M14 Forum

casebro · October 18th, 2011, 08:19 AM

Looks like I'm going to hack into a Myrtle stock blank, to see what is hiding inside.

Big guy that I am, I will make it as long as the blank allows. Also maximum drop at heel, and about 10° of toe out. And the near vertical pistol grip too, ala the heavy match stocks.Truly custom.

May leave forend with flats l/r/bottom for possible rail attachment. Not for me, but I am not immortal.

But how thick is too thick, at the butt? 1/4" around the butt plate good?

And at the front ferrule?

Some pics, with OE type stocks. I sanded and dampened the blank, there surely is some curly figure within. The pattern does extend all the way through the fore end. Link to the big picture http://photos.imageevent.com/bigchri.../M14%20058.jpg

casebro · October 18th, 2011, 04:00 PM

Stock is still flat and square. Easy to vise it that way. And makes router and table saw functional to do as much inletting as possible. Keep everything straight and parallel. I'm sure glad I hung on to my 2" stroke plunge router when I retired from woodworking.

In keeping with as fat a stock as possible, I've inlet the front of the floor plate. Not far enough though. I had mistakenly let the rear of the trigger group in to make up for the thickness at the front. 1/16" at the front, means rear is 1/8" too deep. I wondered why I could lock the trigger guard. Lets just say I started drilling for a pillar a little prematurely. ;)

Link to big pics http://photos.imageevent.com/bigchri.../M14%20061.jpg

casebro · October 19th, 2011, 12:27 PM

Fit the butt plate, band saw and then disc sand. Except for chiseling inside, everything so far has been power tools, A 12" stationary disc sander, then a 5" w/ 50 grit, then a soft pad sander with 80 grit. Not done yet, though the shape is there.

It does fit me well. An extra inch of drop at heel, and about 10° of toe out. Plus the more extreme 'pistol grip'.

There is a flat the bottom, for possible rail install. Sides have some flatness too now, but I think I'll roll them inward, a mild 'beavertail' ? Anybody got specs for the rails?

I found a site that has several rails that have screw holes every second groove. My sling swivel mics to 3/4" on center. Should I go ahead and install a few inserts at .750 spacing? Or maybe one 'internal rail' with 4-5 holes, drill only the sling mount holes now, more rail holes later? Plus the internal iron rail would stiffen the stock some too. I found a site that has several rails that have screw holes every second groove. My sling swivel mics to 3/4" on center.

But I do need to verify the spacing. Anybody?

I left about 1/4" around the butt plate. It weighs about one pound more than my samples.

Moistened with paint thinner this time. As the sanding gets finer, I'll wet it with water before the going to 220. The water will raise the grain that may have been compressed by the earlier sanding. Makes it easier to get that final 'polish'. I'll stop at 320, finer only if sanding is needed between coats, which I doubt. I plan on rubbing on a Urethane Spar Varnish, as if it were BLO. I liked the look of the last stock.

Then I can crawl back inside and bed it.

tonyben · October 19th, 2011, 12:39 PM

Wow! I'm impressed!

perazziboy · October 19th, 2011, 04:40 PM

I am very impressed as well, looking forward to the updates!

RAMMAC · October 19th, 2011, 05:26 PM

Hand carved stock, that is very cool. I would love to have the creativeness and skill to do that. I'd probably end up with a really big toothpick.

TheTinMan · October 19th, 2011, 06:31 PM

That myrtle looks great and I am really impressed by your woodworking skills.

geepee3 · October 19th, 2011, 06:36 PM

Casebro,
That is outstanding!!!
I guess the next mod. is a matching handguard.
Thank you for sharing,
Glenn

RAMMAC, At least you would get a toothpick. All I would end up with is kindling.

casebro · October 19th, 2011, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geepee3

Casebro,
That is outstanding!!!
I guess the next mod. is a matching handguard.
Thank you for sharing,
Glenn

The $5 blank was already cut to the shape shown in the OP so
I don't have any material for a hand guard. I guess I'll stick with the black one. Unless I try painting a brown one Fuax-Myrtle?

Or may be I'll get real creative, and make a slotted aluminum guard?

Or ooo... fluted aluminum?

But that would be a whole nuther phase of the project.

ratfink · October 20th, 2011, 05:59 AM

Very nice work indeed. You did in a couple of days what would take me months!

BigEd63 · October 20th, 2011, 06:26 AM

Very nice work!

I know a family that makes their own stocks.

IMHO, both and art and a gift.

casebro · October 21st, 2011, 06:54 PM

Just a quicky after dinner. 1/8" wall mat'l, didn't work out as well as I had hoped. Needs more 'carving' to make it work. But only an alpha prototype.

No stock work today, spent the day learning to reload shot shells. A freind gave me the press, ans lots of stuff. Not any cheaper than the boxes at 25¢ per shot, but lots cheaper than 168HPBT Match loads.

cachunk · October 21st, 2011, 07:19 PM

Awesome. Literally awesome. Great work. I sense a new stock vendor in the making.

TheTurtle · October 21st, 2011, 08:08 PM

I'd love to see a stock made of birds eye maple someday. I'm really wanting one of them for my trap gun.... eventually.

casebro · October 21st, 2011, 09:14 PM

The maples are not all that stable. I wouldn't make a full length stock out of it. But the two piece fiddle back on my Win Mod 50 pump seems to be OK .

Birdseye is also a hard maple, could be pretty heavy. Drill some 'cleaning kit' holes in the butt?