I've got a 28 gauge Diana that I'll be restocking.
Any thoughts?
Thanks



Only because some expert is going to chime in,
There are no cracks in these blanks.
You're seeing dying lacquer thinner, not splits

If I were you, I'd keep looking. These two blanks appear to have serious flaws, and the grain could make drilling for the throughbolt difficult. Just my take.

First blank looks to be one sided. Might get better when cut. Second blank does not call me. Might look better in hand. A project like you describe needs a blank which makes me super interested in seeing it completed. To me the blank is the cheapest part of a custom stock when you consider the total cost. Good luck and I hope you get what you like. After all this is a gun to make you happy. Get what you want.

I’d rather have a straight grained European walnut stock on a Superposed, than any piece of American black walnut.

Best,
Ted

You're in CA and cannot find a decent piece of English walnut? I'm with Ted but keep looking.

Amen Ted. Cash screwed up his 28 ga. upgrade by using American walnut with a candy-apple gloss finish rather than black streaked French/European walnut with a semi-gloss oil varnish. His choice, of course.
JR

i don't think that pic is selling your choice. At least not to a lot of members here. English walnut, semi gloss oil finish wins hands down. It's not like you have to go black walnut. It's not a Winchester and you aren't a stickler for originality.

Mid 60's 28 gauge Pigeon.

This assumes that one first knows the difference between American Black Walnut and European Walnut. I don't think it is all that hard, but as can be seen here, even some who claim to be gunsmiths are unable to tell the difference, even when it is pointed out to them in detail:

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forum...ransformation&Search=true#Post559819

And sometimes, it seems there is simply an affinity for shiny objects or flashy and fancy figured stuff that governs the choice of a stock blank. Something a crow would understand. And there is total disregard for all of the past Threads here that advise folks on what is desirable in a blank, and what to avoid. The blanks pictured in the OP appear to have so many cracks and voids that if Bob glued them together to use as a cutting board for his catering business, they would be repositories for all sorts of bacteria that cause food poisoning.



https://www.nevharris.com/you-are-not-a-crow/

But there's always epoxy and various wood fillers to take care of cracks, voids, and inclusion defects, so who are we to judge???

Bob, I know I'm a little late to the party but I do have a couple of questions. What variety of walnut is this? When was it cut? If wood dealer can't answer the last question that could be a problem. I would also suggest that you put a couple of coats of finish on the blanks and retake the photos so the wood can be seen as far as layout goes. Also, and maybe most important, take a photo of the top and bottom of the blanks to see if there is any runout in the head of the blanks. Riff or quarter sawn probably won't show much if any but slab sawn sure will. I will say that I personally am not a fan of crotch figure in the grip area of a stock but that's just me.

I will say that I agree with Ted on wood choice, for my own use I use California English or Turkish. That said I have two French blanks that are elegant and more restrained than Cal English of fancy Turkish. Yes I own these to blanks but they already have a home.

Good luck with your project, it's your gun and do with it what you want.

I don’t like seeing American black walnut on European guns. They never came that way. English or French walnut is a superior gunstock wood. Many American guns did come with American black walnut, and the right piece of wood on one looks like it belongs there.

There have been a few Darne guns floating around the ‘Net with capped pistol grip stocks, something they never came with when they were new. Invariably, they are stocked in black walnut, and it sticks out like a sore thumb. Even if the work is perfect (it seldom is). Nice French walnut, even fairly plain just looks like it belongs there. Because, it does.

I don’t object to a varnish if it is a bit subdued. A semigloss poly wears like iron, and looks OK on a gun that sees a lot of weather. Oil is beautiful, but, I grasp the reasons people don’t like it. I like it, however.

At the end of the day, a guy should do what he wants, and what he can afford. I’ve seen a purple Cadillac Eldorado, somebody must have liked it enough to do that, but, I don’t want one.

Best,
Ted

Something seemed to have happened to the original post, as far as being able to go through a number of blanks. I'd wonder a little, not too much, if some one told me some of the dark streaks crossing the grain was dying laquer thinner. Anyway, there was comment about grain running off the blank,which I doubt can be helped in the butt area, but seems to certainly happening where the wrist would probably be.

Select any wood you might want, but you seem to have the luxury of being able to keep looking. Put your eye candy that you want at the back end, but maybe not under where the checkering might be. There is a fair chance that consecutive arches are not a special way of how the tree grew, but simply how it was sawn.

Go to a dealer who has hundreds of blanks and select from that group. Odd blanks on the internet are often leftovers. On the left coast I would go to Vegas and visit Cecil. Great inventory and a decent fellow to deal with in my experience.

Exactly what I would do as well. Best reason to visit Vegas I know of.

Could be the only reason. Three things not on my bucket list: 1) cruise 2) Las Vegas, and worst of all, 3) cruise to Las Vegas. Gil

Thankfully, you can get GREAT wood from Cecil without ever setting foot in Vegas or even Nevada.

I just got off the telephone with Cecil and I will have files to peruse in short order.
Thanks to all and especially K Jon for the education, information and suggestions.
I think I'm going to lay off the feather. I 'll endeavor to make haste slowly.

Now we are talking. I'd love to see what he sends you. If you can stand the commentary, I hope you post the candidates here. I've been called a wood whore. There are worse things to be, for certain.

BrentD politician would be a much worse label. Nothing the matter with enjoying nice looking stock wood. I have about 20 wood blanks on top of my gun cases for viewing pleasure. I have more wood than I ever will get to use but at least I get to enjoy it this way. My favorite was crotch black but as I mature I find English with marbling and a nice smoky background gets my attention. Not so in love with Turkish as much as English/French.

There it is. Blanks for the sake of looking at. I have them too. Not as many as you, yet. I have 4 slabs of a huge walnut crotch that have been drying in my hayloft for 4-5 yrs now. It's time to bring them down and plane off all the paint and trim to size. I'd be happy to have one fantastic blank out of the 4 slabs, but there could be more. I have no idea what I could do with them.

I prefer English/French over all others, and I've toned down my tastes from what is now a bit from over-the-top gaudiness. It's hard to describe perfection, but I know it when I see it.

Does this afflict us all?

I've bought five blanks for "future" projects. No real need when they were bought. So just 'cause. Always liked looking at them. Kept them in my home office. I have used one, sold two, traded one to a smith friend who found one of mine was more suitable than anything he had for a particular project (will get one from his stock at a future date) and still have one unallocated. I'm always looking (at a low level) for more.

Late to the party. Did not care for either of the ones posted. Layout on both was poor in my mind and that always trumps figure. Cecil has some great blanks. Make ste you either get larger blank to also get a forearm out of it, or have him pick out a matching forearm blank for you.