G'day all
how are you all , was thinking of atempeting to make my own stock ! more out to make my varminter (ruger 204 vt) , more personal , would like to have thumb hole , with adjustale cheek piece , i am a tool maker , and build some furniture for home , so have most of tools needed , have just scored about 6 sheets of marine grade ply 6 mm thick , will this be any good ? epoxys ?
thanks
andree
or could some reccomend a good stock
How to make a laminated stock ?
-
diamond T
, will have to have a chat to him , 
-
HiWall
- Site Admin
- Posts: 854
- Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 1:51 am
- Favourite Cartridge: .25/06
- Location: Brisbane
You would be better off getting some 'flitch' in different coloured timber - or even dyeing it yourself - and laying the stock out on a straight surface. Lay up the flitch to the desired thickness, coated with marine grade epoxy resin and vacuum bag it. Suck it down for about 24 hours to make sure the epoxy sets. It will make a good stock, with glue joints actually being stronger than the timber. Never come apart and never absorb water.
You will then have the advantage of making a stock whatever colours you want - like the flashy jobs from Richards Microfit.
You will then have the advantage of making a stock whatever colours you want - like the flashy jobs from Richards Microfit.
Hi hair bear,
Glad to see someone else as mad as me having a go, I built my .308 win stock out of 4 bit's of 1/2 " marine ply areldited together (super strength) and while it took a long time it was worth it. I used various saws, files and a router and dremel for the action. I eventually coated it with 2 layers of fibreglass and pillar bedded it and it shoots like a dream. If I can give some advice from my experience, it might save you some pain.
1) use equal # of sheets of ply, as this makes it much easier to transfer measurements from a centre line.
2) mark out the rough shape of the stock on the 2 outside sheets so when you glue the lot together you keep the screws outside the profile.
3) spread glue evenly over entire surface of each side of ply,(except the 2 outside ones of couse) then clamp them together in a vice with sacraficial boards either side or some similar rigid material, AFTER you have clamped them together screw around the outside of the shape to keep constant pressure all round.
4) the outside profile is relatively easy but the action section is pretty tricky because of the tapered sides and diff. depths, also the barrel chanel tapers towards the end unless you are using a bull barrel. so what I did was cut the action and barrel channel out first,because you can then clamp straight bits of wood along side the ply, and screw ply
to the wood at various angles as required as a guide for your router, ie barrel taper.
5) use the old paper and pencil trick to get the action outline, cut it out and measure the exact centre of the cut-out at each end and tape this to the top of new stock with the centerlines lined up with the middle joints of the ply, trace with a texter and away you go.
6) the last bit of advice I can give you is this, MEASURE EVERTHING THREE TIMES, and then when you are sure everthing is perfect, MEASURE AGAIN.
Good luck and keep us posted with progress and pics. If I can help any further let me know and I will try.
Regards Alpal.
PS, the rifle in my avater? pic is the stock I made.
Glad to see someone else as mad as me having a go, I built my .308 win stock out of 4 bit's of 1/2 " marine ply areldited together (super strength) and while it took a long time it was worth it. I used various saws, files and a router and dremel for the action. I eventually coated it with 2 layers of fibreglass and pillar bedded it and it shoots like a dream. If I can give some advice from my experience, it might save you some pain.
1) use equal # of sheets of ply, as this makes it much easier to transfer measurements from a centre line.
2) mark out the rough shape of the stock on the 2 outside sheets so when you glue the lot together you keep the screws outside the profile.
3) spread glue evenly over entire surface of each side of ply,(except the 2 outside ones of couse) then clamp them together in a vice with sacraficial boards either side or some similar rigid material, AFTER you have clamped them together screw around the outside of the shape to keep constant pressure all round.
4) the outside profile is relatively easy but the action section is pretty tricky because of the tapered sides and diff. depths, also the barrel chanel tapers towards the end unless you are using a bull barrel. so what I did was cut the action and barrel channel out first,because you can then clamp straight bits of wood along side the ply, and screw ply
to the wood at various angles as required as a guide for your router, ie barrel taper.
5) use the old paper and pencil trick to get the action outline, cut it out and measure the exact centre of the cut-out at each end and tape this to the top of new stock with the centerlines lined up with the middle joints of the ply, trace with a texter and away you go.
6) the last bit of advice I can give you is this, MEASURE EVERTHING THREE TIMES, and then when you are sure everthing is perfect, MEASURE AGAIN.
Good luck and keep us posted with progress and pics. If I can help any further let me know and I will try.
Regards Alpal.
PS, the rifle in my avater? pic is the stock I made.
Hi Keith, yes it was a labour of love and took me poss. 40+ hrs of work between planning, checking, doing a bit, replanning etc. but I enjoy a challenge.
The whole idea was to keep the price right down and the quality up.
All up cost $29.95 for the fibreglass repair kit from supercheap (approx)
plus a couple of throw away brushes from crazy clarks at about 50c ea.
The rest of the gear I had at home.
There are 2 layers of glass over the stock except for the part where the butt joins the pistol grip where I put 5 layers for extra strength.
As you can see I wanted a contempory look that wasn't too far away from the norm yet distinctly unique, and I left the bottom flat to slide over the bags easily.
Regards Alpal.
The whole idea was to keep the price right down and the quality up.
All up cost $29.95 for the fibreglass repair kit from supercheap (approx)
plus a couple of throw away brushes from crazy clarks at about 50c ea.
The rest of the gear I had at home.
There are 2 layers of glass over the stock except for the part where the butt joins the pistol grip where I put 5 layers for extra strength.
As you can see I wanted a contempory look that wasn't too far away from the norm yet distinctly unique, and I left the bottom flat to slide over the bags easily.
Regards Alpal.