New stock is almost ready

[McKinneyMike]

Here is my new Russo rifle stock, just out of the CNC machine. Still needs a little detail and contouring work, but Joel wanted me to see it. Joel will cut and fit the butt with an adjustable cheek piece with Sitman hardware installed and install SS pillars before I receive it. I think that it turned out quite well. This will be a Savage target action build.


http://www.themastins.com/rifles/my_stock1.jpg

http://www.themastins.com/rifles/my_stock2.jpg

http://www.themastins.com/rifles/my_stock3.jpg


I laminated the blank for Joel and he did his magic. I did not have a piece of wood thick enough for the build, so I laminated quarter sawn Bubinga in the center and outsides, while adding two thin strips of figured Anigre to break it up. I wasn't sure that I would like the contrasting color combo, but I think that it will work well together.

It is a quasi-copy of the Manners MCS-T2. I liked it better the McMillan A-5L as the butt hook on the A-5L will not ride the bags as well, if I want to shoot from a bench.

I am anxiously awaiting its completion and arrival to my waiting hands so I can get it ready for final finish. For the cost I think it is a no brainer vs what is readily available out there in the aftermarket world for wooden stocks. Plus I get to make my own wood choices!

I am anxiously awaiting its completion and arrival to my waiting hands For the cost I think it is a no brainer vs what is readily available out there in the aftermarket world for wooden stocks. Plus I get to make my own wood choices!

[pdog06]

Wow Mike, that is gonna look really great when finished.

I agree with you about the butthook. I have one on my Stockade PD and am kinda on the fence as to whether I like it or not. I love the rest of the stock, just not too crazy bout the hook(although it looks really good with it, but that dont make it shoot better).

[McKinneyMike]

Thanks Pdog. The hook has its purpose, but for the way that I shoot, I just prefer that it not be there.

[z71rat]

I love the profile of the Manners to say the least!! That is a sweet looking stock for sure!! How much you got tied up in it??

DK

[McKinneyMike]

I love the profile of the Manners to say the least!! That is a sweet looking stock for sure!! How much you got tied up in it??

DK


Thank you for the kind words. As far as the pricing, you'll need to contact Joel Russo. Cost will vary according to what extras you add on to the stock (adjustable cheek piece, detachable sling studs, type of blank, pillars installed, etc). Some of the others here on the forum have had Joel made stocks out of the more standard thin colored laminates from Rutland Plywood (largest supplier of gun stock blanks in the world) and could probably give you a better idea as to pricing for Joel's more standard blanks. He offers exotic and figured wood blanks, but these are not cheap. Being custom the costs will vary.

As far as cost in the stock, I laminated my own blank. The cost of the wood is less than retail for me as I sell figured and exotic hardwood lumber. I traded with Joel for the work. If you have never done anything like this, it takes a lot of good clamps (I used 19 Bessey K-body clamps) and perfectly flat material or else you are asking for problems. Once Joel sets it up to inlet, if anything is less than perfect, if will show up like a sore thumb. He is a great guy to work with and as far as I am concerned, extremely reasonable, given the quality of the finished products.

http://www.russoriflestocks.com

[z71rat]

I didn't think for a second that it would have been cheap!! Quality work like that definately costs.

I think you did an excellent job on color choice, and you did excellent on the pattern chosen!!

I can't wait to see how this thing looks when you get it put together!! Waiting on pics!!

DK

[dcloco]

Do you live near "TooBuilder"??? Brothers or cousins by chance????

Nice wood bud....nice wood. :)

[McKinneyMike]

Where does Too Builder live? In just north of Dallas about 30 miles. Thank you for the kind words. I think Joel did the real work, I just used what I had available.

[McKinneyMike]

I didn't think for a second that it would have been cheap!! Quality work like that definately costs.

I think you did an excellent job on color choice, and you did excellent on the pattern chosen!!

I can't wait to see how this thing looks when you get it put together!! Waiting on pics!!

DK


Thanks again for the kind words. I was concerned about mixing woods, as I rarely do it building furniture. I was worried that it would look like "racing stripes" or look gaudy. I think it turned out tastefully after all. I can't wait for it to be ready to shoot :) I need to get on the stick and get SSS going on my TA and new barrel ASAP.

[lucy123]

That is going to be some kind of nice.

[tinkerer]

OK, you beat me to do it, but I have a question.

What kind of glue did you use?

Did you clamp it or allow weight to do it?

Surface prep for glue up?

Did you clean surface with anything?

I am laminating my own cocobolo due to the fact I can't find any 3" thick, so I am taking 3 pieces of 1" nominal cocobolo and cutting out my pattern and gluing it with 24 hour cure epoxy after rough sanding in a surface sander, cleaning with alcohol and allowing boards to exert their own pressure for setting, hopefully allowing epoxy to penetrate and reach optimum bond.

Good, bad, don't know, suggestions? I really don't want this to ever have a weak point. After glue up I'll start inletting and shaping. Almost burnt one saw up so far just cutting out. Did break one blade. It will be my first build from wood to finished gun, parts and all.

Larry
Tinkerer

Down in Garland. I can always come up and see your project, if pointers are necessary.

[McKinneyMike]

OK, you beat me to do it, but I have a question.

What kind of glue did you use?

I used Titebond III glue. You have to be quick about the glue ups using it as the open time is not as long as some other glues. No need to use an epoxy glue. Gorilla Glue will work too, but I have never attempted it.


Did you clamp it or allow weight to do it?

I used 19 Bessey K-Body parallel jaw clamps(they were edge to edge almost the entire way around the blank) Squeeze out is not an issue as I made the blank oversized and then trimmed it to rough dimensions when it cam out of the clamps.


Surface prep for glue up? Planed the wood and then ran thru surface sander to 150 grit final pass.


Did you clean surface with anything? I did not need to use anything to remove oils before gluing, but you should using Cocobolo. It is a very oily wood that will need to be wiped down just before glue-up. Cocobolo is a beautiful exotic, but with age it will darken to almost a solid black color.


I am laminating my own cocobolo due to the fact I can't find any 3" thick, so I am taking 3 pieces of 1" nominal cocobolo and cutting out my pattern and gluing it with 24 hour cure epoxy after rough sanding in a surface sander, cleaning with alcohol and allowing boards to exert their own pressure for setting, hopefully allowing epoxy to penetrate and reach optimum bond. In this case an epoxy glue might be in order.


Good, bad, don't know, suggestions? I really don't want this to ever have a weak point. After glue up I'll start inletting and shaping. Almost burnt one saw up so far just cutting out. Did break one blade. It will be my first build from wood to finished gun, parts and all.

Pay attention to grain changes where your laminations stack up with each other. Try to keep colors close to one another so that you get the best blend possible, unless you do like I did and add a accent color. Cocobolo can be irrating to some peoples skin and respiratory systems so use care when cutting/milling.

I owned Curly Woods in McKinney for 7 years. Did you ever come by my shop? I am now restarting my figured hardwood lumber business and will add exotic woods to my inventory later this Fall. If some of you are wondering what figured woods are do a Google search on quilted Maple, curly Cherry, curly Maple(or Tiger Maple), curly Oak, etc. These are defects of nature that happen for some unknown reason. People have taken the seed pods from these trees and tried to replicate them with new trees, but it is obviously not genetic. As they say "crap happens" in nature. Good for me :)


Down in Garland. I can always come up and see your project, if pointers are necessary.


A fellow woodworker/shooter is always welcome at my home. especially a Savage owner :)

[tinkerer]

Thanks.

Another source for wood is always appreciated.

PM me your address and phone number and I'll drop by when I get a few minutes.

Larry
Tinkerer