rifle stock for heavy kickers

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rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 29 Dec 2018, 12:30 pm

Has any-one seen / had experience / tried,,,,,,,
Using Gidgee or Gidyea for making a stock for a heavy kicker ?

The weight of this stuff would serve the purpose well I think, main problem being,, getting a good quality piece big enough to do the job.

:unknown: :unknown: :unknown:
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by bladeracer » 29 Dec 2018, 3:16 pm

Die Judicii wrote:Has any-one seen / had experience / tried,,,,,,,
Using Gidgee or Gidyea for making a stock for a heavy kicker ?

The weight of this stuff would serve the purpose well I think, main problem being,, getting a good quality piece big enough to do the job.

:unknown: :unknown: :unknown:


I think a better idea is to just use a timber you like the best, and then fill it with lead shot. You get as much weight as you need, while still being able to control the balance.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 29 Dec 2018, 5:47 pm

That does make a lot of sense BR,, whereas on the other hand I also had mental pictures of the aesthetic WOW factor.

Have you ever seen some of that stuff polished ?

The hardness of it is such that it has a polished effect straight off the saw, and would be nigh on impossible to get a ding
through normal f/arm type use.

It may well turn out to be fantastic,,,, or a complete failure in regard to overall weight or balance.
And it wouldn't be everyday you'd see one.
But I'd like to give it a try,,,,,, Yknow,, Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

That's why I put the idea up there to see if any-one has done it before or not

Cheers, :thumbsup:
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by bladeracer » 29 Dec 2018, 6:01 pm

Die Judicii wrote:That does make a lot of sense BR,, whereas on the other hand I also had mental pictures of the aesthetic WOW factor.

Have you ever seen some of that stuff polished ?

The hardness of it is such that it has a polished effect straight off the saw, and would be nigh on impossible to get a ding
through normal f/arm type use.

It may well turn out to be fantastic,,,, or a complete failure in regard to overall weight or balance.
And it wouldn't be everyday you'd see one.
But I'd like to give it a try,,,,,, Yknow,, Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

That's why I put the idea up there to see if any-one has done it before or not

Cheers, :thumbsup:


No, I don't think I've even heard of it before, I'm only a carpenter :-)
I wouldn't even know where to find some but there are places that deal with providing high-quality timber slabs so they should be able to get you a nice chunk of it. I would do it with the same plan though, hollow it out and weight it to suit.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 29 Dec 2018, 7:49 pm

BR, You haven't heard of it being tried for a stock,,, or haven't heard of it as a timber ???

If you meant as a "timber", it is native around Mt Isa and upwards.
Not sure how far south of Isa it grows.
Being extremely hard and heavy timber it is a very slow grower and doesn't attain large diameters.
I've only personally seen up to about 5"or 6" max,
When cut cross grain the majority is like absolute black and with a glassy appearance with lighter brownish outer ring of sap wood.
A lot of indigenous items from that area are made from it, and if you've seen many of them, that is most likely the timber.


:drinks:
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by TassieTiger » 29 Dec 2018, 8:18 pm

I googled it and a couple of ppl opinioned that it cracked severely when dry, so wasn’t used for furnishings...not sure if legit but a consideration none the less
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by bladeracer » 29 Dec 2018, 8:28 pm

Die Judicii wrote:BR, You haven't heard of it being tried for a stock,,, or haven't heard of it as a timber ???

If you meant as a "timber", it is native around Mt Isa and upwards.
Not sure how far south of Isa it grows.
Being extremely hard and heavy timber it is a very slow grower and doesn't attain large diameters.
I've only personally seen up to about 5"or 6" max,
When cut cross grain the majority is like absolute black and with a glassy appearance with lighter brownish outer ring of sap wood.
A lot of indigenous items from that area are made from it, and if you've seen many of them, that is most likely the timber.


:drinks:


Never heard of the timber, but I'm from WA. I think I did go to Isa with my dad when I was a kid - he used to deliver fuel there from Tennant Creek, but I have no memory of it.
We have blackwood here on the farm that people tell me is very hard and good for furniture.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by SCJ429 » 29 Dec 2018, 8:44 pm

You could give it a go if you are handy but a big bore will be very good at splitting brittle wood. A bit of walnut is not very expensive and with some straight grain will hold up better than any other wood blanks. What size big boomer are you looking to make a stock for?
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by SCJ429 » 29 Dec 2018, 8:49 pm

I bought a blank off Vardy's a few years ago, they sell cheaper blanks for only a couple of hundred.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Rod_outbak » 29 Dec 2018, 9:07 pm

It seems the official name is Gidgee, but I'd always been taught to call it Gidyea??

We get a lot of Gidyea around Longreach, and have quite a few trees on our property here. Most of our wood fence-posts are Gidyea, as termites cant eat it.
Some of the stuff South of Barcaldine that is growing in sandy soil grows straighter & taller than here, and is large enough to be cut for fence posts.
I know the original stumps for this house were cut from Gidyea, as we had a vase cut for Mum from one stump when it was replaced with steel, and the woodworker charged us double because the 100-year-old stump kept blunting his turning tools...

But not a lot of the trees here would be large enough that you'd be able to cut a rifle stock from heartwood.
But there must be a reason I've not seen it used for any rifle stocks.
I do know that once the wood is seasoned, it becomes as hard as iron..
It is also one of the hottest-burning woods you can find; most wood ovens arent designed to cope with Gidyea.

When it's dried, it's very hard. It has a very high silicate content, and I've seen sparks coming off a chainsaw blade when cutting old dead Gidyea trees.

It does polish up well, but I suspect the challenge will be to find some that doesnt split on you while curing it. Back in the late 1990's, there were some local people experimenting with curing it using industrial microwave ovens, and they had some success, as there were some timber products on the market at the time. Never heard what happened to the venture, though.
Also, while it's a very strong, dense wood, I have a feeling it grows quite brittle with age, so I wont be surprised if it doesnt age well as a rifle stock.
If you can find some, track down some of the purple-coloured Waddy Wood (Acacia peuce)
It grows out around Boulia, and is the most amazing colour you've ever seen. The dark purple gets enhanced with more exposure to sunlight over tie, as I understand.
A purple Waddy Wood stock polished up would be a freaking work of art.
Due to the popularity and scarcity of the trees, I think Waddy Wood is a protected species these days, so as rare as Rockinghorse-poop.

It would have been very easy for people here to use Gidyea to replace the timber handles on shovels/rakes/hoes/axes, and yet they didnt; there must be a reason for that.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 30 Dec 2018, 10:32 am

BR Mate,,,,,,
Blackwood is one of the Acacia's and is a beautiful timber when polished.
During the 1940s it was extensively used for furniture making.
I did at one time have a complete bedroom setting made from it.
It also burns pretty hot,,, but it's no where near as hard as Gidgee.
I can understand why Rod mentioned about being charged double for sharpening the lathe tools so often.

If you ever get to Isa again, do a tour of the old underground hospital that was used during WW2
It's quite interesting, and most if not all the struts, bunks etc are made of Gidgee.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 30 Dec 2018, 10:40 am

TassieTiger wrote:I googled it and a couple of ppl opinioned that it cracked severely when dry, so wasn’t used for furnishings...not sure if legit but a consideration none the less


Thanks for that Tassie,,, what a bummer,, there's always a catch or a but,,,,, eh?
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 30 Dec 2018, 10:49 am

Rod,,,,,,
Thanks for the extra info Mate.
That Purple Waddy sounds absolutely fascinating.
I'm guessing that it too is a very slow grower. (I will Dr Google it)

What would be the chances of getting some seeds Mate ?

I love growing trees from seed, and used to grow hundreds of many differing eucalypts and acacias.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 30 Dec 2018, 10:57 am

SCJ429 wrote: What size big boomer are you looking to make a stock for?


.375 H+H Magnum mate.

I've got one that has a (very) light synthetic stock that is also slippery, and you have to hang on tight so it doesn't get away from you. So much so that it takes the enjoyment out of pullin the trigger.

I've now got a semi finished Walnut one that will probly be better for grip,, but it's also very light.
And so, the thought about using Gidgee was born.
:thumbsup:
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 30 Dec 2018, 11:07 am

bladeracer wrote:
Never heard of the timber, but I'm from WA. I think I did go to Isa with my dad when I was a kid - he used to deliver fuel there from Tennant Creek, .


What would you give for one of those tanker loads now Mate ????
:lol: :lol:
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by TassieTiger » 30 Dec 2018, 2:24 pm

Mad max country out that way - beautiful country, if you were born in the Sahara lol
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Stoney » 30 Dec 2018, 7:39 pm

What about Ironwood? It grows up the Cape. Hard and heavy as. I visited a camp cutting it for railway sleepers up there in 93.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by TassieTiger » 30 Dec 2018, 7:44 pm

Speaking of which - old railway timbers were cut from many different hardwiod timbers and then coated in cerakote to protect the wood. There would (pun) be enough thickness of the timber with ina sleeper for a stock ? As stoney has mentioned above - some old railway guys might be a source...
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by bladeracer » 30 Dec 2018, 8:40 pm

TassieTiger wrote:Speaking of which - old railway timbers were cut from many different hardwiod timbers and then coated in cerakote to protect the wood. There would (pun) be enough thickness of the timber with ina sleeper for a stock ? As stoney has mentioned above - some old railway guys might be a source...


I think you mean creosote ;-)
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by SCJ429 » 30 Dec 2018, 9:54 pm

You can get walnut in different weights, I also added lead weight to the stock of my 416 Rigby which is the easiest to shoot big bore I have shot. Heavy stock with ballast and a heavy profile barrel makes it a dream.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by TassieTiger » 30 Dec 2018, 9:59 pm

bladeracer wrote:
TassieTiger wrote:Speaking of which - old railway timbers were cut from many different hardwiod timbers and then coated in cerakote to protect the wood. There would (pun) be enough thickness of the timber with ina sleeper for a stock ? As stoney has mentioned above - some old railway guys might be a source...


I think you mean creosote ;-)


In my greatest Rodney Rude “that’s what I said, don’t f%#*k me around” lol.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 31 Dec 2018, 3:50 pm

Stoney and Tassie,
I hear what your saying,, the creosote of latter years was impregnated under pressure, and I wonder how much would remain to upset the take up of stain etc.
Whereas, in very early years it was merely painted or at best, old fashioned soaked, in which case the termites still attack as they get older.
I have about 30 of em, and most have been eaten out by the little buggers.

Stoney, when you say "ironwood" do you mean iron bark ?
Or is "ironwood" another species that I haven't noticed ?

If you mean iron bark,,,,,, I have plenty of that on our property.
It is pretty dull and drab with no real life or color in the grain.

Although the hardness and weight would lend itself well.
There is some differences between the narrow leaf and the broad leaf varieties of it however.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by TassieTiger » 31 Dec 2018, 11:55 pm

I was in a specialty timber shop only a couple of days ago looking at a slab of Huon pine for a table...
They had some beautiful hardwoods in there...some Blackwood heart would make a beautiful stock, with insane character dark and rich knot/growth lines within, but would mark way to easy and might be ultimately too soft ...some wild cherry or jarrah might be nice as well and prob a bit harder.
I think even if you found the timber you wanted, you’d have to make sure it had been seasoned correctly to withstand the forces at play...I’d take a properly seasoned medium wood over a poorly seasoned hard wood - a lot of work could go down the drain.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 01 Jan 2019, 11:31 am

Railway sleepers have a ton of sand in them. As trains dump sand to get friction to breakb on metal tracks. Blunts blades very quickly. No idea if its good for riflestocks.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by pomemax » 01 Jan 2019, 12:29 pm

Acacia cambagei, commonly known as gidgee, stinking wattle or stinking gidgee,
Give this mob a ring weird and exotic timber shop in Mulgrave
http://www.trendtimbers.com.au/complete-timber-list.php
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... yGvkoEwRE/
wiki page may give you some other options https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_cambagei
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Daddybang » 01 Jan 2019, 2:04 pm

Die Judicii wrote:
Stoney, when you say "ironwood" do you mean iron bark ?
Or is "ironwood" another species that I haven't noticed ?



Up this way we have the cooktown iron wood..used extensively in old station homesteads fence posts etc. Has to be shaped when still fairly green as it'll kill chainsaws when completely dried. Its completely termite resistant due to its dense structure and high levels of (I think) arsenic or some similar naturally occurring poison. ...don't burn in ya campfire!!!!
Old homesteads built over a hundred years ago made from this tree are still standing all over the cape!! :D :drinks:
Another species to consider thats readily available in qld is Blackbean (Moreton Bay Chestnut) :thumbsup: :drinks:
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Stoney » 01 Jan 2019, 6:07 pm

Stoney, when you say "ironwood" do you mean iron bark ?
Or is "ironwood" another species that I haven't noticed ?


No mate, ironwood.


Daddybang wrote:
Die Judicii wrote:
Stoney, when you say "ironwood" do you mean iron bark ?
Or is "ironwood" another species that I haven't noticed ?



Up this way we have the cooktown iron wood..used extensively in old station homesteads fence posts etc. Has to be shaped when still fairly green as it'll kill chainsaws when completely dried. Its completely termite resistant due to its dense structure and high levels of (I think) arsenic or some similar naturally occurring poison. ...don't burn in ya campfire!!!!
Old homesteads built over a hundred years ago made from this tree are still standing all over the cape!! :D :drinks:
Another species to consider thats readily available in qld is Blackbean (Moreton Bay Chestnut) :thumbsup: :drinks:


You know the stuff Daddybang :thumbsup:
It is Australia's answer to ebony in a way. When struck with an axe or chainsaw it sparks and leaves no noticeable scar. It doesn't really have a nice stock grain that I have noticed but if made into a stock it would be heavy and dent resistant :thumbsup: If you could get someone to cut it into a stock :lol:
I have used Blackbean before as well, it is really nice.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 01 Jan 2019, 6:54 pm

pomemax wrote:Acacia cambagei, commonly known as gidgee, stinking wattle or stinking gidgee,
Give this mob a ring weird and exotic timber shop in Mulgrave
http://www.trendtimbers.com.au/complete-timber-list.php
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... yGvkoEwRE/
wiki page may give you some other options https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_cambagei


thanks mate, i may be in melb in the very near future, and hopefully lookem up.
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by pomemax » 01 Jan 2019, 6:56 pm

Die Judicii wrote:
pomemax wrote:Acacia cambagei, commonly known as gidgee, stinking wattle or stinking gidgee,
Give this mob a ring weird and exotic timber shop in Mulgrave
http://www.trendtimbers.com.au/complete-timber-list.php
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... yGvkoEwRE/
wiki page may give you some other options https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_cambagei


thanks mate, i may be in melb in the very near future, and hopefully lookem up.

better do it on line they are in NSW
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Re: rifle stock for heavy kickers

Post by Die Judicii » 01 Jan 2019, 6:58 pm

Thanks Stoney and DB, and others, much appreciated.
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