Laminated stock question

[handirandy]

New to Boards.  Recently acquired a Handi 243 with a light greyish tan pallet wood laminated stock (think that is the correct nomenclature).  I want a Schnabel look forend.  What do you fellas think about gluing up poplar and making my own.  Will refinish the butt stock to match the fore end.  Am a retired woodwork teacher and have reworked a couple dozen milsurp rifles so do not see this as a big challenge.  Am planning on making a Classic style rifle in 45-70 or my favorite 444, so will probably cut and reform the monte carlo on the butt stock also.  Want to keep the recoil pad.  OR  I could just trade some one for what I want without the challenge. Your thoughts please.

[Scibaer]

IF i had working skills like you have, i'd be making my own stocks in a hot second.
honestly the lam stocks are nice, and even some of the pallet wood stocks aint all that bad, and the ones at stockbrokers are nice looking, but you could make stock that were custom, special fit and finish yourself ? thats the way i'd go, specially if you want a schnable style forend other then the factory shotgun or BC ( longer ) styled ones.
you could plan ahead and make a bedding channel, make a longer or wide forend, and you could get the most of out your talents that way, most of the shooting issues that the handi's have can be solved by forends mods ..
my 2 cents
glenn

[darat100]

ok, there is a difference between yourself knowing wood as a woodworker and me being a simple carpenter, but if you do them from poplar, aren't they going to be ridiculously soft and easy to dent?  I carved a stock from a solid piece of poplar once.  Looked nice, very easy to work with, but looked like you beat it with a spiked club after a very short time.