Gunstock Blanks

[ZUG]

In 1974 I purchased a maple log from a sawmill which was 10 feet long and 28 to 30 inches wide. I asked them to saw it into 3" thick planks. I then sawed the 10-foot planks into 5-foot lengths for ease of handling and air drying. After the 3 + years of air drying the original 3" thick planks lost a little more than 1/8" of thickness. Moral of the story is that I SHOULD have had the sawmill cut the log into 2-1/2" or 2-3/4" inch planks. I would not have lost / wasted so much good wood in the form of chips / sawdust

I learned my lesson and in 1996 I purchased a walnut log and had the sawmill cut it into 2-1/2" planks. I ended up with a LOT less waste.

 

[54ball]

In 1974 I purchased a maple log from a sawmill which was 10 feet long and 28 to 30 inches wide. I asked them to saw it into 3" thick planks. I then sawed the 10-foot planks into 5-foot lengths for ease of handling and air drying. After the 3 + years of air drying the original 3" thick planks lost a little more than 1/8" of thickness. Moral of the story is that I SHOULD have had the sawmill cut the log into 2-1/2" or 2-3/4" inch planks. I would not have lost / wasted so much good wood in the form of chips / sawdust

I learned my lesson and in 1996 I purchased a walnut log and had the sawmill cut it into 2-1/2" planks. I ended up with a LOT less waste.

5’ is cutting it short for a Longrifle.

 

[ZUG]

5’ is cutting it short for a Longrifle.

Maybe for the ones you build but not for me.

 

[54ball]

Maybe for the ones you build but not for me.

My 44 inch barreled rifles come in right at 5’. This ‘48inch barreled rifle blank is 5’6”
46” barreled rifle comes in at 5’3”.

‘5 would be perfect for a “42 barrel and a 44 is doable if the ends are good.

It’s all a judgement call in what you get out of a log. Barrels longer than 42” are less common, longer than 44” more so.

 

[Scota@4570]

I have avoided doing anything to speed up drying. In my mild climate the wood checks plenty already. I use varnish to seal the ends well. IF the wood is already dry, when I get it, I cover all surfaces. Check your stash periodically and give it more coats if it is starting to check.

 

[ZUG]

I keep my wood supply in a closet in the house. I live in CA between San Jose and Montrey. The maple planks were cut at a sawmill in NJ and were sealed on the ends with wax back in 1974. The walnut planks were harvested from a farm in Easton PA and were kiln dried for 3 months then air dried in my house back in NJ in 1996 nothing was applied to their ends. When I was transferred from NJ to CA in 1998 I bought this wood with me. The other stock blanks have come from stock wood suppliers online and came with some latex paint on their ends. The only checking that I have noticed in any of this wood were the maple planks from the 1974 NJ lot. End checking/cracking depends a lot on the moisture content in the wood at the time the wood was harvested and how it was dried- my opinion.