Carving

[PhilVH]

Anyone else besides me interested in carving/inlaying gunstocks? I'm including a picture of 4 stocks I've carved.

[ken98k]

WOW! Very nice work. I especially like the fore end on the springfield.

[8uck5nort]

I second Ken98ks comment.

 

Very nice work, and yes I am very interested in carving stocks. I am a newbie to all this, but I am finding I do enjoy the woodworking aspect very much. I am hand shaping/carving my second gunstock now. If I can get something remotely looking as good as some of your stocks I would be very pleased indeed.

[Bob58]

You're a craftsman,for sure PhilVH. Nice work.

[jverduce]

All 4 are just absolutly awesome! You are a true artisan. Yes, I would love to learn.

Any suggestions as to getting started?

[PhilVH]

If you want to give it a try, get the book "Custom Gunstock Carving" by Philip R. Eck. I search the gun auction sites looking for patterns that I like. My tools for carving the panels are an Xacto knife with a #16 blade, a nailset (for stippling the background) a hammer and a magnifying headband. The inlays are copied out of old Winslow or Weatherby catalogs, cut with a scroll saw out of 1/4 ebony and holly. As for that fore-end tip, a gent named Nils Hultgren used to do such things in ivory. I've found that pure white holly makes a very good substitute for ivory and is a whole lot cheaper.

For wood I have about given up on the pre-inletted blanks (too much lead time)and have started using the Weatherby factory seconds available from C'alico Hardwood. These are un-inletted and resemble a rough turned baseball bat more than a gunstock. They will have flaws (the Springfield stock had a serious knot in the forearm) but that piece of wood was only $41 and was shipped the day I ordered it over the phone.

[jverduce]

Again, they are real works of art. CAn't wait to get started. I'll be getting the book. I have bost of the tools already. I just hope that I have enough talent to do an OK job and not get too disapointed in my first try! Patience was something I have always struggled with! (LOL)

[PhilVH]

Yeah, patience was always a virtue I never quite achieved. You might want to consider getting some drafting applique film from Chartpak. Once you've got your design laid out, trace or transfer it on to this stuff, peel the backing off and stick it on the stock (the pistol grip gets kinda tricky). being translucent the pattern shows up well enough to be able to carve the outline right through it. When you get done with your project, please share some pics with the rest of us. I'm attaching a few more pictures here.

[rivitir]

I second Ken98ks comment.

 

Very nice work, and yes I am very interested in carving stocks. I am a newbie to all this, but I am finding I do enjoy the woodworking aspect very much. I am hand shaping/carving my second gunstock now. If I can get something remotely looking as good as some of your stocks I would be very pleased indeed.

 

You get to cheat with your toy... that is unless your wife doesn't destroy it first.

 

The detail is very nice work. I've been wanting to try my hand at checkering, inlays, and designs for some time now. Thanks for all the tips.

[PhilVH]

I use 1/4" Ebony and Holly for the inlays, I get the patterns from old Weatherby and Winslow catalogs. I copy them and expand them up/down or sideways with the PC, cut them out with a scroll saw and do most of the inlay relief with a Dremel tool with a router attachment. The shading is done with an engraving bit in the Dremel tool and filled with a mixture of ebony sanding dust and TruOil. The Dremel/router tool is also handy for inletting the action if you are stocking from the block, or one of the C'alico Hardwood Weatherby seconds. As a note I do the panel carving just prior to applying the final finish coats (about 3/4 of the way through finishing). I use Birchwood Casey's Tru Oil, tried a spar varnish on the Arisaka and was not happy with the results.

 

Enjoy!