QB Stock Customization

Hi folks

We are looking to get some feedback on the interest and suggestions on engraved QB stocks.

http://picasaweb.google.com/blondelazer

Any feedback would be appreciated

Cheers
Mark

[DanoInTx]

Those look really sweet!!!  What does something like that cost?  Also with the checkering is it an actual no slip surface, or is it more for looks?  I have felt some lazer checkering that was just too light and on the surface.

Dan

I hear you on the laser checkering, I bought a Benjamin 1000 Legacy just to see what a "factory" laser checkering job would look like.  With the laser, time is money and it was more decorational than useful.  They also had the same issue I ran into,  getting a good reference point for location.  As we are aware the stocks tend to have a fair amount of variance.  I built a simple jig that holds the stock using the main stud as the datum,  my positioning so far has been better than the Benjamin.  My checkering results have been somewhere in between decorative and hand cut.  I'm still working on refining it further using the laser's power ramping 3d capability's.  That leads to the next issue of affordability, adding 3d effects slows down the process  considerably.  One suggestion that interested me was creating a kit with a laser engraved pattern to be hand finished by the user.  I may invest in a hand checkering kit to try that myself.  

We have been working with Stephen & Cornelia Archer on exploring this.  The whole point of the QB's being affordable customization, we want to keep the cost in that spirit.  We would really like some feedback on what a custom stock would be worth to shooters.  If you notice the Semper Fi stock actually is filled with a checkered pattern.  In general the butt can be engraved with any graphic, though the line art especially colour filled really stands out.  We do allot of desk accessories where the young people secure a line drawing of their tattoo from the artist and we engrave them.  As an enthusiast myself I really enjoy working with these products, the raw QB is such an affordable starting point.  The thumbhole carbine is my own and one of my favorites to plink in the back yard.

Thanks for any and all suggestions and points of view

Cheers
Mark

[DanoInTx]

well it is definately a nice piece of work you have done on your examples.  The Benjamin Legacy 1000 is EXACTLY the gun I was talking about in my previous post, I handled one of those last week at Cabelas and thought it looked nice, but wasn't very useful.

 I think the work you have done looks real nice, and I think if the price is right you could sell alot of it.  I am curious though, I have never seen this process done, can you cut a design on a non flat surface?  I mean like if someone wanted a design that wrapped around the forestock could it be layed out as a flat image then wrapped onto the forend of the QB78?  If this could be done I could see some really incredible designs coming out.  Do you offer your work for single pieces, like if I had my own stock that needed a design added to it?  How is the pricing, by the square inch?  

I am actually seeing some pretty cool things that could be done here, I may have to buy another qb78 just to get some of this done:)

Dan

DanoInTx - 3/25/2007  12:40 PM

>
well it is definately a nice piece of work you have done on your examples.  The Benjamin Legacy 1000 is EXACTLY the gun I was talking about in my previous post, I handled one of those last week at Cabelas and thought it looked nice, but wasn't very useful.

I'm limited to 20 yards in my backyard its got some punch compared to my B3's but still working on the hold for repeatability.  Hopefully my blue backorderd chrony ships from pyramid soon, I don't want to take anything apart till I can judge the results.  I gave away a dozen engraved B3's at Christmas but several have problems so I ordered kits.  I suspect dry firing, my friends aren't the type to read a manual.

>
 I think the work you have done looks real nice, and I think if the price is right you could sell alot of it.  I am curious though, I have never seen this process done, can you cut a design on a non flat surface?  I mean like if someone wanted a design that wrapped around the forestock could it be layed out as a flat image then wrapped onto the forend of the QB78?  If this could be done I could see some really incredible designs coming out.  Do you offer your work for single pieces, like if I had my own stock that needed a design added to it?  How is the pricing, by the square inch?  

Thank you for the kind words, they actually look much better than my limited photo skills show.  Its essentially a flying head on an XY axis the Z is a fixed data point to "focus" the beam as its range is very limited.  The laser lens forms an hour glass shape with a narrow part the range of effective depth, the beam itself is approximately .005" in dia and the engraving is performed in passing over and over in incremental steps like a surface grinder.  Even the curvature on the stock requires us to "focus" (set the Z depth) somewhere around the mean hight.  The short answer is any sharp change in depth is a no go. The majority of our work is custom one offs and we have done some amazing things with otherwise inexpensive products to personalize them.  We are working with Archer Airguns right now on pricing, we both wanted to get some idea on the interest in adding it as service on his web site.     Since they bulk buy as well as maintaining the full service stock of parts it seemed natural to keep the cost low by combining efforts.  I'm still working on improving the checkering effect before we offer it to customers.  The laser is not just for wood of course, Its really outstanding for anodized aluminum, marble and many other products.

Some of our earlier work
http://picasaweb.google.com/blondelazer/BlondeLazerProductPictures

>
I am actually seeing some pretty cool things that could be done here, I may have to buy another qb78 just to get some of this done:)

Be sure to check out the Deluxe version the stock is much better, 15mm barrel with steel band and the overall fit and finish is much less "Industrial".  Even if your going to retrofit a thumbhole stock you would have a much nicer spare for very little extra.

Cheers
Mark