Results 1 to 10 of 29
Thread: Scale materials
Threaded View
-
09-16-2012, 09:19 PM #28
some woods rot, some resist rot, and some do not.
the most rot resistant 'round here are: Eastern Redcedar, (American)Black Walnut, Black Locust, Osage Orange. Osage, a/k/a Bodock or Hedgeapple is the most dense and my first choice. It's a bear to work because of its density, but will last forever, and has two natural colors that i like. Un-oxidized it has a bright green/yellow hue, allowed to oxidize naturally it turns to a deep orange/brown color. Walnut would be my next choice, easy to work-and tight-grained.
Woods that rot three days after they hit the ground: oak, hickory, maple, elm, etc. I am told (have been shown) that it has to do with how water does or doesn't move through the cell structure.
BUT ANYWAY, I might try some curly maple from the scraps of my flintlock stock. It will need a finish. I won't bother finishing walnut or bodock...
Pistol grip makers are now using resin-impregnated (under vacuum) woods-which allows use of "unstable" and low density woods where they couldn't be used before. Spectacular colors/grains can be found in Boxelder Burls and Buckeye Burls.
but i've not worked any "stabilized woods".
yet