Wood working project

[Czy Horse]

After seeing pictures of some other members bows with wooden stocks, I've decided to make a wooden stock for my Exocet. Looking for all the help and advise I can get.

First off the wood, I've looked at a couple web site's that have some very nice pieces of gun stock wood. Do I need to get one of those special cut/grades of wood for a gun/crossbow stock or would any kiln dried piece of walnut, birds eye maple or similar hard wood work?

Thanks,
Czy Horse

[Grizzly Adam]

Walnut or maple will be fine.

Cherry makes a pretty stock, too ... but it's soft.

Ash is ball-bat tough, and makes a neat stock ... was sometimes used on southern mountain rifles.

The sky is your limit ... but walnut and maple are the default choices.

Of the two, walnut is easier to work with.

[dick195252]

Good Luck on your Project and Keep us informed of the Progress

[Belt&Suspenders]

Crazy Horse, I have been thinking of doing the exact same thing....making my own wooden thumbhole stock. How do you intend to do this? Use one of those gun stock duplicating machines or do it the old fashioned method of file and check and file and check fit? Harry

[agingcrossbower]

check out; http://www.rifle-stocks.com/laminated_blanks.htm



Good Luck! And have fun.

[diesel]

Why just use one kind of wood. How about Osage and Walnut.

[Czy Horse]

Omg look at the price of this wood!
http://macongunstocks.net/gunstock_wood_grades_2.html#

Lets start with a "cheap" piece first, I found a nice piece of kiln dried walnut today 2'' x 6 1/2" x 36" for 37$.

My basic plan. .
Router to form the channel for aluminum deck while board is square.
Cut a scrap piece of wood to fill channel area, hope this will keep sides from cracking or splitting during the finishing work.
Then using a band saw/jig saw rough cut stock shape, then rough finish/fit with rasp and file, then the finishing sanding.

First though, I'm still trying to decide how to do the rope cocking grove, I have an idea to make it a separate piece of wood (maybe Osage) that would slide inside the lower section of the aluminum deck. Seen another stock someone made with a grove at the butt end of the stock. I checked out the Relayer's cut, hows the safety operation in cold weather with heavy gloves on.

This is the first time I've tried to make any kind of a stock, so I'm just going to go with a conventional stock. Who knows, if this goes OK then maybe I'll try a thumb hole stock next time.

Hope to get started next week, cannot bow hunt, second shotgun season is on. Will take pictures as I work my way through this winter project.

Czy Horse

[frisky]

I will tell you to make a proto type first. Glue up some thing 2x4 or2x6 anything to get some expirence with the wood. After the first make design changes, THEN use some good wood.

[agingcrossbower]

When the wood is still a blank I found that drilling a small hole straight down in the center of the wood every 6" inches helped me keep the center of the piece while filing it down. You can easily fill the small holes later when not needed.

[Czy Horse]

When the wood is still a blank I found that drilling a small hole straight down in the center of the wood every 6" inches helped me keep the center of the piece while filing it down. You can easily fill the small holes later when not needed.

Thanks, great idea, will measure out the holes for mounting the rail and pre-drill them through the stock, and my blank is long enough to drill another couple on the excess at both ends.

Czy Horse

[Chuck Gravel]

make sure when using the router that you dont tear out pieces of the walnut