# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  DIY Carbon Fiber Rifle Stock

## Robojaz

A while back I purchased a second hand Savage Model 110 chambered in 30-06. It was and is a perfectly functional rifle and after a bit of load development manged to get shooting well with a diet of 150gr SSTs I had left over from another project.

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After using the rifle successfully on a number of trips I developed a niggling annoyance at the shape and balance of the stock, it just didnt feel right. The last straw for me was after a trip to Stewart Island where the rifle got fairly wet, I noticed on return that the rifles point of impact has shifted. Probably due to swelling and contracting of the wooden stock. It was time for a new stock, preferably in Carbon Fibre.


After a bit of online research it became apparent that getting a Carbon Fibre stock for a Savage in NZ was near impossible and the thought of trying to import one with all the recent issues, was not appealing.

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So after a lot of research, looking at youtube, other forum sites and getting advice from members on this forum I decided to have a go at making my own Carbon Fibre stock. I did notice that there was very little in the way of instructions / guides on how to go about this.


Now I am far from any expert and this is my first time ever doing anything with Fiberglass or Carbon Fibre, but I thought I would document what I did, warts and all for others to use who are wanting to make their own stocks.

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Due to the cost of Carbon Fibre and the fact that I was highly likely to make some F ups along the way I decided to make a Fiberglass stock first before attempting Carbon Fibre.

*This is the result of my attempt at a Fibreglass stock., still needs a little bit of cleaning up.




More to follow on the how:

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## Robojaz



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## gonetropo

ask "Stug" on the forum, seen a few of his stocks (dont own one) nicely made

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## Robojaz

> ask "Stug" on the forum, seen a few of his stocks (dont own one) nicely made


Agree STUG's are very nicely made, he was the first person I asked, but is no longer making them.

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## Robojaz

FIRST STAGE CARVE THE PLUG


Now having only the one stock for a Savage rifle and no easy way to get a replacement if I destroyed it in the process, I made the decision to make a new rifle stock ‘plug’ from some ply I had lying around at home. I chose the ply as it was dry and less prone to warping.* If it had been a Remington 700 or a Tikka I wouldn't have been too fussed as replacement stocks are easily found for them in NZ.

The first step was to strip down and measure the rifle followed by tracing the factory stock outline on a piece of corflute. The key here was to ensure I had the correct shape and contour where the action and rear tang fit into the stock. From here it was a simple matter of drawing in the shape I wanted the stock to be. And transposing onto the ply.








I was after a more vertical pistol grip, a straight buttstock that was in line with the rifle bore and a slightly longer and beaver tailed fore-end. I used some other rifle stocks I had at home to trace out some shapes.

The next step was to laboriously carve out the ply to the shape and length of pull I wanted making sure I retained the original stocks upper rear tang shape and depth to accommodate action, blind magazine and bottom metal/trigger guard.

I used an acrylic primer filler and satin finish topcoat to seal the finished plug. The main problems I had in this stage was keeping track of where the centreline of the plug was so that I ended up with a symmetrical shape with no potential traps/overhangs to create the mold on. The last thing I wanted was to have the plug trapped in the mold.

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More to follow.

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## Stocky

Nice mate looking forward to seeing more.

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## stug

Seeing as I have stopped making them I am happy to answer any questions etc. Plug looks good though.

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## stug

NZ Fibreglass is a good source of carbon fibre. I used 200gsm plain weave. You need about 1 m for a stock if you do 4 layers of carbon fibre.

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## mopheadrob

> The main problems I had in this stage was keeping track of where the centreline of the plug was so that I ended up with a symmetrical shape with no potential traps/overhangs to create the mold on. The last thing I wanted was to have the plug trapped in the mold.


An idea for next time - I imagine you laminated up more than one piece of ply to get the total thickness you were after. Sandwich a piece of coloured paper or fabric in the middle, or mix some acrylic paint through the PVA glue so there's always a line no matter what you sand away.

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## Robojaz

> An idea for next time - I imagine you laminated up more than one piece of ply to get the total thickness you were after. Sandwich a piece of coloured paper or fabric in the middle, or mix some acrylic paint through the PVA glue so there's always a line no matter what you sand away.


Great idea, will remember that one for the future.

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## Remmodel7

Following this with interest. Looking at doing the same in the near future
Agree not much info out there on making them.

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## takbok

@Robojaz pm me if you want to share some info. I found some of Stug's instructions online a few years back and made myself a nice fibreglass stock and have done a few CF attempts and finally figured out how to mould CF nicely with vacuum bagging.

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## Robojaz

> @Robojaz pm me if you want to share some info. I found some of Stug's instructions online a few years back and made myself a nice fibreglass stock and have done a few CF attempts and finally figured out how to mould CF nicely with vacuum bagging.



That would be great, will PM later on this arvo.

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## Robojaz

Apologies guys this next post is going to be quite long.

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## Robojaz

MAKING THE MOLD

Up until this stage I was fairly comfortable with what I had to do and how to proceed, from here I was in unfamiliar territory. Consequently, I sought advice and received some very good guidance from both STUG and especially FISHERMAN from this forum, I would now like to take the opportunity to acknowledge both of them.

The next step after having made the plug was to make a mold using the plug I had designed. The advice and research I got was to use a Tooling Gelcoat and Polyester resin with chopped strand Fiberglass matting and for the construction of my mold. (Note: I used epoxy resin for the construction of the rifle stock)

Now experts please feel free to correct me if I am wrong,

Gelcoat produces a hard wearing smooth surface that is suited to the rigors a mold is put under, and
Polyester resin works best with Fiberglass chopped strand matting which in turn is easier to mold around complex curves.

I ordered the Fibreglass and resins:

4 litres Polyester Resin / hardener
1 litre Tooling Gelcoat / hardener
3 metres of 200g Fibreglass cloth
3 metres of chopped strand mat
1 litre bag of West system 411 microsphere filler
1 litre of PVA release agent

While waiting for the resins/fiberglass to turn up I proceeded to make the parting board that I would use to make the first half of the mold.

I used a sheet of MDF and cut out an outline of the plug and then sealed it with acrylic primer and satin top coat to produce a smooth finish that would serve as the base of my mold half.







The next step was to set the plug into the parting board so that its centreline from fore-end to butt-stock lined up with the top surface of the parting board. To be honest I found this part an absolute pain in the ass. I eventually used small pins tacked into the plug to hold it in place while I used plasticine to seal the gap between the plug and parting board. (I used plasticine as I did not have any filleting wax)



It is important to get the parting board / plasticine / plug join as smooth as possible as this will be transposed onto the mold. I drilled six 12 mm shallow indents into the parting board (corners and middle) to act as indexing studs once the 2 mold halves were made. These would ensure that the 2 halves would come together perfectly during the stock making stage.

Once I was satisfied that the plug was in the correct place in the parting board I applied 4 coats of carnuba car wax on the plug and parting board letting each layer dry to a haze before buffing off. I then applied a light mist coat of PVA release agent and let it dry before applying an additional two heavy coats allowing to dry between coats.



Now I dont have an air spray gun system, but I did find a PREVAL portable sprayer for about $15 from Supercheap Auto which I used to apply the PVA release agent.




The resins / fiberglass had arrived and it was time to make the first half of the mold. Now I cant stress enough to do your prep BEFORE you mix any resin. I learned the hard way ending up with
considerable more mess that required.

So,
Have plenty of rubber gloves available, I threw them out as they became too messy.

Have a quantity of popsicle sticks on hand to use for mixing resin and poking fiberglass into place.

I used disposable paper cups/bowls to mix my resin in.

Use a ground sheet to catch any spills

Use a respirator, polyester resin stinks and I mean really stinks the fumes are nasty.

I also used eye protection.

Have a few paint brushes (25  50mm) on hand I threw them out as I went along.

Use acetone to clean up

A measuring jug to measure quantities of resin / hardener (I measure each in separate containers and then poured both into mixing bowl.

Layout and pre-cut all your fibreglass to the right dimensions, use the plug as a guide. Ensure you leave extra around the edges (I used 25mm as a guide) I initially started with large cut out pieces covering the whole mold but very quickly realised that
these were unmanageable and ran the risk of creating bridges /air pockets within the layup. I had to cut them down into more manageable sizes and overlap midway through my layup resulting in bloody annoying balls of sticky fibre on the end of my fingers (rubber gloves)

Thats all I can remember for now, I am sure others can provide further preparation advice.

Prep completed, I applied two thick coats of tooling gelcoat allowing to tack off in between. The ratios of hardener will be on the Gelcoat container. The best method would be to spray the gelcoat to get an even layer, but as I did not have this I used a sponge foam paint brush. If using a standard paint brush you run the risk of getting brush hairs stuck in the gelcoat. It is important to get the best coating you can avoiding risk of air bubbles, as this is going to be your mold surface. Any imperfections here will be transferred to you rifle stock.

While the second coat was tacking off I mixed a compound of polyester resin and microsphere filler to a toothpaste consistency and applied it to the mold (once Gelcoat had tacked off) in order to smooth out the sharp corners where the plug meets the parting board. This helps the layup of Fibreglass as it doesnt like to go around sharp complex corners.

Next was the application of the Fibreglass. Once the filler had tacked off. I mixed a batch of polyester resin and applied a coating on top of the gelcoat / filler surface ensuring I wetted out the entire surface of the plug and parting board. On top of this I gently pressed down my first layer of fiberglass 200g cloth and pressed into place with more resin using a dabbing motion with a paintbrush. It is important to note that you must ensure you wet-out each layer before applying the next. You can see this as the fibreglass goes from a white colour to slightly transparent. I ensured I overlapped the pieces and had a minimum 25mm overhang over the edges of the parting board.

I repeated this with 3 more layers of chopped strand matting and a final layer of 200g cloth resulting in 5 layers in total. (using a mix of cloth and chopped strand was my idea, I am sure that there are many other effective combinations) I also bedded in a couple of strips of metal channel to stiffen up the mold. Was this a bit of overkill? I dont know, I just wanted to make sure that my mold was going to be robust.



The first half of the mold was complete and left to harden for 24 hrs.

The next step was to trim the overhanging edges of fiberglass to the parting board (I used a dremmel with a cutting blade) I flipped the whole thing over so the bottom of the parting board was facing up and CAREFULLY pried (with a plastic ruler and wedge) the parting board off the fiberglass mold keeping pressure down on the plug. The aim here is to get the parting board off the mold whilst LEAVING THE PLUG IN THE MOLD.



With the parting board removed I cleaned up all the leftover plasticine, and washed off the old PVA release agent with a damp cloth. I also cleaned up the indexing studs created by the holes I drilled into the parting board. More coats of wax and PVA release agent were reapplied to the plug and new mold surface as well as a 10mm strip of masking tape (2 layers) along the outer edge of the mold to create a thin gap enabling the 2 mold halves to be prised apart when completed.

It was then a case of applying Gelcoat, filler and Fiberglass as per the first mold half and leaving 24hrs to harden.

The second mold half was trimmed to the edges of the first mold half whilst still stuck together and then the 2 halves were CAREFULLY prised apart.

Once apart I had one half of the mold with the plug still in it and the other not. I carefully removed the plug (Noting the mold halves had not yet reached their full hardness) cleaned up the molds removing any sharp edges with 2000 grit sand paper and set aside for 2 weeks to fully cure and harden.




A great sigh of relief was had at this stage.


More to follow.

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## Robojaz

not sure why some of the photos came out sideways

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## Trigger

@Robojaz good effort mate and very informative post for the budding DIY-ers out there. I'm imagining a carbon fibre repro of a K98 stock will be a fun project.

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## Robojaz

> @Robojaz good effort mate and very informative post for the budding DIY-ers out there. I'm imagining a carbon fibre repro of a K98 stock will be a fun project.


Well that would be challenge, all those intricate parts and potential traps.. trick would be to find a donor stock to mold off.

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## overflow50

@Robojaz Looks great. 
I have been considering laying up a carbon stock and its awesome to see how someone else is doing it step by step. Thanks.

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## southpaw

<subscribe> ....

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## Micky Duck

heck I wouldve been more than happy with the plywood/laminate one you made to begin with.....great thread to be following.

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## Robojaz

Another long post...

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## Robojaz

FIRST GO AT A FIBERGLASS STOCK

With the mold complete it was now time to bite the bullet and have a go at making my first rifle stock. As I previously mentioned I had decided that I would make my first stock from Fibreglass as it is cheaper than Carbon Fiber, knowing I would probably make a few F ups along the way.

I still had enough 200g Fiberglass cloth leftover from the mold, so all I had to order was some epoxy resin, microfibre filler ( for the inletting) and some black epoxy tint. (I prefer  black inletting to white)

I ordered the following:

1 litre West Systems 105 resin,

200ml 206 Hardener, and

4 litres of  413 Microfibre filler (more than I needed but I figure I would eventually use it)

The prep was the same for the mold making, lay out and precut all Fibreglass, have brushes, popsicle sticks and  gloves all handy to reach...etc. (This time I did not use a respirator as epoxy resin does not smell as bad as Polyester resin.)

Once everything was laid out and ready, I applied 4 coats of carnuba car wax on both mold halves letting each layer dry to a haze before buffing off. I then applied a light mist coat of PVA release agent and let it dry before applying an additional two heavy coats allowing to dry between coats.

The next step was to mix up a batch of epoxy resin with a small blob of black epoxy tint. I have to admit I made my first F-up here in that I mixed up way too much resin, I thought I would be able to get through both mold halves within the 20-25 min tack off time. Well I was way wrong on that count and ended up having to waste a bit of resin as it tacked off before I could use it.

Back to the process, I painted a thick coat of resin onto the first mold half (only within the stock depression)  ensuring I got into all areas. It was then a matter of laying down my first layer of Fiberglass cloth and wetting it out, ensuring it conformed to all the curves of the stock without any air gaps and bridging between high points. the Pistol grip area was particularly difficult and time consuming. 





A point to note,  my first layer was one piece covering the whole stock. I chose to do this as I wanted to practice in preparation for when I make a carbon fibre stock. Once I was satisfied that the first layer was down correctly and wetted out, I applied another coat of resin and a second layer of Fiberglass  was applied in 3 pieces. Fore-end, pistol grip and butstock. I ensured that these all overlapped at least 50mm and were completely wetted out. (splitting the layer into 3 made it so much easier to manipulate)

Taking my time, mixing small batches of resin (with black tint) as I needed it, I completed another 2 layers for a total of 4. Note, I used a 25mm paint brush to apply the resin and a small metal roller to remove air bubbles.

Setting aside the first mold half I did the exact same with the second mold half.

Once the layups had tacked off and gone “green” I used a razor blade to trim the excess fiberglass sticking up from the mold back to the stock line. Now here I made my second F-up. In my haste to trim the excess I cut it too soon, before it had fully tacked off which I was to discover later introduced air bubbles (which became gaps)  along the join line of the two mold halves. The timing here is critical to a good finish, too soon and you get air bubbles, too late when it is hardened, you have to cut with a dremel or similar which runs the risk of damaging your molds.





Both layups now trimmed, I made a mix of resin, tint and microfibre filler to a toothpaste consistency and made small reinforced built up tabs that I would later use to glue the two halves together. I also reinforce the pistol grip and rear tang area. 

The layups were now left to harden for 48 hours.

The next step in the process was to clean/rough up the bonding surfaces with a fine grit sandpaper taking care to not damage the mold surfaces. (Note: the layups are left in the molds) It is also important to clean up any drips that may have landed on the flat mold surfaces as these will interfere when you join the two halves together. Ensure you wax/apply release agent to any spots you may have inadvertently exposed. (be careful not to get any on the layup itself)

I then made a wet mix of resin, black tint and microfibre filler (similar consistency to honey). Using a 10ml syringe (no needle) I applied a fine bead of resin to the stock outline (joining edges) including the tabs I had made previously on both halves. I let the bead sit for about 10-15mins to slightly tack off and then carefully pressed the two halves together using the indexing studs on the mold. It is important that you are very accurate here so as to not smear the beads. Keep pressure on the halves to avoid any suck back and introduction of air and tightly clamp the mold halves together. 



Now I did an extra step prior to joining the halves, which in retrospect was probably unnecessary. right before joining the two halves I mixed a runny resin/tint and poured it into the bottom layup. The idea being that when I clamped the two halves together and placed them upright the resin would flow down into  the bottom join creating a better bond. it did just that but I wonder now if it was really necessary.

After another 48hs to harden, I carefully pulled the two mold halves apart using a plastic ruler and wedge. (This where the recess I created in the mold using masking tape helped) After a bit of gentle persuasion the Fibreglass rifle stock popped out of the molds. 

As mentioned earlier, this is where I discovered the air bubbles I created during trimming. I was a bit disappointed, managed to rectify the problem with a bit of resin / filler and a light sanding. As my intent was to paint the stock I was ok with it. 

The next step was to cut out the barrel channel, action and rear tang areas, ensuring that I had a nice clean edge along the action, and clearance for the floated barrel. I also cut out the area for the bottom metal. The dremel with a cutting blade was perfect for this. 

It was now time to figure out how to do the inletting. As there was little information out there on how others had done this, I decided to treat it like a full action bedding job. I have successfully bedded a fair few rifles in the past and was comfortable with how to do this. I wasn't until recently that I discovered that others have used a process of making a silicone mold of the action area of their original stocks to form the bedding.

Anyway, I proceeded to plasticine off the areas I did not want to fill. I created aluminium pillars out of some 10mm tube, roughing up the outside to get a good mechanical bond. I also made up a small aluminum block out of some bent up channeling to provide reinforcing around the actions recoil lug. As for normal bedding jobs the action was stripped down and tape was applied to the non bedding surfaces. I used shoe polish as a release agent and set the prepped barreled action aside.

A mix of resin, tint and microfibre filler (to a honey consistency) was then pouring into the stock and the action was pressed down into the stock using cut-off threaded rod and tape ferrels as a guide. The action was tied down to the stock with some bicycle tube and left to set for 48 hours.





After the bedding had set the barreled action was removed from the stock and I used a dremel and fine sandpaper to clean up any sharp edges.

The next step was to fit a limbsaver recoil pad, and sling swivel studs. I used a thin piece of ply epoxied into the butt to fix the limbsaver to, and some epoxy to secure the sling swivel nuts on the inside of the stock.

I chose not to fill the barrel channel. the stock was extremely stiff and I deemed filling the barrel channel an unnecessary addition of weight. Due to my excessive overengineering  of the stock it was heavy enough as it was.

The final step was to paint the stock. I used an acrylic primer filler to coat the stock and then consecutive coats of Rustoleum matt paint to cover and seal the paint job. 









Well this is as far as I have gone to date. The stock is a bit heavier than I wanted but now I have a good ideas of how I will do things differently to save weight and make a stock from Carbon Fibre.


I hope to start my first carbon fiber stock within the next couple of weeks. I will document that here as well.

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## Micky Duck

plurry great job......pretty sure you will flick that fibreglass stock off no trouble to offset a few of your costs.

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## Robojaz

> plurry great job......pretty sure you will flick that fibreglass stock off no trouble to offset a few of your costs.


Thanks, 

I  doubt that there would be much demand  for a long action Savage 110 stock .

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## 2post

I like your work, thanks for writing it up. I look forward to the carbon fibre one. :Thumbsup:

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## takbok

Stock looks fantastic. Well done!

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## kotuku

bloody marvellous piece of DIY stockmaking. nowyour next task should you decide to accept it it to remake a proper politicians brain.leave it hollow and in clear so b..s can be rinsed out whever it appeares .nup a certain chappie doesnt have a pisspot for a brain ,altho evidence may tend to point to this. :Have A Nice Day:

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## Bol Tackshin

Nice clean lines and great finish...  Well done mate!

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## Stocky

What is the barrel channel usually filled with in the available carbon stocks. I'm not sure what it is in my Ken Henderson.

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## noboots

Good work bro.

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## trooper90

Very well written I could never make one but enjoyed reading about it

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## Robojaz

> Very well written I could never make one but enjoyed reading about it ��


Thanks, I  am glad you enjoyed the read.

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## Robojaz

> What is the barrel channel usually filled with in the available carbon stocks. I'm not sure what it is in my Ken Henderson.


Not sure, I  have heard some fill the fore-end with foam and layup a layer of fibreglass on top of it. Perhaps STUG could advise on that?

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## takbok

> What is the barrel channel usually filled with in the available carbon stocks. I'm not sure what it is in my Ken Henderson.


I would guess Polyurethane foam, that's what I used for mine, and I think Stug used that too.

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## takbok

I made a mould of the barrel channel and glued it in place in the stock. Then drilled a small hole at each end of barrel channel. Then poured in the PU foam in through one hole and blocked that hole with tape while allowing the excess to flow out the other hole after filling void. Epoxied over holes to seal them afterwards. Butt also filled with PU foam - very light and adds stiffness. Very little PU foam required as the expansion is incredible after mixing the 2 parts!

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## stug

I use Sika Boom expanding foam in the stock to deaden the hollow sound a bit. I cast a barrel channel liner from carbon fibre and epoxy it in the foreend when I am bedding them action and doing the edges of the barrel channel.

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## SixtyTen

Great write up and brilliant result. I have successfully put this project off myself for around 5 years so far.
Been a long while since I have played polyester resins.

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## Robojaz

> I use Sika Boom expanding foam in the stock to deaden the hollow sound a bit. I cast a barrel channel liner from carbon fibre and epoxy it in the foreend when I am bedding them action and doing the edges of the barrel channel.


Thanks,  I  think  I will give that a try on the next one.

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## Robojaz

> Great write up and brilliant result. I have successfully put this project off myself for around 5 years so far.
> Been a long while since I have played polyester resins.


Yeah, I  had been thinking about doing it for a while, but the project as a whole seemed quite daunting. 

The hard part was finding out how to do it. There was very little out there about how to make a stock. That's why I have posted my experiences, to help others wanting to give it a go.

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## Chilli_Dog

Do you have any pictures of the tabs for the butt joint?

You could probably save a fair bit of weight by vacum bagging it.... then it's just a small step to a one piece stock with a latex bladder

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## Micky Duck

> Thanks, 
> 
> I  doubt that there would be much demand  for a long action Savage 110 stock .


you dont need a big demand...just one person who wants something different.....good mate of mine has a savage in 7mm mag.... the stock was stupidly soft n flexi,whole rifle silly light,barrel is soda straw thin....it used to boot the crap out of him....his mate "leaded it"  for him.....we couldnt work out why it rattled,so took action out of stock...it literally had pieces of wheel weights cut and sat in stock cavities!!!!!!
I hot glue gunned them into place...worked a treat.stock is now stiff and the added weight helps with recoil issue...funny how he still uses his .308 more LOL.
when I say soda straw thin.....my std 1 in 20 thread protector will go part way onto his non threaded muzzle.

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## The bomb

I did similar with my .22 but used hot glue and lead shot in the fore end,stopped the dreaded wobble when the scope was would up to 7 power and was better for running bunnies with the extra weight forward.worked well.

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## Friwi

If you want to achieve the highest level of rigidity and lightweightness, have the mould split horizontally rather than vertically with all the inletting and bottom metal moulded in the two halves. Much harder to make the mould , certain shape would be hard to make and would need a three or for part mould and there is that seem line to sand down and maybe paint over but no need to mock around with inletting.
I believe the old brown precision stocks used to be made like that.
Also vacuum bagging or pressure blader use would improve the strength and lightweightness .

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## Robojaz

> If you want to achieve the highest level of rigidity and lightweightness, have the mould split horizontally rather than vertically with all the inletting and bottom metal moulded in the two halves. Much harder to make the mould , certain shape would be hard to make and would need a three or for part mould and there is that seem line to sand down and maybe paint over but no need to mock around with inletting.
> I believe the old brown precision stocks used to be made like that.
> Also vacuum bagging or pressure blader use would improve the strength and lightweightness .


Yeah, I  did see a YouTube clip of someone making a stock in that manner.

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## kotuku

i tried some of the cannedfoam to bulk out my foam decoys-hot shit mama -some went from flat to more chins than a hong kong phone book.ive a parrie hen who is now so fat she reminds me of a poli sittin on the shit house!

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## Robojaz

> Do you have any pictures of the tabs for the butt joint?
> 
> You could probably save a fair bit of weight by vacum bagging it.... then it's just a small step to a one piece stock with a latex bladder


 @Chilli_Dog No I didn't get any photos of tabs, but will take more detailed pictures when I  build the carbon fibre stock. 

Would  love to try vacuum bag, but unfortunately I don't have a vacuum pump.

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## 2post

> @Chilli_Dog No I didn't get any photos of tabs, but will take more detailed pictures when I  build the carbon fibre stock. 
> 
> Would  love to try vacuum bag, but unfortunately I don't have a vacuum pump.


If your near Wellington I can lend you one.

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## Remmodel7

> @Chilli_Dog No I didn't get any photos of tabs, but will take more detailed pictures when I  build the carbon fibre stock. 
> 
> Would  love to try vacuum bag, but unfortunately I don't have a vacuum pump.


You can buy vacuums bags from mitre10 Briscoes etc. Used for storing clothes etc in but would easily work for a stock. Bags are quite big and just have a valve and use you vacuum. In amazed at the pressure they apply.

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## Friwi

I am not sure those vacuum bags would work for a a mold like that unless you use them on each half of the mould first, then let the resin dry, then removing the vaccuum bags and sticking the two Hal together.
You can look at resin infusion as well. That is another way of doing it.

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## Chilli_Dog

In additon to some of what others have said you can do pretty budget vacuum bagging, I have used the plastic bags from mattresses, cut out and taped to the top of the mold. You have to make sure its bunched up enough to go into tha cavity without stretching. I used a vacuum cleaner, it was a karcher one which seems to have a bypass so the motor didn't overheat. Peel plies and bleeder plies help too

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## Robojaz

> If your near Wellington I can lend you one.


Thanks for the offer,  that is very generous. I will see how I  go.

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## Robojaz

> You can buy vacuums bags from mitre10 Briscoes etc. Used for storing clothes etc in but would easily work for a stock. Bags are quite big and just have a valve and use you vacuum. In amazed at the pressure they apply.


Thanks, I  will check them out, I also thought of using shredder bags, if they are strong enough.

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## Robojaz

> I am not sure those vacuum bags would work for a a mold like that unless you use them on each half of the mould first, then let the resin dry, then removing the vaccuum bags and sticking the two Hal together.
> You can look at resin infusion as well. That is another way of doing it.


Yeah that is what I  would likely do. Particularly the way I have constructed my mold.  I am guessing  Resin infusion, would require a pretty strong vacuum pump??

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## Robojaz

> In additon to some of what others have said you can do pretty budget vacuum bagging, I have used the plastic bags from mattresses, cut out and taped to the top of the mold. You have to make sure its bunched up enough to go into tha cavity without stretching. I used a vacuum cleaner, it was a karcher one which seems to have a bypass so the motor didn't overheat. Peel plies and bleeder plies help too


Thanks, another good suggestion,  I  will have have a think and see if I can make it work.

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## takbok

I just use a very cheap plastic hand pump for the vacuum. Works very well with my vacuum bagging attempts with peel ply and bleeder fabric.

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## ANOTHERHUNTER

I got an vacuum pump out of an old fridge. plerfect for this type thing, and easily available.

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## Robojaz

> I got an vacuum pump out of an old fridge. plerfect for this type thing, and easily available.


Be keen to figure out what/ how you did that? could be an option for me.

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## ANOTHERHUNTER

I will try and get a photo. very simple, and very grunty .

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## robhughes-games

if you leave the mold open on the rear and barrel channel you can glue the two halves together oce the resin has gone off enough to be able to trim the molds. that way the bond is a little stronger as the resin is chemically bonding both sides together vs mechanically

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## Robojaz

> if you leave the mold open on the rear and barrel channel you can glue the two halves together oce the resin has gone off enough to be able to trim the molds. that way the bond is a little stronger as the resin is chemically bonding both sides together vs mechanically


Thanks, that is a good idea. When I  make my next mold I  will probably do a few things differently.

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## Robojaz

Hey all, I  am still planning to go ahead  and make a carbon fiber stock,  but unfortunately I  got stuck half way through moving house with COVID-19, so all my tools etc.. have been packed away. Hopefully we can move once at level 3 lockdown, then first project will be to make a carbon fiber stock. Added to this I have been busy at work being part of the essential service group. 
 Thanks,

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## ANTSMAN

primo!

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## nickbop

@superdiver

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## robhughes-games

Did you find when you made the mold that you had any issue with shrinkage of the resin?

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## Robojaz

> Did you find when you made the mold that you had any issue with shrinkage of the resin?


No, did not get any shrinking.

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## Tuidog

Sako's method of making the carbonlight stock is pretty cool. Foam core, seamless carbon socks for the layers they have a video on youtube but don't give away all their secrets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiDDkqeeEDY

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## Bill999

is that loose carbon sock that the sako factory is using freely available?
Iv only seen sheets available

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## Tuidog

> is that loose carbon sock that the sako factory is using freely available?
> Iv only seen sheets available


I doubt it would easily be available. Race yacht builders would be a source for that info. 

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

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## 2post

I had a quick look on line and found this. 
https://www.fibreglast.com/category/...ow-and-sleeves

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## Cobber1888

Mean as man!

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## Strummer

Great skills @Robojaz . Very impressive

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## Stocky

Hey @Robojaz did you ever get any further on your second stock?

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## Sideshow

Tapping my foot here how’s the move gone? @Robojaz

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