Stock making

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I'm thinking of getting in the business of stock making. I'm going to start once I have everything else for the Arisaka. Would anyone have any tips for me? I'm going to be doing this as a side job since next semester I won't be at DD anymore (thankfully) because I'm taking 18 hours of classes.
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Re: Stock making

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So you want to start a business doing something you've never done, have no idea how to do and have no idea whether you are actually any good at? :wtf:
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

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Re: Stock making

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That's what I'm using the Arisaka project for. If I'm good, I'll follow through. If not, it was worth a try. I'm looking for general tips so I have a bit more of an idea than I do now. I know I'm going to need to cut and shape the stock, inlet it for the action, cut a barrel channel, checker it, and stain or clear coat depending on the wood I use.
All problems can be solved with a copious amount of high explosives.

Re: Stock making

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Fukshot wrote:You mean mass production of stocks or custom stocking of rifles? There's more money in the second one, but you have to know what you're doing.
Definitely not the first. As far as shaping wood and inletting, it shouldn't be too hard. I've worked with my grandfather at his home shop doing a variety of wood working. Mostly furniture. A gunstock is a piece furniture for a gun. It's also a work of art. I want to be the artist.
All problems can be solved with a copious amount of high explosives.

Re: Stock making

6
Being an artist doesn't pay very well.

As far as starting a business making stocks, I think that will be both fun and difficult.

To produce, you'll need a router and a duplicating table that you can make. Read up on stock production, and you'll find that the initial outside cutting is faster with a router.

Here's the basic idea, so all's you need do is alter what you see to fit stocks.

http://www.terrco.com/woodcarvers/f200.php

The real time is in the inletting. I've done maybe a dozen, and it's not fast, but it's very rewarding.

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Re: Stock making

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gendoikari wrote:
Mason wrote:So you want to start a business doing something you've never done, have no idea how to do and have no idea whether you are actually any good at? :wtf:
You have to start somewhere. There was a time when Leonardo davici had never drawn or painted, when einstein had never done math
And neither of then at that time went around telling everyone they were going to be respected geniuses one day. They just quietly went about what they were doing.

Albert probably deserves a capital e, eh?
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese

Re: Stock making

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Mason wrote:
gendoikari wrote:
Mason wrote:So you want to start a business doing something you've never done, have no idea how to do and have no idea whether you are actually any good at? :wtf:
You have to start somewhere. There was a time when Leonardo davici had never drawn or painted, when einstein had never done math
And neither of then at that time went around telling everyone they were going to be respected geniuses one day. They just quietly went about what they were doing.

Albert probably deserves a capital e, eh?
And that's not what M4builder did, he's asking questions. How do you think Albert got started.
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Re: Stock making

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I want to do all my work by hand. I'm going to try to avoid duplicating if possible. It's not going to be a main job, just a hobby to make money. I didn't say I was going to be a respected stock maker, Just I want to try my hand at it and see how I do.
All problems can be solved with a copious amount of high explosives.

Re: Stock making

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There's really only one big thing this hinges on. Quality vs price.

Price can be set by you. I expect you probably won't make a stock worth significantly less than the cost of materials, so you probably won't loose.

Then, the question becomes: Do you have any chops? I'm guessing you might.

Also, FYI, the best way to make money with stocking skills is likely to buy blanks and barrels and locks and small parts and make muzzle loaders. Licensing hassles can be avoided by having the customer buy the barrel and the lock, but I'm not clear on the details there. Just something I have seen on the sites of some custom builders.

Re: Stock making

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Fukshot wrote:Then, the question becomes: Do you have any chops? I'm guessing you might.
I think so too, given what you've done so far at this point in life.

Find a niche you enjoy and pursue it. As far as milsurps, it seems all the after market stocks are sporter versions or synthetic. Not to many original replacements out there for some of the less common, or recent additions on the market. Sure, you can replace a Mosin stock with another milsurp stock, but what if you want to keep it wood, but with something exotic, or not saturated in cosmo? Personally, I'd like to find a new Lee Enfield stock set. I do think there is a market for Original style stocks for the milsurps, but with an upgrade of some sort. Some people want to make their "cheap" milsurps unique in some way that doesn't necessarily mean making it tacticool. Maybe it means some modernizing, but keeping it wooden and giving a nod to the original.
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Re: Stock making

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foghorn wrote:
Fukshot wrote:Then, the question becomes: Do you have any chops? I'm guessing you might.
I think so too, given what you've done so far at this point in life.

Find a niche you enjoy and pursue it. As far as milsurps, it seems all the after market stocks are sporter versions or synthetic. Not to many original replacements out there for some of the less common, or recent additions on the market. Sure, you can replace a Mosin stock with another milsurp stock, but what if you want to keep it wood, but with something exotic, or not saturated in cosmo? Personally, I'd like to find a new Lee Enfield stock set. I do think there is a market for Original style stocks for the milsurps, but with an upgrade of some sort. Some people want to make their "cheap" milsurps unique in some way that doesn't necessarily mean making it tacticool. Maybe it means some modernizing, but keeping it wooden and giving a nod to the original.
I was thinking about doing milsurps since they are plentiful and as I get better, got to finer hutning rifles and such.
All problems can be solved with a copious amount of high explosives.

Re: Stock making

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I think the milsurps is a good idea. Owners can get good steel, but crap wood that has twisted and aged poorly. The key is accurate inletting. If a customer can take their existing receiver assembly and put it in new wood with minimal or no mods, they will like your product. Many don't mind staining and finishing wood, but they don't want to fit it. Look at the "furniture in the raw" industry.
Be sure to make good choices when you're being stupid...

Re: Stock making

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The most important thing to learn first is how to properly sharpen chisels and gouges. I wish you luck it can be very rewarding on a personal level when you are inletting a part and all of a sudden it fits into the wood like it has melted into it.
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