I’ve had several inquiries regarding the process of my stock build. Since I recorded the process with photos, I thought I’d share it here.  

First, I bought the straightest 1x6 of hardwood I could find at Home Depot.  In this case it was red oak.  There are better choices, but this is what I used and it seems to be just fine as long as it stays dry.  I cut the 8’ board into three equal pieces and laminated them together.



I let it dry for about 30 hrs., unclamped it, and cleaned up both long edges with a table saw. Next, I traced the outer contour of my McMillan stock from my Savage .308 onto tracing paper with a pencil and changed the top line to accommodate the 10/22 receiver. I also added the little hook on the butt stock for prone position shooting. (Honestly, if I could afford it, I would have just bought a McMillan A5, but I had more time than money).   Then I cut out the shape and tacked it into position on my laminated hunk of oak with tiny bits of masking tape and re-traced the shape onto the wood.



A band saw would best to cut out the contour, but the closest I could get was a “borrowed” sawzall.  (I actually sneaked it home from work one day while my boss was out of town, but I brought it back when I was through).  I drilled some 1-1/4” holes in the wood in the sharp corners for starting points and relief spots.




Then I cut the rest of the shape with the sawzall.  Here’s where I got caught up in the project and forgot to take some pictures, but next I channeled out the top to make room for the receiver and barrel. I took precise measurements with a micrometer and tried to copy the exact dimensions of the original 10/22 stock channel, oversized for the barrel of course, to accommodate the bull barrel.  With a straight edge, a sharp pencil and a router, I routed out the stock from the top plane to fit the action and the barrel.  

This part gets a bit squirrelly. One of those wooded vise-top tables would have been a great help, but I had to improvise.  For router guides, I used scrap strips of ¼” thick plywood.  I had no table vise, so I sandwiched the rough-cut stock between 2 triangular pieces of drop 2x4 (notched out at the center of the 45 degree cut line) with a C-clamp. (Actually 4 corners of 2x4 and 2 C-clamps)  Then I nailed down 2 strips of plywood flush with the top plane on both sides of the rough-cut stock.  With additional straight cut strips of ¼” plywood and some finishing nails, I had my router guides.




Some minor Dremmel tooling and sanding and the barreled action made a decent fit.




Next I filed and sanded to round out and finish the feel of the stock.



Ready for texture.




Next, I used sandable auto primer to fill in low spots from wood grain and large pores, then hand sanded to smooth out the whole surface.  After that, using masking tape, I masked off the areas that I wanted to be textured and cleaned up the lines with an exacto knife.  I mixed up some fiberglass resin, applied to the texture areas, then quickly spread sawdust into the wet resin and hand patted the areas with latex gloves on.  When it looked right, I let the resin set up completely hard.





After the resin set up, I sanded off the sharp edges until it looked and felt right.



Next, I primed the entire stock with 3 coats inside and out to seal the wood. I also primed the empty receiver, barrel, and trigger housing.



I laid on some Krylon flat camo green, reassembled, and my first stock build and my first custom 10/22 was complete.  I bedded the entire length of the action and the first 1” of the barrel with fiberglass resin.

Awesome! Looks like you based it off McMillan's A2's fore-end and the A5's butt-end/hook.

Very nice!

That's great!  Thanks for the write up.

my friend, that is BADASS!!!! you did a very good job.  if i had a stock to trace, i might would make one when i get home.

great work!

how much do you charge?

Originally Posted By hapi: great work! how much do you charge?

+100!

I have nowhere near the talent required for something like this, but I love that style.

Something like that with my MK II would be just the ticket!

Wow!

Like it a lot, looks like a super good job.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the compliments!  

As far making more for sale, that may be an option if I can do enough to buy the proper tools.  I'm just trying to start my own Art/Blacksmith business, so my wood tools are limited.  My specialty is metal, but I would love to do something that relates to our  shooting sports community.  I'll do some research and figuring and see what I might be able to do.

itgoesboom---I have no MKII for reference, but I know I could do it.

Thanks again,
Chris

Originally Posted By cwa11is: Thanks for the compliments!   As far making more for sale, that may be an option if I can do enough to buy the proper tools.  I'm just trying to start my own Art/Blacksmith business, so my wood tools are limited.  My specialty is metal, but I would love to do something that relates to our  shooting sports community.  I'll do some research and figuring and see what I might be able to do. itgoesboom---I have no MKII for reference, but I know I could do it. Thanks again, Chris

That is extremely well done. Out of curiousity how many hours do you have into it?(lumped together as you probably didnt do it strait through)

That is very nice.

Out of curiousity how many hours do you have into it?(lumped together as you probably didnt do it strait through)

This one took about a month in my spare time after work while in a regular time card punching job, but I only built it for my personal use and I had to think and improvise every step. Reproduction was not on my mind at all.  If I was getting paid by the hour, I probably would have been able to buy 3 real A5's. I do know that it would be much quicker to do another one, even quicker to build several at the same time.

Depending on price...I want one.

Sharpen your pencil......I know you could sell a few right here on ARF......

Nice.

As a guy who has done " A few" projects you did a fantastic job....

wow..just wow....excellent job

that looks great. Its giving me ideas right now.  I was going to work on the stock my 597 came with, but starting from a fresh blank would give me exactly what I want.

GREAT JOB!

great job!

That's wild, great job!!

I enjoy reading and seeing peoples work that have true life skills.  Great job!

job well done, looks great

Originally Posted By cwa11is: itgoesboom---I have no MKII for reference, but I know I could do it. Thanks again, Chris

I have no doubt that you could!  

I bet you could sell a few of them as well.  

Wow that looks nice!

Um, wow, I wish I had skill like that.

I can get the wood.
I have a router.
I have a table saw
I have clamps

I need a drill press
I need a band saw
I need skill.

Did you just use normal wood glue?

Hardwarz

I vote for a tack on this one.

wow, that is awesome.

Beautiful work!

I'm curious to how much you would charge because that looks like alot of work but my god did you do a great job man. I want another .22 but i somewhat HATE the stocks of most .22s out there. Just curious, do you know what you would charge?

You did an outstanding job.  That is an incredible stock.

         Great job! What did you use for the but and the adjustable cheek piece? how much did they cost?

WOW! THat's a sharp looking stock; that would motivate me into buying a 10/22. Very nice work. TAGGED.

That's a sweet stock you built.  The weight of the oak will make a great shooter from a bench.

Actually, what would be great is if you could sell the full size tracings of the top view and side view.

Hardwarz

H-O-L-Y shiz-ite, that it BAD ASS.


A big fat thumbs up for you.

Nice job. 10/10

height=8

how much do you charge?

First let me reiterate that I'm not in the business of making stocks or woodworking at all.  I just like to make things I want when  I can't afford the real thing. I would be happy to provide a product that other shooters would appreciate, but it would cost me quite a bit to get set up.  I crunched some numbers I would need $125 per stock if I had 10 or more to do.  That would be only for 10/22 actions with bull barrels and include only the wood and fiberglass texture and hardware holes---not the cheek piece or buttplate.  I would seal it with primer and let you paint it yourself.  Let me tell you, that price does not include any cash profit for me.  I would just be working for the tools.  I know that is steep and I don't expect any orders, but thanks again for all your compliments.



height=8

Actually, what would be great is if you could sell the full size tracings of the top view and side view.

That's not a bad idea actually.  I'll think about that.  




height=8

What did you use for the but and the adjustable cheek piece? how much did they cost?

The cheek piece is straight off my A2 that my Savage .308 sits in.  It was $109 from McMillan.  The butt plate is a Morgan adj. from Brownells's $40.

WELL DONE:

All I can say is wow.  Thanks for the guide!

I would kill for that stock for my savage mkII lol.

Thats great, good work  now I have to try my own.

That is very cool looking.

You got skills

i wanted to bump this to keep it out of the abyss. i feel it is a good tutorial for those who have the tools.  

Originally Posted By cwa11is: how much do you charge? First let me reiterate that I'm not in the business of making stocks or woodworking at all.  I just like to make things I want when  I can't afford the real thing. I would be happy to provide a product that other shooters would appreciate, but it would cost me quite a bit to get set up.  I crunched some numbers I would need $125 per stock if I had 10 or more to do.  That would be only for 10/22 actions with bull barrels and include only the wood and fiberglass texture and hardware holes---not the cheek piece or buttplate.  I would seal it with primer and let you paint it yourself.  Let me tell you, that price does not include any cash profit for me.  I would just be working for the tools.  I know that is steep and I don't expect any orders, but thanks again for all your compliments.

Start a list of people. I would gladly give you $125 to help get the tools. After the first set of ten, then you would have all of the tools and start making some money for yourself. Most businesses lose money at the beginning while they are acquring equipment. Sometimes it takes years to make a profit, but you will break even with the first round of stocks. PM me if this sounds good. I honestly think that if you charged $125 per stock you could sell a lot of them. Then maybe add the buttplate and cheekpiece as options for additional $$?

Originally Posted By azoutdoorsman: Originally Posted By cwa11is: how much do you charge? First let me reiterate that I'm not in the business of making stocks or woodworking at all.  I just like to make things I want when  I can't afford the real thing. I would be happy to provide a product that other shooters would appreciate, but it would cost me quite a bit to get set up.  I crunched some numbers I would need $125 per stock if I had 10 or more to do.  That would be only for 10/22 actions with bull barrels and include only the wood and fiberglass texture and hardware holes---not the cheek piece or buttplate.  I would seal it with primer and let you paint it yourself.  Let me tell you, that price does not include any cash profit for me.  I would just be working for the tools.  I know that is steep and I don't expect any orders, but thanks again for all your compliments. Start a list of people. I would gladly give you $125 to help get the tools. After the first set of ten, then you would have all of the tools and start making some money for yourself. Most businesses lose money at the beginning while they are acquring equipment. Sometimes it takes years to make a profit, but you will break even with the first round of stocks. PM me if this sounds good. I honestly think that if you charged $125 per stock you could sell a lot of them. Then maybe add the buttplate and cheekpiece as options for additional $$?

i'd also chip in a hundred or two to help get the project going, if cwa11is was interested. i would not expect anything in return, save for the ability to purchase a few stocks.  i always wanted to be a venture capitalist

cwa11is you did a great job building your stock.


For those who are interested in building your own stock you should check out Rimfire Central. They have a stock building and finishing forum. Here is a tutorial on how to build a stock.

Very nice.  I am sure you could find quite a few customers wanting to integrate specific features of different stocks into one package.  Don't let that talent go to waste!

great photos

Sexy!