Sawing walnut crotches for gun stock blanks

PA_Walnut · March 26, 2018, 05:42:33 AM

Quote from: ToddsPoint on March 26, 2018, 04:52:53 AM
Nice walnut crotch PA. Now you need a plastic template to layout your stock blank. Cut out the blanks right away, anchor seal the ends and feathers and hang it up. Let it twist and warp if it wants to to get the stress out of it. In 3 or 4 yrs. you'll be ready to use it. Gary

Gary, where can I get a template to use? (or a file)? If I can find a pattern file, I can cut out the shape on my CNC. I'll cut them out asap! Thx

ToddsPoint · March 27, 2018, 05:50:25 AM

I made my own out of clear plastic sheet. I'll take a pic of them and post them later today. For a rifle you need 36" X 7" or 8", rectangular or tapered to 3" at the forend. For a 2-piece stock you need a template 20" X 7" or 8", rectangular or tapered to 3" at small end.

There is an art to laying out a blank correctly. Look at some finished guns at how they laid out to grain to flow up through the grip. Grip is the thinnest part of the stock and has to be right for strength. Gary

nativewolf · March 27, 2018, 08:09:11 AM

Quote from: ToddsPoint on March 24, 2018, 05:03:42 AM
Quote from: nativewolf on March 23, 2018, 09:30:09 AM

Question for our local gunstock maker. I've been scouting our inventory of bought walnut trees and this one stood out as one with a large perpendicular branch crotch. Is this what I should be looking for? I mean I have literally hundreds of regular crotch pieces, you can see there would be several move from that tree but that's a big limb. On this property we have purchased about 2000 walnut trees and have 20 years to take them out so I don't mind waiting to find the right thing. The tree itself is over 30" at dbh but has a horrible fast taper. It has forest cousins that are better though.

Trees with crotches like that are the very best for gunstocks. The near perpendicular branch will make a wide feather pattern. The wider the pattern the easier it is to lay out a blank and the more figure you'll have in the blank. I'd cut that log 3' above the crotch and 3' below and trim it as wide as your mill will cut. Gary

Thanks for the confirmation, will take your advice. In my walnut thread I posted another picture of a different tree, in the forestry and logging section. It's not quite perpendicular but I guess it is pretty close. I suppose I should cut that the same. We'll get the crotch slabbed so it will be full width.

khmplus · March 27, 2018, 08:50:34 AM

Gary is correct, for best strength, the grain should flow naturally along the curve between the fore end and butt of the stock.

nativewolf · March 27, 2018, 08:54:47 AM

Quote from: thecfarm on March 24, 2018, 06:09:23 AM
native wolf,that is a nice looking stone wall there. Mine are farmers stonewalls. Nothing pretty,just a way to get rid of the rocks. The only stone wall,with just about the same size rocks,as the one in that picture,was where I had my house built. No way to save it,unless I wanted to drive over it to get out of the garage.

I am very fortunate to be working where I am, lots of stone walls like that. Huge stone mansion on this property, a bit derelict and needing attention, I suppose some walnut funds will go to fixing it up. It's a bit like living in The Shire from the Lord of the Rings if anyone has read the book or seen the movie.
In my side of the county there are no mobile homes, not a single one. Tenant homes are neat, no junkyards, horses abound, cows everywhere and vineyards every mile or two.

nativewolf · March 27, 2018, 08:55:33 AM

Quote from: khmplus on March 27, 2018, 08:50:34 AM
Gary is correct, for best strength, the grain should flow naturally along the curve between the fore end and butt of the stock.

Thanks as well. Nice picture.

Magicman · March 27, 2018, 09:56:42 AM

Quote from: nativewolf on March 27, 2018, 08:54:47 AMI am very fortunate to be working where I am, lots of stone walls like that.

If you don't mind, please add your location or place a map pin in your profile so that we can remember "where you am". ;D

nativewolf · March 27, 2018, 02:42:45 PM

Quote from: Magicman on March 27, 2018, 09:56:42 AM
Quote from: nativewolf on March 27, 2018, 08:54:47 AMI am very fortunate to be working where I am, lots of stone walls like that.

If you don't mind, please add your location or place a map pin in your profile so that we can remember "where you am". ;D

Right O. Done

nativewolf · March 27, 2018, 02:44:45 PM

Did that work? Delaplane VA, added it and updated but did not change in that post.

WV Sawmiller · March 27, 2018, 03:14:52 PM

Native,

Did not work yet. Once added it will show up on every post you make. I'd try again. Good luck, it will happen I am sure.

nativewolf · March 27, 2018, 09:17:05 PM

Ok, I don't know what else to do. Updated my location, my profession, etc and saved.

WV Sawmiller · March 27, 2018, 09:41:16 PM

Go to Profile then Account profile and enter it under you signature where you currently have "Liking Walnut"

Magicman · March 27, 2018, 10:51:17 PM

Profile, Forum Profile, Location (right below birthdate). Then scroll all of the way to the bottom of the page and click on the blue "Change Profile".

WDH · March 28, 2018, 08:03:39 AM

Native,

I added your location to your profile.

ToddsPoint · March 28, 2018, 10:32:03 AM

Here's pics of my templates for PA. If you run the slab through a bandsaw you can use the curve in the bottom of the rifle template. If you plan on ripping the blank out with a chainsaw, make the bottom edge straight like the shotgun blank.

Next pics are the shotgun template laid on a blank. The grain flows the right way through the grip. I put lines along the grain with a red marker but they aren't very dark.

Now I flipped the template over, then spun the blank around to show you the wrong way. I see blanks like this for sale on ebay all the time. This is how you DO NOT want your stock blank to look. The grain cuts through the wrist, making it a weak point.

You can make a separate template for your forend or add it to the shotgun template like I did. 9" is the minimum but I like to cut them 11". A few semi auto shotguns take huge forends to the point you need a 3" thick slab to start with. Avoid those. You'll get a better stock blank if you give the guy running the duplicator machine a little extra wood to work with. Gary

Kbeitz · March 28, 2018, 10:48:58 AM

Great info....

PA_Walnut · March 29, 2018, 07:22:57 AM

Thank you Todds! I found this one via a Google search that was marked "generic". Seem right to you? It's supposed to measure 30" in length and 5.5" at the butt.

If it's in the camp, I'll cut one on my CNC.

Thanks!

Rhodemont · April 02, 2018, 09:42:56 AM

Have read this thread with interest so thought I would saw a crotch to see what I get. Not that I want gun stock just interesting grain. I typically cut the crotch of my oaks out and discard them as I buck logs since they are so difficult to split for firewood. Put a red oak crotch on the mill but it was too wide so had to turn it vertical and cut it down as shown in a pic early in the thread. Since it was about 6 feet long, shorter than the distance between the stops, had to spend a lot of time getting it shimmed and secure. Once cut down to to about 24 inch I turned it and took some one inch slabs off to get organized and see how they look. Not burly but really pretty. Then took five 2 1/4 inch slabs at the wide point. I figured to have some defect from the pith in the very center slab. The grain is beautiful but was a bit disappointed that they all have a bit of a bark line (I guess that is what it is). Does this occur as the tree grows/thickens and absorbs the bark between the two trunks? If that is the case I see why a much greater angle is desirable. Not sure what I will do with them but will let them air dry and saw some more for fun in the future when I have time.