My mountain rifle is getting walnut…

Awesome! I cheated when I did a wood stock for one of my rifles(action is off my first rifle) I ordered a semi inlet and had some one else do the checkering. WAY harder the way your doing it

That’s a gorgeous rifle!! Very nice work!!

My first two stocks were from semi inlets. Unfortunately they were both very rough in the inletting with oversize action screw holes, so had to glue in pillars for guides for the inletting. My pre 64 stock, the barrel channel is quite free floated because the channel being cut to wide. After those two is what made me look at a blank.

I think with the right guy cutting the semi inlet though it’s probably a good way to go.
 
Absolutely incredible work. That blank appears as though it’s going to have an incredible finish. I’m looking forward to seeing the progression.
 
The bottom metal is pretty straight forward. I laid out the depth I needed in each side of the blank, then cross cut with a hand saw, then chisel and rasp.

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The holes drilled in the wood are the same diameter as my guide screws, so I taped the top inlet, so the screws wouldn’t fall through when taking the bottom metal in and out.

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Here you can see the layout black, which is scraped or chiseled away carefully
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Super cool thread, good luck on your project! A 22" 6.5 PRC is a nice place to end up for a mountain gun, Benchmark makes a nice barrel. Did you get Corlane's to put together your barreled action? Looks like their engraving to be anyway.

Gorgeous wolf your lady got by the way! Love the vapor trail on the way in. Interestingly enough we have a LH Tikka T3 6.5x55 that my wife uses. Sweet shooting gun.
 
Next up was thinning the forend from the front of the bottom metal. A nice straight line is key here, no humps or dips allowed, a straight edge is used to make sure everything it straight.
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With a bit of a plane forend, I figured I’d add some colour. I like the brown colour of the rosewood on the old Browning’s, so thought about rosewood. A friend who’s a knife maker offered this piece of Mexican king wood, which looked pretty cool, so thought I’d give it a try.
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Two dowels plus clear epoxy will hold the cap on. Years ago, I put an Ebony cap on a rifle, that seemed to shrink after a few years causing a ridge at the joint. Really hoping that doesn’t happen here.

First is to sand both faces flat to make a perfect joint, again, no gaps allowed.
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Holes drilled, ready for fitting.
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That looks fantastic.

I had a wood blank I got from my grandfather. I originally considered making the stock myself but I chickened out and had the pros do it. Seeing what you are doing convinces me I made the right decision! I can really appreciate the patience and attention to detail.
 
That looks fantastic.

I had a wood blank I got from my grandfather. I originally considered making the stock myself but I chickened out and had the pros do it. Seeing what you are doing convinces me I made the right decision! I can really appreciate the patience and attention to detail.

Fortunately in my younger years, my grandad was a pretty renowned stock maker who I spend a lot of time with at his bench. unfortunately though, he passed when I was a late teen, I really can’t wait to see him again some day to show him what Iv been up to.

Watching him at his bench when I was a kid, and seeing how meticulous he was, I think plays a big role. Being able to look and fondle his rifles really helps give me an idea of what I’m after.

One day I hope to be as quick as him though, boy could that guy move wood.
 
I am covetous of your chisel collection. And whoever keeps your work area clean.
Looks fantastic.

Hahaha, im probably the messiest bench out there, but hey!! I know where every single tool is on it 🤣. I’m pretty restricted to my little bench in my basement for now. My grandads gunshop is sitting awaiting me though on our lake property, soon as this economy turns around and I can build a house out there, I’ll be stylin :)

Most of my chisels and many other tools are leftover from my grandad. Heck, even my reloading beam scale, powder cup and funnel, are his old tools that he taught me on in the early 80’s. I can’t let go lol.
 
The kingwood was nice to work with, it scraped like butter, but it might prove to be soft. We’ll see after a few mountain trips. It really has sone nice grain in it though.

The barrel channel scraper and Jerry fisher scraper are like gold in here.

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Got it good
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I think the colours jive.
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This block is about to transform

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Iv been waiting a long long time to get some finish on there!
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Wow, what a cool thread! Will you put pillars in the stock and/or glass bed the action/recoil lug?

My chukar shotgun is an oil finish, and I love cleaning it up and adding a few coats and polishing out some of the worst dings from the year.

I do piller bed it, that’s coming up pretty soon here :). Gotta love a finish that’s easy to touch up. I usually keep things pretty touched up, but this one, im kinda looking forward to putting it through its paces. Iv come to terms with, it will get scars lol.
 
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