CR1 0 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 I'm going to make a butt stock for my 16" Saiga .308 out of some really nicely grained while oak I got ahold of. Despite some people saying that oak sucks for rifle stocks, I'm still going to make the stock out of the oak. It has a good long straight grain with no inconsistencies of any kind. I heard that white oak can corrode with long-term contact with ferrous metals, so on the parts where wood meets metal I'm going to put on some thick enamel. I'm not particularly concerned with making it thin or pretty; just thick, heavy, and strong. I want the wood to balance the heavy barrel of the .308. I have pretty much zero experience with wood working, but my roommate makes chess sets, so he's going to do the more precise workings on it so that I don't destroy the wood. What do ya'll recommend I do to this piece of wood in terms of staining and finishing and all that jazz? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rd99fxdl 17 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Sounds cool.I made some stocks out of maple and they work jet fine. With the oak I wouldnt do anything more than put some poly on it to seal the wood and keep it natural. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
railman1 0 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 With no comment as to the suitability of oak for gun stocks..Something to consider..Most oak shrinks..a lot..You might want to let it shrink awhile before finishing it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
monomonk 0 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 White oak is known as a dense wood that resists water infiltration and rot, in contrast to red oak, which has hollow cells which absorb liquid. Monomonk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CR1 0 Posted January 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 I imagine that the density and water resistance of white oak will make it not shrink very much; hopefully I'm right. I'll know how this project works out in about three weeks. And sharps, what is the suitability of oak for gun stocks? White oak specifically, it's almost worlds away from red oak. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scoutjoe 276 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 CR1, You're oak is dried right? As in like a year's worth of drying..... Sounds like a stupid question I'm sure but just trying to help ya with the shrinkage... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CR1 0 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 The piece looks like it's a couple of years old, maybe 3 or 4 years. It's pretty pale, doesn't feel moist at all, and one of the edges that was cut kinda unevenly has some flaking. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BattleRifleG3 16 Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 The warpage of any material is proportional to its thickness, even if inletted seriously. The multi-piece sets of AKs, including Saigas, make this less of an issue. The general crudeness of the AK even more so. I make stocks out of oak all the time. Used to use while oak because it was supposedly stronger, but it's cracked on me much more than red oak. I recommend a heavy sealing finish. Hard to get a clear polyurethane finish (it's a little bit yellow by nature), but a red tinted finish would probably turn out well. Polycrilic can be clear but doesn't take moisture as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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