Another carbon fibre stock

Decided I needed another project the other day, and I'd bought a mauser fibreglass stock mould off a member here.
Bought a Howa barrelled action (they can sell them new like that) stripped away the bottom metal/metal mag box and my old muzzle brake threaded straight onto the 1/2-20 muzzle.
I'm using an Rem ADL trigger guard and running a blind mag with a CF mag box. Chopped the back of the Howa bolt shroud off, a'la pre 70's Rem 700's, bit of weight there. Even the trigger guard has had the excess alum milled out of it. The action, bolt and barrel will all get the fluting treatment.
There's been a few learnings since my CF lay-up mannlicher project and the mould CF construction is another ball game to get your head around that's for sure. Had some good advice from a mate who makes all his own MX bodywork from CF. I dig how you can fix all your mistakes with these stocks, nothing is unredeemable! Decided to add an old school Jim Phillips Santa Cruz logo to the butt- loved his skateboard graphics when I was a kid- suits the 7mm mag bullet screaming out the barrel to 'grab' that deer!

I've just filled the stock with spray foam and now it's time to add the reinforcing around the pillars.
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Two piece or three piece mould? As in did you have a separate mould for the barrel channel?
When you say reinforce the pillars. How did you do this?

Two piece. Barrel channel is formed up with the spray foam, then I lay up CF in the channel. I'm a bit unusual in that I solid bed all my barrels to the forend tip. They always shoot really good, and u don't have dramas with stock warp with composite stocks. I have alum pillar tubes that I epoxy into place, and I mix in chopped CF threads into that epoxy to keep it together. If I had some Devcon then I'd probably use that. But it's not a must have. I've done a couple vertical upright CF cross section at the pillar area too.

Awesome stuff.So the barrel is not floated?

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Originally Posted by Tuidog

Awesome stuff.So the barrel is not floated?

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Yes, no free float. Stops crap going down into channel.

I'll weigh it when I'm finished, still got the recoil pad, sling studs and pillars to go in.

Looking good. Thanks for the pics, always good to see how someone else does it.

Santa Cruz - L8ter Sk8ter:thumbsup:

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Pretty much done. Rifle at 6.8 pounds/3.1 kg. Stock weighs 550 grams. Gotta get into some roaring reds now!

This is awesome @FRST how did you join the halves?

Awesome! Next time you're in need of a project do you want to do mine?

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Originally Posted by Unihunter

This is awesome @FRST how did you join the halves?

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Strips of carbon fibre inside the stock after glueing the sides together much like two halves of a plastic model aeroplane.

If you decide to change things I've got a howa bottom metal doing nothing.

I'm just trying to picture how to get inside the stock to apply the carbon fibre? :) must be pretty tight access?

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Originally Posted by Unihunter

I'm just trying to picture how to get inside the stock to apply the carbon fibre? :) must be pretty tight access?

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That's what I was wondering. its a neat process!!

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Originally Posted by kimjon

Santa Cruz - L8ter Sk8ter:thumbsup:

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Slime ballz!!!!!!!!!!

@FRST where did you source the barrel action?

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Originally Posted by Nick-D

@FRST where did you source the barrel action?

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Wgtn GunCity brought it in for me- they just got it off the importer.

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Originally Posted by Brian

If you decide to change things I've got a howa bottom metal doing nothing.

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Thanks Brian, the action came with one so I've got it laying around too!

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Originally Posted by Unihunter

I'm just trying to picture how to get inside the stock to apply the carbon fibre? :) must be pretty tight access?

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Long brushes to get the epoxy where it needs to be, then for the butt & wrist I sort-of roll the CF strip into place using a long stick and prod it into place. I do this with the epoxy wet so I can move it around easier.

What did the barreled action run you?

Remembered this thread from a while back and decided it needed to be resurrected.

Rereading it got me wondering whether for a one-off stock it would make more sense to make a stock this way (make a positive, form a negative mold over that, lay fibre into that, then fit the two halves together) or just build from a core outwards and lay the fibre on the outside near the end. Seems the benefit to molds are that they can make copies, but I wonder if there are other benefits? IE better finish, cleaner design etc?

Id like to do this as well

Iv got both a sako 75 and kimber montana to take moulds off
a sako 75 stock on a howa mini is what im thinking would be ideal, and a carbon stock for the 75 to replace the factory plastic

@kiwi39

@FRST How’s that safari rifle coming along?

Are you vacuum bagging the carbon fibre when you epoxy it to get a better strength to weight/adhesion?

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Originally Posted by paddygonebush

Are you vacuum bagging the carbon fibre when you epoxy it to get a better strength to weight/adhesion?

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No, I don’t have the gear for that. It gives you a better finish I’d say. As for strength and adhesion, yes it would be better- however at 550g for weight all up, with no stock failures after 200 rd’s in a 7mm RM I’d say it’s not essential.

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Originally Posted by robhughes-games

What did the barreled action run you?

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$800

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Originally Posted by canross

Remembered this thread from a while back and decided it needed to be resurrected.

Rereading it got me wondering whether for a one-off stock it would make more sense to make a stock this way (make a positive, form a negative mold over that, lay fibre into that, then fit the two halves together) or just build from a core outwards and lay the fibre on the outside near the end. Seems the benefit to molds are that they can make copies, but I wonder if there are other benefits? IE better finish, cleaner design etc?

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There are benefits to both ways. You’ve got to be quite good at shaping to go the “surfboard” method. Molds are easier and faster to get a better finish.

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Originally Posted by Sideshow

@FRST How’s that safari rifle coming along?

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Really good. Just gotta get a barrel band sling mount to finish her off.
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Just bedding my 6.5x55 husky today...plenty of mistakes but all part of the story...same system as FRST and inspired by his posts...