It is my understanding of this week's discussion prompt that I, the customer, will be choosing a type of wood for a build I am completing and that I will need to explain to “the custom stock maker” Why I believe this choice works for my build. So, If I were to choose a type of wood for my next project it would probably be black walnut. Not only is it still popular in a lot of builds here in America, making it appealing to the buyer, but I chose black walnut for a number of other reasons as well. This type of wood is light weight and easy to work with. This makes for a lighter overall weight for my completed build and makes the work of “the custom stock maker” a little easier. Black walnut also has a rich dark color and takes a “superior polish” thus making for an amazing finish to this project. The ease of working this type of wood is also a benefit to me because if I were to get it back from the stock maker and need to make any changes to the size, shape, or design, then I should be able to make those changes myself and not have to return to “the custom stock maker” for more work that can end up costing me more and eating into my profit margins. If this is the case and I did indeed need to make changes to the stock, then I will likely need to redo the polish when I’m done, and this type of wood holds a nice polish if done correctly.
Reference:
Sonoran Desert Institute. “Wood for Gunstocks.” Customizing & Woodworking, Sonoran Desert Institute, 2021, page 7-12
