Not a wood worker but ......

RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
One reason is that I've just never been able to see "finished" . I can put it back like I found it but to do it from scratch .....

That's not going to keep me from sawing the walnut log that is insanely out of balance for 2 blanks . It's only 16" and about 4/12 to the center growth ring which I would assume should be very close to the barrel center of the channel. Im also thinking that horizontal rings will be the most stable through lines and should best resist the gyrations of wood .

It looks like I should be able to rather easily be able to make a lot of chips out of the 4' 3×3 and 3×6 slabs in an effort to get a forestock for the BPS .

Seems like a lot of work for an Axis .
Practice in the cheap seats for the top shelf Mauser .

Going through stuff for a cheap seats oldest tools on hand tee-shirt tease. I have been reminded I have a bunch of dies without proper boxes . I also have 12-15 push through dies in regular die boxes . So I guess the next thing to do is make a tray box for the sizers .

I'm open to suggestions about the sawing of the stocks.
The log is 10 yr old so I may get into it and not be able to save the prime stock slab . IMG_20250608_193434.jpg
 
WOW!

The way that "center" is no where NEAR the center, there will be some serious "reaction wood" to deal with.

I'd saw it into what you think would be the sizes you need for blanks and let it sit INSIDE for another year and see if it goes all Linda Blair on you.

Personally, I LOVE weird, messed up, cast-off, oddball wood. It usually has interesting grain and the STORY behind a given piece of wood is invaluable.

IF possible, try to get whatever you can get by quarter-sawing, which will be the most stable. Yeah, a lot of waste, but you're looking at a challenging piece of wood to begin with, and if it doesn't work out for a stock, it becomes expensive campfire wood anyway.

Roll your dice, good Sir and see what you get!
 
i could probably round up some 40-50 y.o. cedar fence posts for you to practice with.
you need a magnifying glass to see the growth rings, and the twist is already built right in.
 
The way that log appears to be positioned, I think I'd rip it in half on a vertical cut line right through the center.
 
The positive here is that I have several more logs and it was declined to saw commercial out of the scape heap so there's no real dollar value attached to it .

Its 56" long .

So saw for vertical rings not horizontal?

I bet I can get some pistol grips out of it if I wreck it too bad .
 
I am getting back into a bunch of wood projects. If this log, or parts of it, turn into 'scrap' pieces but also have a lot of 'character,', pls keep me in mind. I am looking for chunks of various/any hardwoods to chunk up/put in a mold with epoxy and start making turning pieces.
 
RBHarter said:
I have a couple of Savages , as far as worth a good stock accuracy , they are.
It's just the whole $200 piece of wood , on a $200 rifle conundrum.
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If YOU MAKE the stock from THAT log, it'll be "worth" more than $200.

We deceive ourselves that if we DO it ourselves that the only "cost" is the material cost, but then denial is a powerful tool in terms of getting thing DONE.

Since the IRS is not currently able to monitor or place value on sweat-equity, we feel like we're getting over.

If you can make a stock from that piece of wood without depriving those for whom you are responsible, and that's what you want to do, go for it.

No need to rationalize need or to reconcile dollars v. time. If we did that, we wouldn't do any of the cool, fun stuff we do and post here about.
 
Generally you want to avoid the pith entirely, which is where quarter sawing comes in. Me? I'd just roll it and shim it for a best guess of minimal grain runout and slab it out. Doing that will likely make a lot of runout in boards you rip on the table saw from slabs, but put the curve into the gunstocks with minimal runout at the toe and forearm.

I'm betting there is some pretty nice curl in there as stressed as that trunk appears to have been as it grew. You might slab 3" off the top and have a good look for curl. If it has any, and the log is positioned so you're sawing the curve into the slab along a stock line, the curl will be most visible on the top and bottom of the stock. If you want it on the sides, stop and reposition the log so the grain will run vertically through the stock instead of horizontally and don't worry about runout.
 
Jeff H said:
If YOU MAKE the stock from THAT log, it'll be "worth" more than $200.

We deceive ourselves that if we DO it ourselves that the only "cost" is the material cost, but then denial is a powerful tool in terms of getting thing DONE.

Since the IRS is not currently able to monitor or place value on sweat-equity, we feel like we're getting over.

If you can make a stock from that piece of wood without depriving those for whom you are responsible, and that's what you want to do, go for it.

No need to rationalize need or to reconcile dollars v. time. If we did that, we wouldn't do any of the cool, fun stuff we do and post here about.
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Having made many stocks from trees I cut myself, I can agree with that for sure. Being a basic Savage stock, it might be worth a few bucks to send a blank to one of the companies that can run it on a duplicator.
 
As Jeff mentions... I am getting back into wood working and intend to sell sell some pieces/custom work. Using high end/fancy figure wood. I have always done it just for myself. Never sold anything.

I am now struggling to figure out what it - and ME! - are worth. And I am finding out that it is probably a whole lot more than I tend to give myself credit for. Doing it for ME (who can/does/enjoys/loves it), vs for THEM (who can't/have no idea/no tools/skills) - are light years apart! But then, most of us here are DIYs and you probably all get it!
 
I'm reminded this morning of a phrase in another thread . "If you're going cheat" , I'm sure I am , "the inletting only has to be close enough to avoid pressure points".

I've hogged out this stock for 4-5 rifles with an assortment of cross bolts , posts , pillars, tips , caps , grooves , forms , and assorted thin area strengthening lines added and removed about 800 times . I just never had a piece of wood or put tools to one . I did fit a Boyds to a Carcano once and I have done a couple of Savage epoxy beds because it was an expedited trial solution to a problem followed by wow that was a huge improvement let's keep this one working and fix that hot barrel deal that I can't find . It worked in both cases .

That is all a long , long way from this . If it's a total loss , aside from the single function tools I'm not out anything that $120 at Boyds won't fix . If it works out there's a 1916 DWM Gew 98 with a Jaeger trigger in a beech , oak tipped , Jaeger ML styled stock that I hate the fore end on .

I had presumed that the shrink/swell held to the smallest line around the most effected areas was the way to go . In terms of long term stability and fitting. I really didn't expect that there would be a huge aesthetic quality , now there's an aesthetic quality and I'm figuring out how to get the rose wood tips and caps cut in .......
 
I will admit to knowing the intended description without knowing the name of it ........

For the design function of the slabs and my intended cuts , quarter sawn is correct . At least in function. (I had to go look up the definition. That's not how I was going to do it but it's the end result.)

My intentions are to square the "top" on about the 10th ring on that narrow edge . Then saw 1-1/2" on each side of the 1st ring to produce a 3×12+ x 56" with a live edge. Then saw 2 more 3×6+×56" with the live edges . Hopefully that will give me 4 prime straight slabs . The rest can be mould handles , drawer pulls , and book ends .
 
oscarflytyer said:
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I am now struggling to figure out what it - and ME! - are worth...
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I will go back and read RD'd comments, but I need to share this.

I have two nephews (brothers) who have worked for high-end, hoity-toity furniture places in PA, one of the big cities. They have become VERY good at what they do and they have a thousand "cheap tricks" to do neat things that make people with money get all gushy over.

They now work independently out of the one brother's shop.

I am amazed at the money people would shell out for some of the stuff these two guys do. They are NOT hacks, they know what they are doing and are not just "wood machinists," rather real artisans, craftsmen, creating things which are original and high-quality. There ARE people in this world who will pay BIG BUCKS for stuff I know I could make for next to nothing, but they are in the major metro areas - where there's a bunch of money.

Making a hutch for Aunt Gertrude out of "knotty pine" won't pay the bills, but if you find and get into the market where the money-people are, you CAN get what you're really worth.

Just today, my wife mentioned that I should be able to make a few extra bucks when I retire next year (hint, hint), building furniture. Well, IF I could find those people who are willing to spend what it takes, yeah, maybe, but I ain't got no network. The one drawback to being a hermit, I guess.
 
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