Black acacia for gunstocks?

efiles123

Inactive
Has anyone ever heard of or seen a black acacia gunstock. I had some black acacia logs delivered to my sawmill about a year ago and I just start milling it with excellent results. I've already milled some a fire place mantel and some other slabs that hopefully can be marketed as gunstock blanks. Any input is appreciated.
 
Sounds like quite a process, maybe ill just stick to selling raw slabs. Except for the damaged pieces could be cut down into what may eventually be a gunstock blank.
 
Not sure yet, it's kinda hard to figure price at this point. I think I might post a blank on gun broker and ebay to get an idea on what this stuff is worth. I'll keep this thread updated.
 
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[/URL][/IMG]Here's some pics of acacia that I just pulled off the mill yesterday.

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They don't look wide enough? 2-1/4" minimum needed (usually).

As mentioned, blanks are slowly air-dried, end grain sealed (waxed) to help "even" the drying of the blank. If this isn't done, or if the blank isn't dry enough, it can warp/twist later. It needs to be "stable" with temp/humidity changes.

No expert here (I buy only seasoned blanks for my stocks), but those large cracks look problematic. Perhaps caused by uneven or too rapid drying of the slab.

Wood grain needs to flow in the direction of the wrist when laying out out the pattern.
 
The thinnest one is 2.5" thick. I figured I'd sell a few wet for a discounted price along with the fact some do have some cracks. I think the cracks can easily be avoided considering the size of the slabs. These slabs are much wider than the average gunstock blank.

Not sure if it's against the rules but I'm willing to post links of me ebay ads for those interested and would like more detailed info. Or PM me.
 
Wood should dry (air dry) for about one year per inch of thickness. You can buy a moisture meter to measure how dry the wood is now and at times in the future. A good moisture meter is kind of expensive. I have a cheap one.

I'd be pretty tempted to trim off the end with the splits and then seal the end with wax or some other sealer (paint will usually work, but make sure you get enough on there. That'll let the wood all dry at the same rate, which should eliminate more end splits. It might still warp or twist as it dries, but that isn't necessarily a deal killer on later use. Make sure that as it dries, air can get to both sides equally.

And...if you're just in a hurry to make that stock, you can google up how to build and use a home-made drying kiln. And then you will need the moisture meter.
 
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