Project Information
This stock was carved from the first walnut log I harvested and sawed with my new sawmill. It's dried slowly so the wood is both dry and seasoned. Dried too quickly, the lumber will have internal stresses that are undesirable in a finished gunstock. I sawed this lumber 1" thick as slabs and each 3 slabs have enough crotch figure to make one outstanding stock. Stocks made from the rest of the log are beautiful, but they are not as spectacular. I will be able to get 4 or 5 stocks with crotch feather in the butt from this log. This is my third attempt to carve this stock for the customer. Beautiful figured wood is brittle and can split and the sliver is impossible to find in the bushels of shavings around my stock duplicator. The sharp corner behind the bolt flew off on the first attempt. I tried to patch another piece of wood, but it just didn't look right. The next one I wasn't thinking and I cut off the beavertail forend just in front of the action. It didn't ahve the flowing lines the pattern had. So, I carved another one and this is it. I'm supposed to cut off the forend and attach a maple burl tip. But… After 2 failures, I am hesitant to cut up this beautiful stock. I've only started sanding… The curves of this stock make sanding with power tools an exercise in frustration.