Stock makers or woodworkers?

[Pydpiper]

I have a laminated maple stock blank sitting around for years, have some time to start shaping it and need some advice.
I put it to a belt sander thinking that would work, hardly scratched it.
I would like this done for my sons bow by Christmas, and it will probably take me that long.
What do I use to take off material faster? Would prefer power tools, as i lose patience quickly.
Any suggestions as to how to proceed?

[agingcrossbower]

Any laminate is harder because of the glues used. They will dull your tools fast. Here is some pics of what I use.



Let me know if I can help with anything Pyd.

[maple]

Take out your favourite gun stock and have a look at it. Consider how the handgrip is shaped, the profile of the stock. the oval end of the butt, the fore grip etc. Pattern your shaping after that and pencil it in on the blank. Refer back to the gunstock occasionally as you progress with shaping.

Best way to start is with an angle grinder ($29 at Princess Auto) and a coarse sanding disc. It'll rough it out in a half hour. Then switch to a medium disc and file for near-done shaping.

Are you sure it's not white ash?

[Pydpiper]

Thank you aging, I was hoping to hear from you..

Maple, I do not know for sure. I have had it so long I may have forgotten the material. I may have just assumed maple because of the guy I bought it from, his name is "Maple". You would know better that me, because it was you that I bought it from.
It is very hard wood, that I now know.
Kind of excited to get this started.

[bob1961]

most if not all lami blanks are popular wood....

[galamb]

I build traditional longrifles - about 95% have maple stocks.

I start with a "blank", so basically just a "chunk" of maple.

After transferring my pattern outline I "rough cut" it with the bandsaw, then go to work with a trim router and a straight bit (guided by jigs made out of 2x4's to used as guide rails for the router plate).

In the end though that simply gets you "a rough" stock.

Then out comes first, the wood rasp, then the files, then the scrapers.

Roughly 40 hours of work before it's "shaped" (and I have done a few - got quicker with practice).

To get from here....


To here is a bit of work, not including the "metal stuff"

[flightattendant100]

Pyd, you have heard from better stock makers than me allready, but I have a right angle die grinder that uses 2" or 3"discs of various grits. You can get down to a 24 grit disc and it will move some material. Its pneumatic so you have to have a compressor, and a pretty big one to get close to keeping up with the tool, but they are fairly easy to control and you can change grits depending how much and how fast you want to go at that point. The import tool places have these for cheap ( Northern Tool and Harbour Freight ) Just a thought if you have a good compressor. Good luck

[Ont_Excal]

I put it to a belt sander thinking that would work, hardly scratched it.
What do I use to take off material faster, as i lose patience quickly.

Woodworking takes patience, especially to produce a fine result.
Good luck.

[maple]

Pyd,

If that blank is from me, it's laminated white ash. Much easier to work with than maple but has a straight and stable grain.

I'd still suggest an angle grinder and a coarse sanding disc to start.

Here's mine from the same wood.



Keep us posted on progress.