what size to cut walnut

[farmbif]

I made arraignment to take a couple walnut logs to the sawmill, what thickness should I have them cut for making stocks. I was thinking the bulk of it would be cut for rifle stocks and a couple thin planks for handgun grips.

[LAGS]

Cutting the blanks is a good option if you have access to wood.
But remember,
The wood should be dried for a long time after cutting it into blanks.
Then it needs to be milled into the final Blank thickness and rough shape.
Drying the wood in a kiln does speed up the process.
Many years ago, I worked on clearing a field of Walnut trees on a 600 acre piece of land.
I looked into what it take to turn the wood into stock blanks.
It was lots of work and not really worth it to me because of the length of time it was going to take to store and cure the wood.

[farmbif]

these were cut from dead standing trees

[pietro]

.

Quarter-sawn (vs plain-sawn) blanks generally work better for rifle stocks

Rifle Stock Blank Dimensions:

* 28" - 48" length (full-length stocks are longer, to 63")
* 5-1/2" - 8" or more height at butt end
* 2"-5" height at muzzle end
* 2"- 3" thick


Shotgun/2-Piece Rifle Stock Blank Dimensions:

Buttstock Blank:

* 16"- 21" length minimum
* 5" - 8" height at butt end
* 2"- 5" height at muzzle end of blank
* 2"- 3" thick

Forend:\ Blank:

Forend Blank sizes range from 14" x 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" to 16" x 2-3/4" x 2-3/4"



Seal both ends of the newly-cut raw blanks with wax or paint to avoid checking

.

[ulav8r]

Minimum finished thickness for a rifle blank 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 unless you want a huge cheekpiece. Allow 1/2 to 1 inch for rough size if cutting green wood. Normal drying time is 1 year per inch of thickness, for dead trees it could be less, how long have they been dead. Would be a good idea to use a moisture meter to check. Moisture content should be below 12 %. How accurate is the sawmill? You might need to allow more thickness if the mill does not hold tight tolerance.

[M-Tecs]

24 Hour Campfire has an excellent thread on this search "How to cut a black walnut tree for stock blanks?"

[GregLaROCHE]

Standing dead trees aren’t necessarily that dry. You can buy testers to know the humidity in wood today, but you will only get a true reading on a new cut at the center of the log. Wood likes to move with changes in humidity. If you can afford the amount of wood, have it sawn larger and then let it sit before starting on the finished product.

[pworley1]

I saw mine 3" thick by the length and width of the cant, seal the ends, and stack them in my barn loft.

[waksupi]

For rifle stocks, a minimum of 2 3/4". A full 3" is better, to allow for any warp and shrinkage drying.
For a stock with a cheek piece, you will need a thickness of 2 1/4" to start. Better too much to start with, than too little.

[gc45]

When I was cutting blanks, they were 3 inch by 48 inch then air dried for 3 yrs in my shop stacked with 1/2 inch wide strips of wood between each blank. 7% moisture is about right for making stocks.

[BLAHUT]

3", seal ends, wax, moistuer meater< what persent ? Some want 5%, some want more 12%.
Slicker to help with drying and warpage> check often, about 1 year per 1" of thickness ??

[sparky45]

Doesn't take that long a time if dried in a passive solar kiln.

[Fishoot]

The ONLY benefit I have found to living in California is that my garage is a natural kiln. I have wood out there that is as dry as a desert dwelling house cat!