Stock carvin'

[pgritty]

Decided to try my hand at wood carving a stock. Have a classic Benjamin 312 started. So far it has stars, an air pistol, a 312, Elvis, and the beginning of a Bowie knife.
Pat

[pgritty]

Alright, I'm kidding. Got a basket case 312 in a three gun deal at a pawn shop. The stock had these carvings on it already. The barrel is separated, the pump arm rivet replaced with a bolt (that had broken the pump tube) screws and pin missing from the front end. I didn't even want it in the deal but basically got it free. The stock looked like it had been dipped in the same stuff the Chinese use for the old b3.  That has been stripped. Trying to decide if it can be refinished or just put it on ebay as an oddity?
To the 21 folks that had viewed this post previously, you are good folks to not beat me up for "my" wood carving skills. Hopefully it was a kid back in the day working on this stock.
Thanks,
Pat

[DanD]

I think you should keep the Elvis.

[Insanity]

I was definitely exercising if you aint got anything nice to say lol.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I was definitely exercising if you aint got anything nice to say lol.

I had a "don't quit your day job" ready to go.

[RBQChicken]

You had us going there, Pat!  I thought "I hope Marty doesn't show him his carvings, he'll feel pretty foolish!

[pgritty]

Well good, it was taken in the right spirit. Thanks guys. Now maybe some of the experts will chime in about what to do with this stock. Carvings are probably an eight of an inch deep. Not sure if it will make big difference in the shape of the stock. Would look better without the carvings.

Except the Elvis, it's pretty cool.Lol
Pat

[BrushPopper]

I’d just sand it all out and oil it.
There’s good Missouri walnut under there

[Dave S]

Steam out grooves with a boiling tea kettle which will swell and raise the wood grain. Sand, and repeat steaming and sanding as needed. Takes time and patience! I've steamed out some pretty deep gashes in several stocks over the years. The last one I recall doing was a beautiful (rare) blonde stock on a Rugar Mini-14 that came out of Leavenworth Prison. It had four LARGE dark numbers deeply stamped  towards the rear of the stock. When finished, you would never know they were ever there. Time and patience! Dave

[pgritty]

Thanks for the advice. I have a few irons in the fire right now but I will follow up after redoing the stock.
Pat

[avator]

I don't know about that... I would be afraid that I'm tampering with evidence. The previous owner was obviously an Elivs impersonator assassin with several confirmed kills notched into the stock.

[zielvier]

If you need some inspiration 

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=101545.msg954250#msg954250

good luck, Jochen

[avator]

I really envy guys that can do carvings like the ones linked to here. I would think a good artist has the ability to imagine the finished image right from the beginning. I've never been able to do that.... even in 2D. Carving adds another dimension.
I can go to a county fair and watch the guy that draws, the guy that makes signs with a router or the guy that does chainsaw carvings for hours. That to me is worth the price of admission alone.

[pgritty]

I don't know about that... I would be afraid that I'm tampering with evidence. The previous owner was obviously an Elivs impersonator assassin with several confirmed kills notched into the stock.

If those stars represent kills I'm a dead man already.

Spooked me when my thread was missing. I was worried that I had messed up, makes more sense over here.
I don't think anyone has to worry about me really carving a stock, lack of talent in that regard. I don't have to many concerns about trying to refinish a stock though.
Pat

[avator]

Yeah.... I think that barrel separation is a much bigger issue anyhow.

[pgritty]

Finally got around to sanding the stock down. It is a nice piece of walnut. Have couple of coats of blo worked in with some 400 grit sandpaper. I think it's going to turn out nice, if I do say so myself.
Pat

[Insanity]

I like how it is darker now.