AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: davec2 on January 24, 2020, 05:41:56 AM
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In 2002 I built myself a 4 gage blunderbuss, as many of you know. Since then, three major and related things have happened. Number 1, I have learned a tremendous amount from this board and many of the generous members who have offered helpful critique and advice. Number 2, I have been commissioned to build two more of these crazy things over the past few years. And Number 3, as I put the final finish on the wood for Andrei's blunderbuss (I should have the photos of the finished gun in a few days), I thought again about my original blunderbuss and some of its very glaring mistakes. Some I can't do anything about, but one major one I can....Back in March, on my recent posts about Blunderbuss #4, I mentioned that I had shown my original one to John Ennis back in 2003 and asked him for an honest critique. The very first thing he said was, "Well....it's OK but you left enough wood on the stock to build two of these."
I have been very careful to not leave too much wood on any build since John was kind enough to be honest with me back then. So as I was finishing the gun for Andrei, it occurred to me that when I send this one off to him, I will have in my possession the worst one I have ever built. So before I had too much time to think about it, I took the gun apart and started in with a spoke shave to correct, at least in so far as I am able, that glaring mistake about leaving too much wood on the stock. (I guess the good thing about leaving too much wood is that it can be removed.)
Here is how it appeared before I started in today......
(https://i.ibb.co/Vmm5Hh3/110-1040-copy.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hffwXnC)
I started in on the lock side. The following photos compare the lock side with the unaltered opposite side. I will complete the rework of the lock side completely before I start in on the opposite side....and then I'll re-cut all the carving.
(https://i.ibb.co/4gpj3K9/IMG-9086.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vvkJRVg)
(https://i.ibb.co/L1x8fdR/IMG-9087.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9WbNjHg)
(https://i.ibb.co/k8RD9pj/IMG-9089.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mqLyXmk)
(https://i.ibb.co/RH4PggM/IMG-9094.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zfHbmmL)
(https://i.ibb.co/B6WMr33/IMG-9095.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dpCYLMM)
(https://i.ibb.co/G5Gtt95/IMG-9098.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HHRxxCH)
(https://i.ibb.co/Cm5tCzz/IMG-9116.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GnvJY00)
(https://i.ibb.co/RBGMtjC/IMG-9117.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5nXzCK5)
(https://i.ibb.co/vZpfXg6/IMG-9119.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Hn6Rh1f)
(https://i.ibb.co/RYTmT7F/IMG-9120.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tQptp3G)
(https://i.ibb.co/h7MhmV2/IMG-9121.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QbczKMY)
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Its true, that saying "when you think you removed enough wood,you haven't started yet"Going to be interesting seeing the 'ol gals before and after weight loss photos ;)
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The forestock and either side of the tang are looking super. She’s thinning up.
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Still more to go....I took the pictures just after I started in with the spoke shave. The first swipe and I was past the point of no return ;)
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The side by side shots should be necessary viewing for first time builders. ;)
Jeff
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Almost finished with the re-shaping. Took a bunch of wood off everywhere and then re-carved all the carving. A little more background smoothing and then re-finishing.
(https://i.ibb.co/JrRpnwg/DC-Blunderbuss-Re-work-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TPB0cxd)
(https://i.ibb.co/WBh88G5/DC-Blunderbuss-Re-work-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HGSwwB4)
(https://i.ibb.co/pQ7Mjt9/DC-Blunderbuss-Re-work-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bF0C5S8)
(https://i.ibb.co/F36hKpH/DC-Blunderbuss-Re-work-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Rb2g98j)
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Nice, as usual. Lovely chunk of walnut on that piece.
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OK.....this is it for blunderbusses for a long while....pistols.....rifles.....anything but another blunderbuss !!!! Finished correcting all the stock problems I could without a complete re-stocking job. Re-shaped, re-carved, re-finished, and re-assembled. It will do as it is now.....took off quite a lot of wood and the stock is a lot slimmer everywhere. Doesn't really show in the pictures here so much, but it feels different in the hands.
(https://i.ibb.co/TW3jSfX/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xFT90kv)
(https://i.ibb.co/G90KbYh/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HCVWkwJ)
(https://i.ibb.co/JxNWDbC/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/28w0GL5)
(https://i.ibb.co/9ZWf237/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/phdsZrS)
(https://i.ibb.co/8XSC5Sw/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Lv2Ft2y)
(https://i.ibb.co/7JvVXZz/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Z6dKVFJ)
(https://i.ibb.co/2sYCRHG/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-7.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BrKQvF0)
(https://i.ibb.co/chkRBZs/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Sw5HjMZ)
(https://i.ibb.co/zVYntxF/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZzPLbXS)
(https://i.ibb.co/YLGPrL2/DC-Blunderbuss-Rework-10.jpg) (https://ibb.co/crdkmrJ)
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Absolutely wonderful, Dave!
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Beautiful. What more can be said?
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Absolutely splendid, Dave. Was your Dad a submariner?
I just love all the engraving, but it would take me a year to emulate you and your style. Even then, wouldn't be near as crisp and clean!
Now you get to go out and do some load development - strive for accuracy....
CW
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Really really nice. God bless, Marc
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Quite an upgrade! Your usual Louis Vuitton silk purse made from a sows ear. Although it was a pretty nice sows ear to start with in this case.
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Very nice Dave. In fact it is super nice.