Mannlicher forend?

[Lon371]

 OK, I have a nice piece of 1940'ish Walnut. Shop down down the road planed it and band sawed it for me. I am going to carve a thumb hole and Mannlicher stock.

 Question is about the weight of the Mannlicher for-end. I want to make it bigger like the varmint style, big and wide. I read about weighted down for-ends breaking off the lug of the rifle. So suggestions on the weight would be real helpful.

 Also as far as carving on the thumb hole stock, I want it like the Thumb hole I bought from Boyds. What would be the best way to carve away the access. Think about a dremel type tool. I am not a woodworker, so I don't have a shop of fancy tools. So I will have to barrow or buy.

 Thanks for your help

 Yeah yeah, I do know accuracy will suffer. this is going to be for pretty plinking gun.

Lonny

[STUMPJMPR]

Cut some lightening holes in it... You can cut them straight through for decoration or you could do them on the inside along the barrel channel so you won't see them....

[AtlLaw]

What would be the best way to carve away the access. Think about a dremel type tool. I am not a woodworker, so I don't have a shop of fancy tools. So I will have to barrow or buy.

Dremel tools, or any power tool for that matter, got no business around gunstocks!     Draw a rough outline of what you want on the blank, cut it out and work it down to the finished dimensions with rasps, plains, spoke shaves, gouges, scrapers and so on.

Me thinks you need to do some study/reading on woodworking and stockmaking   This question is kinda like going to a medical forum and saying, "I want to perform some open heart surgery.  What's the best way to open the patient's chest?  I'm not a doctor, and I don't have a scalpel, but I was thinking of using a circular saw."

Of course, some non-professional gunstock makers can make nice stocks!  Even on their first try!  Go for it!  After all, it's not open heart surgery ya know!  But do some independent study first.  There's plenty of detailed information out there; a lot of it for free.

[Lon371]

But do some independent study first.  There's plenty of detailed information out there; a lot of it for free

Thats why I asked here  You guys have the answeres 

Thanks
Lonny

[AtlLaw]

Ya but!  There are volumes and volumes written on the two subjects!  The way your question was phrased, all you can get here is some meaningless overview like I posted.  Now maybe if you were asking about one specific aspect of the process, after you researched that area yourself, I can see asking here.  Something like "do y'all drill the final portion of the throughbolt hole before or after you get the stock shaped to the final dimentions?" would be meaningfull and could lead to an interesting discussion.  It's always been an area of concern to me... 

[Lon371]

 Moderator fell free to delete this post.

Sorry for my silly questions. I will go do some studying. I will come back when I figure out where to start and finish.

Lonny

[jpshaw]

Hey, feel free to try it.  This is not a dumb question.  I like to make straight stocks out of the pallet wood stocks and the first one I ever did looks good to me.  I like the feel of them better for fast shooting.  I use a saw to start and a wood rasp but I also use a power sander.  About to start another one since I think they look the part on a "primitive rifle" hunt.  The only way to justify hunting is as recreation so why not enjoy working on them too.

[petemi]

It's a win/win situation.  If you screw up you've got a nice piece of hardwood fire wood.  If you don't, you've got a nice stock.  You're on the right track.  Ask questions as you go along, and the guys here will help you.  I'm not much as a wood worker, but I'm refinishing a stock now.  Oh, I forgot to mention, clear PVC cleaner takes the finish off a Handi stock right now and leaves it clean to work with.  Pete

[AtlLaw]

Sorry for my silly questions. I will go do some studying. I will come back when I figure out where to start and finish.

Now now pal, don't be so touchy!     It wasn't a silly question and you got the place to start, expanding your knowledge of stockmaking!  Woodworking of any type is a lot of fun, but there is a lot of basic information you need to have and can get easily.  I'll bet when you start looking you'll find specific points you want to clear up so keep this thread alive and ask away.  We all will probably learn something.  But then when you get the stock done we can get into another (fun) area that Pete mentioned; wood finishing!   

[quickdtoo]

Sorry Lonny, no deleting, you're in it now, stick to your guns!!!    Here's some info to get you on your way, there are several members here that have made their own stocks, or radically extensively altered factory stocks that can offer their experience. 

Tim

http://www.treebonecarving.com/id21.html

http://www.larrywillis.com/custom%20gunstock.html

http://timbercarver.com/gunstock_info.html

http://www.muzzleloaders-etcetera.com/gunstocks_and_metalwork.htm

[coyotejoe]

You say you want a "mannlicher" forestock but you want it  "varmint style, big and wide". That's a contradiction in itself, the whole concept of a mannlicher forestock is slim and graceful, "varmint style" is at the opposite end of the spectrum.   But, with a thumbhole buttstock I guess you may as well have a California forestock too.