Post
by essdee1972 » Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:37 am
Harsh, it is very easy, as Grumpy & Mark say above, to ruin a piece of wood by amateur checkering. I've been there, done that (thankfully not on a stock).
Initially, you can just sand (go upto 2000 grit if not finer), use a wood stain (walnut or something else as per your preference), then oil polish. Just as per Mack's post referenced above. That itself will give a great change from the factory slap-on varnish. I have seen Briha ji's customised IHP "Samurai". The stock finish is to die for! I had also done up my old SDB, but the wood wasn't as good as IHP, hence the results, while a huge improvement, weren't as spectacular.
For a new stock, go for a wood carver rather than carpenter. Depending on where in the country you are based, the availability of skilled woodworkers goes up & down like the stock market. In Mumbai, for example, the majority of carpenters have forgotten to work with wood, and can only do right-angled furniture with plywood and blockboard. I asked my carpenter to copy the stock of my Precihole Orion in wood. He took some measurements, shook his head, and is still (6 months later) searching for a guy to do it! Also, be warned, the new stock might cost more than the original AR itself.
Now get the elbow grease out!
Cheers!
EssDee
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