Carving in a gun stock?

[Kev18]

First off all, I dont know how to carve but I might teach myself because I just got an idea. I think it would be cool to buy a new stock for my 1886, and carve a wood spirit in it. Once I figure out how to carve properly that is.

1. Anyone ever carve anything in a stock? Any pics?

2. i see stocks going for 85$ US on some sites. Why are they 400+ on Numrich?

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/search#/CategoryDisplayName/Gun-Stocks&query=winchester%201886

https://i.imgur.com/bjoArCT.jpg

[M-Tecs]

Some books here

https://www.amazon.com/Gunstock-Carving-Complete-Engraving-Gunstocks/dp/156523166X

[Winger Ed.]

Brownells has the right tools for doing that.

I'd get some hardwood boards and do some practice work before I jumped on a expensive stock.

After you can carve images pretty well on a flat board, rasp & sand some with a curve like the stock has and do them.
Carving on a curved surface will be somewhat different than doing it on a flat one.

[Kev18]

Im pretty sure people use dremels for hard wood.

[Baltimoreed]

In my youth [20s]I carved and inlayed a maple percussion ml. Turned out nice, but I haven’t done another, a lot of work. Visit your local gunshops and ask if they’ve got any 5.00 broken stocks laying around.

[bedbugbilly]

First - every piece of hardwood - whether it be a stock or a board of a specific species will be different - both in hardness and grain pattern. But . . . there's no reason at all that you can't learn to care and do what you want to. Patience, care, sharp carving tools and not rushing are the secret. Doesn[t make any difference if it is black walnut - straight grain or curly/burled or the various species of maple - straight grained or curly, birdseye, etc. Some may be skilled enough with a dremel to do it but a slip with a dremel - especially when working with various densities of wood/grain can cause a lot of damage very quickly. Care with sharp carving tools will slice the wood away . . . not grind it with burrs.

Before you start on your gunstock - practice on a piece of hardwood as close to the grain of your gunstock as possible. I worked with a wilde variety of species my entire life - had a custom millwork/furniture/cabinet shop as well as having made a number of muzzleloaders from scratch from rough stock blanks - walnut, cherry, maple (curly, straight grain, fiddleback, etc) and even persimmon which is sometimes hard to come by and is often called "poor man's ebony" as it can be stained up to look like ebony.

With a little practice, you'll be surprised at what you can do and I can't think of a better way to personalize your rifle that makes it have a special meaning for you. Good luck . . . you'll do fine!

[Drm50]

I've done a little carving in stocks. Not for myself I don't like it. I draw pattern on paper and transfer it to stock then I do a lot of wood removal with dremil. Do fine work with a set of cutters- chisels that are used on linoleum blocks. Use dremil to blend any rough spots. I would like to lay hand on the Artful Carver, he runs with the Screw Driver Noid. The two of them have ruined many a fine gun. They were last seen in a green Yugo heading south.

[RED BEAR]

+1 on doing some practice on hard wood. My dad used to do cravings in all kinds of stuff. Used a set of special chisels for it. I wish i could show some of his work but when he passed i was still a kid and everything was gone quick.

[Kev18]

I would like to make some type of wood spirit. Nothing complicated. I jsut wish I could make some that are clean. Something like a nice face of an old man!

An old mountain man face or something...
I didnt carve this, I just found it.
https://i.imgur.com/QvwWoCw.jpg