Holly
- Thread starter Rflshootr
- Start date
JerrySharrett
Senile Member
Basic considerations for benchrstock material in the Varmint classes where there are weight restrictions would be 1) is it rigid enough to not flex excessively and 2) is it light enough to make a stock blank under about 26 or so ounces.
I was thinking IBS light gun (17 lbs) in a MBR style. I have a light gun with a 5lb laminated stock that makes weight. I wouldn't think the holly would weigh any more than that. Rigidity & stability (warpage) of cured wood was my concern. Judging from the looks of the wood, it is straight grained & pretty dense. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with it.
JerrySharrett
Senile Member
Its according to what class you intend to shoot. In the IBS the 17# limit gun is for Light Gun class in 600 yard competition.
You could also shoot it in 100/200/300 in the HB (Heavy Bench-Unlimited) class.
You could also shoot it in 100/200/300 in the HB (Heavy Bench-Unlimited) class.
D
Dennis Sorensen
Guest
Well if you cut it now and let it dry naturally you have a few years before you make a stock of it.
Butch Lambert
Active member
+1 Dennis,
I wouldn't consider using it with less than 5yrs drying time. I would actually send the blank to a friend that lives in a warm, no humidity state for drying. Dry is not all of it, it needs to be cured also. Check with a professional wood stock maker first for advice.
I wouldn't consider using it with less than 5yrs drying time. I would actually send the blank to a friend that lives in a warm, no humidity state for drying. Dry is not all of it, it needs to be cured also. Check with a professional wood stock maker first for advice.
M
mks
Guest
http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/sear...l&Terms=holly&submit.x=0&submit.y=0#reference
That is some valuable wood you have. I don't have any personal experience with it, but holly has a reputation for warping and staining during drying. To minimize staining, it should be dried within days after the tree is cut in a vacuum kiln. It's more typically used in small pieces for banding and marquetry. You would have a really unique stock if you can make it work. Nearly white and devoid of grain pattern.
Happy new year,
Keith
I didn't even know that the wood people had a use for Holly.
I was wrong.
http://www.exoticwood.biz/holly.htm
http://www.bellforestproducts.com/domestic-wood/american-holly/
I've used some home made woods (not holly) for gunstocks, bowls, pool cue shafts and statuary.......... curing is HUGE. And even then I've had to moved cured wood into successively warmer/drier environments for months to acclimate it before putting it to the knife. And I've busted some.
We're really spoiled by the quality and ease of use of our gunstock blanks.
Good luck if you try it.
al
I was wrong.
http://www.exoticwood.biz/holly.htm
http://www.bellforestproducts.com/domestic-wood/american-holly/
I've used some home made woods (not holly) for gunstocks, bowls, pool cue shafts and statuary.......... curing is HUGE. And even then I've had to moved cured wood into successively warmer/drier environments for months to acclimate it before putting it to the knife. And I've busted some.
We're really spoiled by the quality and ease of use of our gunstock blanks.
Good luck if you try it.
al
H
Hambone
Guest
Thats some size holly tree is it has enough girth to enable you to get a heart wood blank out of it worth drying. Doing waste your time if you can only get blanks that contain sap and heart wood. It with twist and split on you. What you want is timber from as close to the bottom of the butt as possible. Don't kiln dry the blank either, its better to air dry in a low humidity atmospher for a minimum of 3 years. Ideally what you need is a blank thats has <8% moisture. Anything >12% needs more drying time.
Personally I'd say it was a lot of work for what will be a rather plain looking stock. But your time is your own and no one else with have anything like it.
Personally I'd say it was a lot of work for what will be a rather plain looking stock. But your time is your own and no one else with have anything like it.
4
4Mesh
Guest
There is paint made specifically for painting the endgrain on wood so it air dries properly. This holds the moisture in the ends, so it all leaves the sides of the board. This way, it won't check.
Usually, 1 year is all that is required for drying wood. Once it hits a certain point, it will not go any lower. Read up on this online.
Don't put heat to it unless you have the ends taken care of, it'll split something terrible.
Usually, 1 year is all that is required for drying wood. Once it hits a certain point, it will not go any lower. Read up on this online.
Don't put heat to it unless you have the ends taken care of, it'll split something terrible.
D
dennisinaz
Guest
I have lumbered a number of trees to get wood for knife making projects and such. I have used such woods as Ironwood, Cyprus, olive, pecan, black walnut, manzanita and some crazy stuff like Mountain mahogany and cliffrose.
Some stuff turns out better than others. I live in a climate that is about as dry as you are going to find in North America. Cut to suitable boards, I still need 2 full years for most everthing and 3 is better with Ironwood (very resinous). There is a special wax you can coat the end grain with and then it is stacked in the attic or somewhere that it won't get wet.
Most of the stuff I use has to be sent in after it is cut to final size to be stabilized. I don't stabilize ironwood though. I don't know about this Holly wood but doesn't sound like a good candidate for a gunstock. I wouldn't do it unless you really need to create some nostalgic piece for some reason.
A shortcut to this drying and we have used it on walnut is to soak in polyethelene glycol for several weeks and then make your own kiln. We got suitable walnut in 4 months this way with no checking.
Some stuff turns out better than others. I live in a climate that is about as dry as you are going to find in North America. Cut to suitable boards, I still need 2 full years for most everthing and 3 is better with Ironwood (very resinous). There is a special wax you can coat the end grain with and then it is stacked in the attic or somewhere that it won't get wet.
Most of the stuff I use has to be sent in after it is cut to final size to be stabilized. I don't stabilize ironwood though. I don't know about this Holly wood but doesn't sound like a good candidate for a gunstock. I wouldn't do it unless you really need to create some nostalgic piece for some reason.
A shortcut to this drying and we have used it on walnut is to soak in polyethelene glycol for several weeks and then make your own kiln. We got suitable walnut in 4 months this way with no checking.
M
mks
Guest
All this talk about air drying for years is missing an important point. Holly is not like other woods. To avoid staining and keep its unique light color, holly must be dried very quickly. Again, I don't have personal experience with it, but the recommendations are not only to kiln dry, but to use a vacuum kiln, which sucks the moisture out more quickly than a regular kiln. In addition, they say that the tree should be cut only in the winter and the boards should be in the kiln within days. It may already be too late for this.
Cheers,
Keith
Cheers,
Keith