Making a new stock

[Bruce Day]

Joe, in answer to your question, yes it is possible to duplicate a stock without damaging the original stock. There is a stock duplicating machine that roughs out a stock and which runs on a pantograph principle, that is, there is a pointer that tracks the contours of the master pattern stock and mechanically moves cutting heads on a copy stock. This is how stocks used to be made before CNC machining and I've been in old plants that turned out stocks by the thousands for Remington and other major makers. Apart from a stock duplicating machine, a machinist could duplicate a master using a CNC machine. Both the CNC machine and old pantograph stock duplicating machine require set up time and are best used for multiple copies.

I am aware that there are modern stock milling machines for copying and I have seen some locally, as this area used to be the center of stock making. If a person wants different dimensions, a master must be made, usually from the old stock, and putty added and rasped to the desired shape, which ruins the old stock. The duplicating machine then roughs out the new stock and it is finished by hand. I'm sure Francis Morin could tell you lots about pantograph duplicating machines and I trust that he will.

[Autumn Daze]

Joe,I have been fortunate to have been able to study two very early pantograph machines that were used in the Parker Bros.era.One was at the American Precision Museum in Windsor,VT and the other is located at the Springfield Armory in Springfield ,Mass.Both of these machines used stock blanks that were not finished at the head and butt. When using a modern day pantograph to duplicate a stock there is always risk of some damage although some times very minor.The stock that is to be used as a "Master" has to be fixtured to the machine.This entails making mounts at the head and at the butt.Most times a block of wood is epoxied on and then removed. Using the CNC method the "Master" would have to be scanned and then loaded into a CAD program.Somewhat time consuming and not realy cost effective for a "one off" stock.Although you may find someone willing to do it. Good luck on your project.

Bruce- thanks for the e-mail. David detailed it exactly, and the old term of "economy of scale" rings a bell. If I wanted to duplicate a no. 1 & 1/2 frame Parker buttstock with straight hand grip, head inletting and tangs, and wanted to produce a thousand such rough blanks, the duplication process would pay off.

But for one stock- not so. Wenig is a very good start, if Mr. Skeuse or any of the US based employees of the Parker Reproduction operation are extant, perhaps they could shed light on this. CAD and then CAM programs to run one stock- very costly, as David pointed out.

A pantograph uses a stylus to trace the outline, in one dimension- not with a X and Y axis- so there is always the possibility of some scratching to the master. And it must be positioned so no movement is possible to affect the trace accuracy.

I have not heard of a pad with spacer that could "mold" to the contours of a Parker gun butt with the SSBP- especially the heel "spur" inletting- but, never say never!! Good luck--