Stock Building For a No.4, need help.

LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

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I was thinking, and one day I would like to restore a sportered Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.1. I was thinking of using cherry, because the heartwood can have a nice red color to it, is cherry a good wood to use?. I was also wondering what kind of tools I will need for this. I have some woodworking skills (but haven't put them to use since grade 9 wood shop, metal work was my thing, so i might be a little rusty) So any input could eventually help a sportered enfield re-gain some personality. Thanks
 
LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1 said:
I was thinking, and one day I would like to restore a sportered Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.1. I was thinking of using cherry, because the heartwood can have a nice red color to it, is cherry a good wood to use?. I was also wondering what kind of tools I will need for this. I have some woodworking skills (but haven't put them to use since grade 9 wood shop, metal work was my thing, so i might be a little rusty) So any input could eventually help a sportered enfield re-gain some personality. Thanks
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Every wood imagineable has been tried for gunstocks. The alternatives have been narrowed down to birch, walnut and beech for a reason. All the others have serious drawbacks. Cherry will make nice table tops, but there are invariably voids or pitch pockets where you don't want them. Those voids make stock makers ten times madder than a furniture maker. You will get just as good results with birch and some red stain, without the grief.
 
My Dad has made some beautiful custom stocks out of Red and Sugar maple. Simply gorgeous. No cracking, warping or anything and he said it was a bit easier to work with than beech.
Al
 
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