Rifle stock build progress thread

[rashtack]

Looks great! I can't wait to see the finished product

 

[Billogna]

Razor sharp fit on that bottom metal!! Nice work!

 

[Kurtm2323]

Looks great! I'm a full-time stockmaker down here in Montana, if you have any questions please reach out!

Your inletting looks great so far, one tip I would say is to use tape(10-mil tape is great because of the consistent thickness) on the barrel. That will give you an even gap for the free float. As for the tang, others mentioned it but I would inlet to what you want and give it a very small gap to prevent chipping.

 

[Decker9]

Looks great! I'm a full-time stockmaker down here in Montana, if you have any questions please reach out!

Your inletting looks great so far, one tip I would say is to use tape(10-mil tape is great because of the consistent thickness) on the barrel. That will give you an even gap for the free float. As for the tang, others mentioned it but I would inlet to what you want and give it a very small gap to prevent chipping.

Hey thanks a bunch Kurt!! The tape is a brilliant idea, I’ll definitely be trying that the next time around.

Would you be “Kurt the gunsmith” by chance? If so, I quite enjoy your IG page and articles!!

 

[Glendine]

Excellent work and look forawrd to seing more.

Regards,
Glendine.

 

[ETtikka]

Wow, very impressive, I don’t know if a carbon barrel is worthy of a stock that nice

 

[Kurtm2323]

Hey thanks a bunch Kurt!! The tape is a brilliant idea, I’ll definitely be trying that the next time around.

Would you be “Kurt the gunsmith” by chance? If so, I quite enjoy your IG page and articles!!

Yep, that's me! Thank you, I'm glad you like it!!

 

[jbach50]

This a bucket list project for me. Great work!

 

[Decker9]

Thank you Jbach

The flu run through our house the past couple weeks, holy it was a bad one. Everyone’s finally on the mend though so made it to the bench for a bit yesterday.

Starting to get some shape in the buttstock, going to try and get the grip roughed in today. I debated adding a grip and forend cap’s, but I think I’ll leave it as is for this one. I really want to try my hand at the skeleton grip cap and buttplate some day, they seem impossible to find up here in Canada though. Sunny hill makes some nice ones it looks like, but we can’t seem to get them over the boarder.

Another learning lesson.

I didn’t need a full 2 1/2” thick piece of wood since I’m not adding a cheek piece. Grandads old file is getting its workout.

 

[CCooper]

I have really been enjoying following this. Decker, you definitely have some talent for woodworking. Highly anticipating the finish product. Thanks for sharing the process.

 

[TAArrowood]

Following..

 

[Decker9]

Thanks Cooper! I’m still learning lots as I go. The important part is it shoots half ok once it’s done lol, fingers crossed!

Got a bit taken from the grip, tough to say how it feels yet, still pretty thick in there. I’m thinking I may put a bit of a flare on the grip, I always liked the look.

Still thinking on what to do with the action area and forend. Tossing around the idea of a beaver tail type forend, it may look better with the big barrel then a round forend. Pretty easy to do, and if I want I can switch it up after. As wood gets removed, so do ideas, best to play with them while the woods still there.

 

[XLR]

That is looking awesome! I am looking forward to seeing the final product!

 

[TAArrowood]

Many of the newer carbon barreled rifles struggle to achieve a nice point of balance.. I really like your work and appreciate you're sharing it with us.. This is an awesome build and I'm sure will make a fine rifle... You are thinking about all the right attributes that make a great rifle.. I'm anxious to see how it progresses.... I have about 25 claro blanks and a few english walnut on hand.. Seeing your work is tempting me to start another one myself.. All the best.. Good idea to leave the forearm wood.. That will allow you to remove as needed to get the balance you'll need.. Love the color of that wood.. When I look at it, it wreaks of shadow line cheek piece with straight comb.. It's a little extra work, but really gives that grain a chance to be seen from every angle.. Beautiful work.. Love it and keep it coming.. Thanks

 

[Decker9]

Thanks TA!! A good jag of blanks would be a handy to have around. I know what you mean about the balance, that’s kinda what will dictate how much wood I take off the forend I think, but with trying to leave enough to not look out of proportion.

Cheek pieces are a tough one. I shoot left handed, but only use right hand rifle’s. I’m not any way married to this rifle, so I decided on a ambidextrous style incase I do sell it some day. I really want an old 7x57, when I decide to build one, I think I’ll add a cheek piece to it because it will be one I’ll plan to keep. I really like the shadow lines though, Iv did one on the second stock I built (from a semi inlet). It turned out not bad I think.



I had an idea in my head, I figured I’d look at it while the wood is still there. Can’t say I’m warming you to it though, I think I’ll just round out the action section and maybe try a flare/shadow (not sure what you’d call something like this) at the front section of the action. Purely for looks






I have a white line Pachmyr pad that I planned to use, but started looking at other options. I was searching around new England custom guns web site and found a pad that they make that looks pretty nice. I ordered one up to have a look at, as well as a skeleton grip cap. I don’t think I’ll use the cap on this one, but look forward to using it for practicing.

 

[HighUintas]

Thanks TA!! A good jag of blanks would be a handy to have around. I know what you mean about the balance, that’s kinda what will dictate how much wood I take off the forend I think, but with trying to leave enough to not look out of proportion.

Cheek pieces are a tough one. I shoot left handed, but only use right hand rifle’s. I’m not any way married to this rifle, so I decided on a ambidextrous style incase I do sell it some day. I really want an old 7x57, when I decide to build one, I think I’ll add a cheek piece to it because it will be one I’ll plan to keep. I really like the shadow lines though, Iv did one on the second stock I built (from a semi inlet). It turned out not bad I think.

View attachment 486172View attachment 486173

I had an idea in my head, I figured I’d look at it while the wood is still there. Can’t say I’m warming you to it though, I think I’ll just round out the action section and maybe try a flare/shadow (not sure what you’d call something like this) at the front section of the action. Purely for looks

View attachment 486124

View attachment 486123


I have a white line Pachmyr pad that I planned to use, but started looking at other options. I was searching around new England custom guns web site and found a pad that they make that looks pretty nice. I ordered one up to have a look at, as well as a skeleton grip cap. I don’t think I’ll use the cap on this one, but look forward to using it for practicing.

Are you saying that in your middle picture, you were thinking of leaving that stepped panel there on the left side of the action?

I think that could look pretty awesome. I had been thinking about how to stock a bolt action rifle with American long rifle inspirations and cutting some type of lock panels into a bolt action stock would be a hard one to figure out. Your picture looks similar to what I was thinking. I don't think you could add the forward end of what would be a lock panel, because you would want to frame the action with it and the action is just so large that a lock panel that framed it would be much too large and out of balance with the rest of the stock. I think it would work well to not have the front end of the panel and only the rear like what you are showing.

The shape of your panel (I'm calling in a panel even though yours is not actually a panel) would need to be designed to be in harmony with the shape of the bolt handle on the other side of the stock in my opinion. I like the shape you currently have on the left side.

I would leave it, and refine it as you shape the rest of the stock and wait until it's nearly in its final shape to determine if you like the look.

 

[TAArrowood]

Here is a rifle I built a few years on an FN Mauser action. This is how I like to do the grip cap, cheek piece and butt plate.

 

[HuntNaked]

very impressive. Wish I had those skills!

 

[TAArrowood]

Thanks. I’ve found that the most valuable skill is the hardest to achieve and that is patience. Also, I’ve found that you should never work on a piece of wood when you’re not feeling it. If you try to force the work will never be your best. I lost track of the hours I put in the rifle/stock in the photos over a few months. Another key is to take actual measurements. Just trying to eye ball it doesn’t work and you always leave too much wood and it always looks and feels awkward.

 

[Decker9]

Are you saying that in your middle picture, you were thinking of leaving that stepped panel there on the left side of the action?

I think that could look pretty awesome. I had been thinking about how to stock a bolt action rifle with American long rifle inspirations and cutting some type of lock panels into a bolt action stock would be a hard one to figure out. Your picture looks similar to what I was thinking. I don't think you could add the forward end of what would be a lock panel, because you would want to frame the action with it and the action is just so large that a lock panel that framed it would be much too large and out of balance with the rest of the stock. I think it would work well to not have the front end of the panel and only the rear like what you are showing.

The shape of your panel (I'm calling in a panel even though yours is not actually a panel) would need to be designed to be in harmony with the shape of the bolt handle on the other side of the stock in my opinion. I like the shape you currently have on the left side.

I would leave it, and refine it as you shape the rest of the stock and wait until it's nearly in its final shape to determine if you like the look.

Yeah you bet, that pointed panel. Iv seen it on other stocks, I think more so with double rifles and shotguns maybe though, Iv seen both pointed and like a half round, I can see how that shape/feature looks better on a break open type rifle.

As I’m sanding/scraping the side of the action thinner here, it is looking better, in that photo there everything looks so beefy, I think that’s what was giving me second thoughts.

I’m going to do like you mentioned and keep them and see how they do as I shape things down. If anything, the points will be good references for a transition on the centreline

Are you saying that in your middle picture, you were thinking of leaving that stepped panel there on the left side of the action?

I think that could look pretty awesome. I had been thinking about how to stock a bolt action rifle with American long rifle inspirations and cutting some type of lock panels into a bolt action stock would be a hard one to figure out. Your picture looks similar to what I was thinking. I don't think you could add the forward end of what would be a lock panel, because you would want to frame the action with it and the action is just so large that a lock panel that framed it would be much too large and out of balance with the rest of the stock. I think it would work well to not have the front end of the panel and only the rear like what you are showing.

The shape of your panel (I'm calling in a panel even though yours is not actually a panel) would need to be designed to be in harmony with the shape of the bolt handle on the other side of the stock in my opinion. I like the shape you currently have on the left side.

I would leave it, and refine it as you shape the rest of the stock and wait until it's nearly in its final shape to determine if you like the look.

Yeah that’s the part I was thinking, it was more just to see it while the wood was still there. Looking at it some more, the point of the panel kinda interferes with the trigger hand. That point will still be a good reference for the transition down through the grip though I think.

Still contemplating a beaver tail type forend, there’s lots of nice grain and dark likes up there that I hate turning to dust lol.