Home made stock

[LI0NSFAN]

I am thinking of making a stock for my 30-06 I used as a kid. The gun is in near perfect shape minus the stock. When I was 17 it fell out of the treestand and the stock cracked. I have repaired the stock but don't like the hillbilly look of screws in the stock. I have looked online and no stocks are availible. I have made many wood grips and knife handles but never gone as far as making a stock. I was wondering if anyone here has done this? What would be the best wood to use? The wood has to be fairly easy to work with and still strong enough to handle the round. What are some tips on doing this. As in all my woodworking projects I will be using no power tools so what would be some challenges.

[Dolomite_supafly]

What kind of gun is it?

Dolomite

[R1100R]

I have had these guys make me a couple of stocks. Not to expensive. Some time you have to call and ask if it is not listed.

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/

Edited July 1, 2012 by R1100R

[LI0NSFAN]

it is a Mossberg 810a. thanks I will call Boyds on Monday

[Dolomite_supafly]

Richards Microfit also makes several styles for the Mossberg 810.

http://www.rifle-stocks.com/actions_available.htm

http://www.rifle-stocks.com/

I will say that I have read that their 100% drop in generally require a little bit of work to be 100% drop it but nothing more than a little sanding in the channel. They may have solved that issue by now though.

Dolomite

[TrickyNicky]

Dang that sounds like a heck of a project with no power tools. I think oak looks pretty nice and the advantage of being durable as heck.

Have you ever given any thought to just restoring the old one? You may (or may not) be surprised at what you can do with some good wood glue, a few clamps and some dowels for those screw holes. A little sand paper, some tru oil, plenty of elbow grease... Yup a good restoration is just the thing I think.

[LI0NSFAN]

Dang that sounds like a heck of a project with no power tools. I think oak looks pretty nice and the advantage of being durable as heck.

Have you ever given any thought to just restoring the old one? You may (or may not) be surprised at what you can do with some good wood glue, a few clamps and some dowels for those screw holes. A little sand paper, some tru oil, plenty of elbow grease... Yup a good restoration is just the thing I think.

I thought about refinishing the stock but in my search just to relace it I relized how little I liked the current stock. I will at least fix this stock while I work on the other stock. It is just sad that I can buy a replacement stock for most of my other guns for under a $100 and this one if I find one under $100 I still have to fit the barrell and finish the stock. I think it would be cool to hand this gun to my son with a stock that his dad made. He would be only the 2nd generation to own the gun but the 4th generation to shoot this gun. Edited July 1, 2012 by Lions Fan

[TrickyNicky]

Right on, it will be cool for your son to get something made by his dad. Glad your gonna fix the old one as well, should be a fun project for you.

As far as the new stock goes, are you looking for drop in or to build one from scratch?

[Dolomite_supafly]

As a person who has made sevearl stocks it is not for the faint of heart or impatient types. I have an inletting tool that I will sell you if you want. They sell for about $30 but I will take $20. I used it about 3 times then realized it wasn't for me.

I make stocks a little differently than most. I start out with two pieces of wood rather than a single piece. I make sure that both pieces are tall and long enough for what I need but only 1/2 as thick as I need. I then lay the action onto one of the pieces of wood and make a tracing for the action to clear. I then use a piece of posterboard to make a copy of the stock. Then I mirror the one half onto the other half. Then I use a router to open up the two halves for the action. After making sure the action is good then I glue the two halves together. I finish the action inlet with small chisels. For the action and barrel channel I use a rasp even though it is a VERY long process.

When it is time to drill for the action screws I make some pointed screws that will thread into the action. Then I set the action in the stock and give it a smack with a rubber mallet. This leave indentations for the correct placement of the holes for the pillar beds.

As far as the look of two pieces of wood most people will never notice providing the sanding job is done correctly. And for me I generally coat the wood with something subdued anyways. I will also bed the action into the stock.

Dolomite

[Caster]

I tried it once. Made some of the most expensive kindling I've ever used.

[LI0NSFAN]

Right on, it will be cool for your son to get something made by his dad. Glad your gonna fix the old one as well, should be a fun project for you.

As far as the new stock goes, are you looking for drop in or to build one from scratch?

If I was going to buy a new I would like the drop in. If I am going to pay for it I don't want to have to spend much time on it. I have several pieces of oak sitting around from other projects so the cost is pretty much nothing, Also I have family in MI that have a mill so I can get any size piece I need cut for me. That is part of the reason I was looking into making it, if I mess up I can just get a new piece made.

As a person who has made sevearl stocks it is not for the faint of heart or impatient types. I have an inletting tool that I will sell you if you want. They sell for about $30 but I will take $20. I used it about 3 times then realized it wasn't for me.

I make stocks a little differently than most. I start out with two pieces of wood rather than a single piece. I make sure that both pieces are tall and long enough for what I need but only 1/2 as thick as I need. I then lay the action onto one of the pieces of wood and make a tracing for the action to clear. I then use a piece of posterboard to make a copy of the stock. Then I mirror the one half onto the other half. Then I use a router to open up the two halves for the action. After making sure the action is good then I glue the two halves together. I finish the action inlet with small chisels. For the action and barrel channel I use a rasp even though it is a VERY long process.

When it is time to drill for the action screws I make some pointed screws that will thread into the action. Then I set the action in the stock and give it a smack with a rubber mallet. This leave indentations for the correct placement of the holes for the pillar beds.

As far as the look of two pieces of wood most people will never notice providing the sanding job is done correctly. And for me I generally coat the wood with something subdued anyways. I will also bed the action into the stock.

Dolomite

Thanks for the tips, had not thought of 2 pieces and then glueing. That sounds a lot easier than making it out of one. What glue do you use?

I tried it once. Made some of the most expensive kindling I've ever used.

But it would be a hand made piece of kindling, I could put it in my outdoor fireplace I built last summer. lol

[Guest Lester Weevils]

If you've successfully made grips with hand tools you probably know more about it than I'll ever know. If you don't like the old stock then there's no sense messing with it, and dunno where it is split. I like distressed wood and wouldn't mind seeing sanded-off-flush dowels or plugs on the surface of a piece of wood, give it character.

On the probability I'm telling granny how to suck eggs-- If the split is deep so the screw can be countersunk, and the screws can hold it good enough, you could countersink the holes for wood plugs (buy em pre made at home depot). Glue, clamp and screw. Glue in plugs to hide the screws, sand stain and finish.

If it is a shallow split you could glue and clamp, using dowels to reinforce the split. That would look the same as plugged screws once you are done.

Even possibly repair a shallow split by cutting a rectangular "notch" deep enough to go all the way thru the split and into the stock (slot cut lengthwise front to back) and glue in a "rectangular vertical spline" to keep everything together. To my eye all those glued interfaces would be pretty after sanding and finishing. To my eye it would look "as good or better" even if the various wood pieces had different color and took stain differently. But you would want to use power tools for that. Or at least I'd never try it without power tools.

I like titebond III glue. Most aliphatic glues tend to be stronger at the joint than the wood itself and titebond III has treated me well, though there are many nice aliphatic glues.

If you get some blue painters tape-- Before gluing, put blue tape along all the outside surfaces at the edges of your glue joint. Burnish it down tight with a fingernail or rounded back of a screwdriver. Make your glue joint and clamp it up. Wipe the squeeze-out off the tape at the joints so it is dry of glue on the surface, then remove the tape before the glue sets up. That will keep glue from soaking into the surface and making random spots that won't take stain good. Sometimes if you get glue on the surface, even if you wipe it off right away it can soak into the surface enough to leave a "light spot" that won't take stain properly, and you have to sand the crap out of it to get that little spot of glue out of the surface so it will take stain.

Alternately you can let the glue setup before removing the blue tape, but then you might have a little work digging out little bits of blue.

Edited July 2, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[LI0NSFAN]

If you've successfully made grips with hand tools you probably know more about it than I'll ever know. If you don't like the old stock then there's no sense messing with it, and dunno where it is split. I like distressed wood and wouldn't mind seeing sanded-off-flush dowels or plugs on the surface of a piece of wood, give it character.

On the probability I'm telling granny how to suck eggs-- If the split is deep so the screw can be countersunk, and the screws can hold it good enough, you could countersink the holes for wood plugs (buy em pre made at home depot). Glue, clamp and screw. Glue in plugs to hide the screws, sand stain and finish.

If it is a shallow split you could glue and clamp, using dowels to reinforce the split. That would look the same as plugged screws once you are done.

Even possibly repair a shallow split by cutting a rectangular "notch" deep enough to go all the way thru the split and into the stock (slot cut lengthwise front to back) and glue in a "rectangular vertical spline" to keep everything together. To my eye all those glued interfaces would be pretty after sanding and finishing. To my eye it would look "as good or better" even if the various wood pieces had different color and took stain differently. But you would want to use power tools for that. Or at least I'd never try it without power tools.

I like titebond III glue. Most aliphatic glues tend to be stronger at the joint than the wood itself and titebond III has treated me well, though there are many nice aliphatic glues.

If you get some blue painters tape-- Before gluing, put blue tape along all the outside surfaces at the edges of your glue joint. Burnish it down tight with a fingernail or rounded back of a screwdriver. Make your glue joint and clamp it up. Wipe the squeeze-out off the tape at the joints so it is dry of glue on the surface, then remove the tape before the glue sets up. That will keep glue from soaking into the surface and making random spots that won't take stain good. Sometimes if you get glue on the surface, even if you wipe it off right away it can soak into the surface enough to leave a "light spot" that won't take stain properly, and you have to sand the crap out of it to get that little spot of glue out of the surface so it will take stain.

Alternately you can let the glue setup before removing the blue tape, but then you might have a little work digging out little bits of blue.

thanks for the glue tips. I was thinking about going the countersunk screw route.

does anyone know of any metal plugs availible. that would save some sanding and staining. I clamped the stock down and the split is not visible at all, so I will not have to sand and repair the finish of the stock so metal plugs would make things easier to fix the old stock

I am going to pick up some maple to make a stock when i go up to visit family. I think that will get me what I want for look and it is a wood I have worked with.

Edited July 2, 2012 by Lions Fan