Leads for stock blanks?

[flying pig]

Hey guys, I'm just getting started into stock making and am wondering if anyone here could help me out with a lead on some blanks? I'd like to find a source that is easy to deal with who can get me a fairly steady supply of clean walnut at a decent price. I'm in north western Alberta but am definitely willing to drive to a good supply. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[amosfella]

Prophet river has some exhibition grade ones... Black forest wood company has a lot of really good wood of all types. The owner is usually quite willing to help you find what you want...

 

[Dogleg]

Have you looked on ebay? There's some real eye-poppers listed under gun stock blanks. Fun to look at if nothing else.

 

[flying pig]

Thanks for the lead Amosfella. I will give Black Forest a call.

It's going to be a while before I do anything super fancy. Most of what I will be doing for now will be military stocks in walnut. I do have a duplicator and am just learning how to operate it.

 

[Baribal]

Then, maybe you'll prefer buying beech or birch for trial.... it's much cheaper and still can make useable stocks.

 

[coyote]

You can get them from boyds in the states they have laminate blanks for 40 bucks and walnut blanks for $45.

 

[flying pig]

Thanks guys. Boyd's blanks are nice for certain projects but a military Ross stock is far too long. I have a few Bass blanks and am doing the home made laminate blank deal too. Just thinking ahead a bit so I don't wind up not having blanks when I'm ready for them.

 

[gaff]

if your going to do laminate stocks, don't waste your time trying to make your own.the laminates need to all run in the same direction . rutply.com Rutland plywood vermont ,they supply strata bond to all the stock manufactures. buy 4-10 panels at a time and cut them as you need them.

 

[flying pig]

The home laminates will be for firewood when they are finished. Ha ha.

 

[Moose Masher]

Try Goby and Claro.
They have many grades and the only issue with shipping is the cost, about $35 per blank.

 

[archer2u]

The woodsource in Ontario has a select tion of blanks. Adam

 

[Riflesmith]

Once you are ready to step up into more figured wood you can try - Prophet River, Dressels, Luxus, Steve Heilmann (metal and wood) and Old tree Blanks. I have purchased both one and two piece blanks from all of the above and the service, quality and shipping were all perfect. Good luck and have some fun!!

 

[DanOO]

Try M&S Stocking in Leader SK, last time I was there Cary had a huge volume of wood blanks in various grades.

 

[freddygotarf]

this guy has some very nice stuff.
h ttp://www.rogervardystockwood.com/

 

[trevj]

There is a list of links on the Martinihenry.com site that will lead you to a bunch of suppliers, some retailers, some sawyers that are cutting up some pretty big old trees. Lot's to choose from.

Another that is not on that list, is CaliCo Hardwoods. A friend says to watch your layout and set-up on the duplicator with their blanks, as the cut them close to size. Not that big a deal if hand carving. They supply a lot of stocks to manufacturers, is essentially standard sizes and grades. Had great prices when they last updated their site, dunno if still in business. A fella that wanted to know could do worse things than phone them.

Cheers
Trev

 

[Al-Sway]

Don't forget that you can make your own laminates. They don't have to be very thin layers as done by Rutland and others. You could glue half inch birch or maple to make blanks thick enough to cut to the outline you want. This type of laminate allows you to use more commonly available hardwood, and if you flip the layers you can end up with a very stable piece of wood. For military type stocks this could work out well, especially for initial trial work.

 

[trevj]

Always worth remembering that if you really want to custom fit a stock, cheap wood, bondo, glue, and anything else you can goober together over the cheapest wood you can come up with, will allow you to make the shape on the cheap, then you make the stock on a duplicator.

If you make friends with the guy with the duplicator, you will get some info from him WRT the extensions needed at either end of the master for the blank, if any. You gotta have some way to hold the master on the machine, in other words.

Even without a duplicator, it's cheap way to work out ideas as far as angles and fits, Then you can trace it on to the 'good' wood afterwards.

Cheers
Trev

 

[Scott Bear]

I found a cheap chunk of walnut from Windsor Plywood. I think I paid under $100 for a piece I can make 4 stocks out of (at least 2 at a minimum). I haven't cut into it to see if it has any figure. It's been drying for 5 years (which I think is the normal drying time for something you are making into a stock).

 

[DOOK]

A member here named Ardent has some very nice walnut blanks for great prices.
Do a search.

 

[slowfire]

trevj has the same idea that I use. I laminate some MDF ,work out the shape I am looking for then send it off to the guy with the duplicator. MDF sands and files very easy and like Trevj say's bondo or some find of filler to patch up my mistakes LOL, and I haven't ripped up a nice piece of walnut. Some times you can get some nice wood from e-bay at a good buy , but be cautious that the blank is large enough for your project.