doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bending Black Walnut

I don't think I have ever tried to bend a black walnut (American) stock but am thinking about doing one--a really nice piece of lumber on a Fox round knob.

I have done several English walnut stocks with good results--easier if they are straight stocks it seems because the bend can occur over a larger area.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Gil

The stock on my Parker repro 12 has been bent to better fit me.
It was done by a gunsmith in Miss. using a hot oil machine and came out just right.
The wood is nice, but I am unsure of the exact designation, so will not speculate.

I've been told English bends much easier. Also told that quartersawn wood bends much better then Slabsawn wood. Mike Orlen has bent Sterlingworth Stocks and they were only made with black walnut.

Good morning Gil;

Bending is no different with Black. However, you must be more deliberate in you move left or right. Black Walnut has larger openings for water to move throughout the tree...pores if you will. This causes the fibers to be less hard to move than English Walnut as a general rule. NOT TWO TREES ARE THE SAME...EVER.

Go slowly in your bending and pay attention to how the wood feels when you are moving it. If it resists you or gets harder to move...stop! When you get the wood to the correct temperature, the wood should move easily and without too much force. The Fox action may try to bend ahead of the back hand pin. Be advised and pay attention to the back tang area for small cracks that can start behind it.

I sent Mike Orlen a 20-ga. Sterlingworth with a straight-grained Black Walnut pistol grip stock that had a 2 3/4" drop and a 14" LOP with instructions to bend it up as far as he felt comfortable. It was returned with a 2 3/8" drop at heel.

I have bent two stocks on Fox Sterlingworths. The old original stocks on Foxes did not stay bent in place and in fact didn't bend very far from their 2-3/4" DAH. The person bending the stocks was using a jig copied from Mike Orlen's. He tried several methods of bending, always using hot oil, but varying the time the stock was left in the jig. The person has bent dozens of stocks.

Seems like I had a couple of others bent with better results. One was a Miroku, and I couldn't say what the stock wood was. The other was a Fox stocked in French Walnut. These bent well for cast off and a little comb adjustment.All pistol grip stocks.

Generally more figure the wood has better it bends. But, no two alike.

Boats

Gil,
Bill and I bent my Repro. He did it once and I did it again for more drop. I think they're Claro. It seems to have taken it well and stayed.

When I hear a stock did t stay bent, I think the stock may not have gotten heated through enough, leaving stresses which eventually pull the stock back...its just a theory.

A top stockmaker once told me that in his shop above the hot oil was a sign that reads:

"No Fear"

I've bent a number of American doubles. A 1894 Remington bent quite easily, and would return by the next day. Did it three times with same results. As far as being carful not to bend to much or to fast, a friend rest the gun on a table with a couple of shot bags on the barrels with the stock off the end. Some rags oil soaked around the wrist and heat lamps on them. He puts one bag of shot on the butt end. When it moves the distance he wants, the lamps are removed and it's allowed to cool. You're nor forcing anything. If it's going to move, it will, slowly. Good luck.