exotic hardwoods for use with rifle stocks

cody c

cody c

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Hello all,

Ive been pondering building a stock for an enfield (already sportered)

The rifle is being converted to a 45-70 (whenever the gunsmith gets off his arse and gets it finished V:I: )

because the new barrel will be much larger than the original, and because Im not a big fan of the contour of the butt stock, Ive been thinking of building my own.

Since Im willing to try this out ive been looking at alternate options or more specifically exotic options for butt and fore stock material. I see the local windsor plywood carries decent sized chunks of zebrawood and been thinking about that, but there is alot of really beautiful exotic hardwoods out there.

Any opinions or experience with exotic woods, remember this is to match an enfield action (blued or PC'd with a stainless barrel)

a cool site to look at woods:
http://hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/index.htm

please post pics of something interesting if you have
 
You can check with CGN member FFWD. He's a wood worker by trade and I've seen one of the stocks he built out of eucalyptus for a Weatherby rifle.

He knows his wood! :)
 
Check out Black Forest Wood Company in Calgary.

When I lived in the city I stopped in a few times and they have some really nice examples of wood there. Lots of very colorful and exotic stuff to peruse.

Nothing large enough to make a full gun stock, but they did have some stuff large enough for a shotgun stock.

But just check out the smaller samples they have and ask if they can bring in a larger piece suitable for a stock blank. I asked one time and they said they have done that before.
 
My wifes brother built us a park style bench out of Bubinga wood. Don't know if it would be suitable for a stock, but it sure has beautiful colors/grain and would compliment a rifle quite nicely.
 
Ive been looking at zebrawood and bubinga, but went to black forest woods today, they have some incredible looking cocbolo, really great orange brown and dark colours in it.

Great store but didnt have 2" thick lumber in what I wanted, will have to keep looking...

Edit: there's a guy on kijiji (toronto) selling cocobolo at super good pricing (like 25% of local costs), gonna try that i think!
 
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camster said:
If you can't get your desired thickness, you can laminate the boards to a stock's desired thickness.

Might be funky looking but, also cheaper...outer laminates can be exotic and inner could be another, cheaper hardwood.
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That's what they do with electric guitar bodies.
Which made me think that someone who builds musical instruments professionally might have a line on some nice planks.
 
I am far from an expert on wood for a gunstock but, you need to make sure that is of the right hardness, weight, and does not crack easy, so as from recoil.
 
Characteristics
Cocobolo machines well without excessively blunting tools. The heartwood has an oily quality that resists adhesives. Any operations that produce fine dust may cause allergic reactions in those who inhale the powder. The effect is similar to the rash caused by poison ivy -- not everyone is susceptible, but the aftereffects can be serious if the lungs are affected. If cut cleanly, the wood can be polished to a high gloss without sandpaper or finishing products.

Uses
Because it is hard, beautiful, and very stable, cocobolo has been important to many industries and fine arts. Kitchen knives with cocobolo handles can be immersed in water for short periods without distortion of the grips and do not require chemical treatment. Cocobolo wood has also been used for jewelry boxes, inlay and veneer, the handles of high quality hair brushes, and the manufacture of bowling balls. Cocobolo is favored for canes and pool cues because it resists warping and impact damage. Cocobolo resists checking and is resonant when struck, making it a preferred material for marimbas and xylophones.



Read more: What Is Cocobolo Wood? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5103335_cocobolo-wood.html#ixzz1iivNCW12
 
Whatever exotic wood you choose, be aware some like cocobolo are very poisonous when the dust is inhaled. Some are very very hard and are a b@stard to work with as well. they are usually worth the trouble though as they are quite beautiful. enjoy your project. PS You can usually hit up your dentist for high speed burrs for free as they only use them once.
 
If I hear back from the fella in T.O I'll use cocobolo, otherwise Ill pbobably just use tigerwood.

I have a decent dust mask for sanding, though its probably past due for some new filters.

As far as the burrs go, wouldnt they be a little small? Maybe better for engraving or finishing work.
 
If you are determined to use Cocobolo, gown up, glove up, wear a respirator -- it is really nasty and some that is oilier than average can be REALLY bad. Sensitized myself to it years ago - horrid poison ivy rash for weeks afterward. Also bear in mind the density of the wood, it is almost twice as heavy as good walnut, so a sporter rifle could wind up at 14 to 16 pounds in weight.

Dr Jim
 
T&G said:
If you are determined to use Cocobolo, gown up, glove up, wear a respirator -- it is really nasty and some that is oilier than average can be REALLY bad. Sensitized myself to it years ago - horrid poison ivy rash for weeks afterward. Also bear in mind the density of the wood, it is almost twice as heavy as good walnut, so a sporter rifle could wind up at 14 to 16 pounds in weight.

Dr Jim
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45-70 based on an enfield mk4 sporter, 20" barrel, i think a couple extra pounds might be acceptable. open sights. might have to take some material out of the stock to keep the weight down...

Was it really that nasty to work with though? the rash dont sound fun, were you wearing short sleaved shirt when you were working with it?
 
cody c said:
If I hear back from the fella in T.O I'll use cocobolo, otherwise Ill pbobably just use tigerwood.

I have a decent dust mask for sanding, though its probably past due for some new filters.

As far as the burrs go, wouldnt they be a little small? Maybe better for engraving or finishing work.
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They are small but but for fitting trigger guards and making grooves for glue adhesion they are great. Carbide tipped router bits are great for inletting as well.
 
Cocobolo is a poor choice IMO.

1: it is very oily and does not glue well
2: those awesome colours you see when fresh planed will dull and cloud in short order....leaving you with a brownish-red hunk of lumber
3: as mentioned, the dust is toxic.

For my stocks I've always used ebony ($$$$), African blackwood (what clarinets are made from) ($$$), or some of the rosewoods (not cocobolo though ;)) ($$)
I've also used ebonized hard maple ($) and it looks great when done. The looks of ebony but easy to work, and the big advantage: if using walnut for your stock, the expansion differential between walnut and maple are close enough that you don't have to worry too much about cracks developing at your joints.

WW
 
cody c said:
45-70 based on an enfield mk4 sporter, 20" barrel, i think a couple extra pounds might be acceptable. open sights. might have to take some material out of the stock to keep the weight down...

Was it really that nasty to work with though? the rash dont sound fun, were you wearing short sleaved shirt when you were working with it?
Click to expand...

Still think you will end up with a really heavy gun. I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, but the dust from the Foredom tools got onto my abdomen and I had rash over 20% of my front before it subsided. I have done a lot of target grips from cocobolo, some fairly dry, some VERY oily the latter is what got to me. I still have a bunch of it, but definitely it is head to fingertip protection when carving. And yeah it is a pain for finishing. Tru-Oil dries, then shreds off. Best treatment so far has been Tung Oil, but it takes weeks to reach comfortable handling condition, as it blends in with the natural oils.
 
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