to get going, there is also metalwork that still needs doing.

I think I’ll use a linden wood to carve the pattern, because it’s easy to carve, hard enough, cheap and easily available to me.
However it is not likely I can get properly seasoned linden, so it may warp.
Now I’m thinking about slicing it into 5mm strips, leave it to dry a month or so in a warm room in the house then laminating it.

Once it’s ready to carve, I’d like to draw out an outline for the inletting and milling it out deep enough to get the barrelled action and barrel in and level. Then bed the action and barrel channel, either with epoxy or car bog. Repeat for the bottom metal.

Once the barrelled action is in place, I’ll start carving the stock, and once it gets close I can start to make personal adjustments to get it to fit me properly.

My reasoning on starting with the inletting, is that I can shoulder the stock as I work, looking down the sights as I go along to make sure everything lines up naturally.

I’m going to need some pointers on what dimensions are guidelines, although I can take a lot of them from stocks I already have and like.

The other thing is that since this is going to be an open sighted DG bolt rifle (.458Lott) I want to take a page from the shotgun stockmakers book, I’m aiming for a rifle that handles and points like a shotgun. The basic style I like is found on the Dakota 76 safari rifles, but with a rounded pancake cheek piece. I like the lines of the flowing, long pistol grip and thick rounded forend.
Will that be a suitable model to work towards?

Obviously there are also going to be crossbolts, steel based epoxy bedding and an ebony tip, a simple, rounded fleur de’lise type checkering pattern (maybe with a cloverleave instead).
Possibly a cartridge trap too.

There are going to be some differences in a stock designed for use with a scope and one designed
for use with iron sights, so any help, tips and advice I can get with regards to any aspect of this job are very welcome.

Thanks.

Get a pattern blank from somebody like Dressels. I think they list them at forty bucks and a lot easier than what you're planning. Get some decent tools and keep them sharp. Westbrooks book is good if you can find one. I would stock a couple of your factory rifles before going whole hog on a project.

to get your general shape to begin with you may be able to have whoever is going to duplicate your stock send you a pattern blank that has been roughed to a sporter pattern. Once you have the action in that pice you can start adding and removing material to finish out your pattern. I've done it this way several times and it has worked well.