Quote Originally Posted by mapleleafalumnus View Post
Glen --
A buddy of mine over on Saginaw Bay (MI) made some scales out of black walnut a few years ago. Well, he sold them some time ago, so I'm wondering how you think that particular wood may hold up over time.
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