yep , the key is always sharp tools . Your blades and chisels should be so sharp that just brushing them will just about require stitches .
Im going to disagree with steve here . Now I will say I fully understand his reasoning . A very dense hardwood produces clean cuts and nice carvings , wire work and better inlays .
However it also requires that you first must learn to sharpen tools so that you can push them through the wood . To often folks just getting started , resort to a mallet and try to drive the chisels . Thus making chips on their inlets . Sometimes even splintering and cracking also results ..
Now that all being said . A truly dense hardwood makes for a much nicer stock in the end .
The other issue is ordering a blank. How do you ask for a harder wood ?
Let me tell you what happens . Folks will ask
1) I would like a hardwood please . The reply is , ahhh its all hard wood .
2) I would like a dense wood please . The reply is I have some stocks with 4 or 5 P figure .
neither of the above is going to get you what steve is talking about . You have to say you want a heavy wood . . IE , can you pick me a blank or pre carve , that’s the heaviest you have ..
If stock ,,, A weighs say 4 lbs and stock B is cut to the very same shape and is of the same wood , and is say 6 lbs , then stock B will be the harder more dense stock .
Figure matter 0 in this . You can have a stock with 0 figure . Yet still be the better stock , because its denser . Thus showing you skill better ..
So here is why im going to disagree with steve on what a beginner with limited tools may want to start on .
There is a lot more to using chisels and blades then just hogging out wood .
One needs to learn how to use the edge . how to turn the blades while they cut so as to produce different out comes both in hard and softer woods .
I think this is what Indiana is getting at . So I would give him credit where credit is do . Because even with a sharp edge , one has to learn to feel the wood so as to work through the different densities which you will encounter . I have never seen a stock , even a really dense one that was 100% consistent from butt to nose ..
With a softer stock , one learns to read the wood , understand the grain . How the chisel reacts when going with and against the grain .
They also learn to get a feel for pushing the chisels . Thus hopefully less likely to start chasing with a mallet.
See each wood is like a learning step . They all have their considerations .
Working with say English walnut , takes a different hand then with even Black walnut .
Different maples are the same way . While they are different through their range and grades , they are also completely different the working with Cherry .
Each reacts differently to the blade .
So my view is that if a person starts out and learns to do their work on a softer piece of wood to the point they can produce reasonable results . What they find is when they graduate to a very dense rock hard heavy maple , walnut or cherry , the then are amazed at how clean their cuts are .
They have learned to say AHHH in need to go slow here or here I can let her run .
Myself I would say , start with a medium density wood , like simply maple or very plain walnut of the same quality . Something with nice even grain . If you really going to get into this and build from a plank then do yourself a big favor and do some reading on how to layout the rifle . Steve tutorial is a very good one . However take it one step farther and learn to understand how the grain should run . Where its acceptable to have figure and where its not . Also read up and learn about the wood you chose . Whats its plus’s and minuses . Basically the characteristics of the wood itself .
Now I know steve and others is going to disagree with me here but im going to recommend walnut , English or black ..
The reason is that is most time softer . Its also a much more open grained wood . It also likes to split if you don’t keep your mind about you .
Thus it forces you to learn to feel and understand the wood . One has to keep their tools sharp and take their time, going slow and easy .
I never have been one to know the easy road . But I can tell you that by taking the hard road , learning from that hard road , when you find yourself on a easy road , the traveling is 1000X more enjoyable in every way .
Nothing , I mean nothing , makes me cringe more then to see someone with a stock in a vice , at the forstock and properly supported at the butt .
Then using a mallet to drive their chisel in the inlet of the lock or breech .
Learn to use the chisels and tools you have . That way when you do find you a Very nice piece of rock hard wood , your learned skill was will produce a piece that is very pleasing to the eye . Basically a very good example of what you can do
learn to drive a jeep or pinto before you jump into a Lamberdini or mazerati . that way your less likly to find yourself wrapped around a telephone poll on some gravel road
Topic: Stock Wood (Read 746 times)