AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: smart dog on March 14, 2020, 03:15:48 AM
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Hi,
Well here I go again. I have 3 projects going on at the moment, Josh's rifle, a pattern 1730 Brown Bess and a 1770s rifled officer's fusil. I've wanted to build the rifled fusil for a long time and Chris Laubach sold me the perfect barrel and stock for it. I had TRS parts for a Twigg fusil including the buttplate, triggerguard, and parts set for the lock. There were not many rifled fusils made by the British in the 18th century but Bailey shows examples by John Hirst and John Twigg in his book on British military flintlock rifles. So I am making a rifle based on examples by those makers. Fusil just means "gun" in French. In the English military context it meant flintlock guns issued to "fusiliers", which were units tasked with defending artillery. The flintlocks were safer around the powder for cannons than infantry with matchlocks and burning match cord. As such, it had no implication of style or bore. Flintlock muskets issued to fusilier units were fusils. Later it tended to be confused with carbines, which were lighter, shorter, and of smaller bore than muskets. But "fusil" technically was not associated with any official military specification. So officer's fusils, which were usually smaller and lighter guns than muskets, really just meant guns carried by officers. There was no official pattern and most were purchased privately by the officer or regiment.
My project is based on guns by John Twigg and John Hirst during the 1770s. As such, it looks like a 1770s fowler with rifled barrel and fitted with a short bayonet that is stored in the butt. The acorn trigger guard is correct for this period and there will be the coarse checkering on the wrist that began to be fashionable in the 1770s.
(https://i.ibb.co/dL8WzM9/buttplate-and-bayonet-2.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/0YhcfJc/buttplate-and-bayonet.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/k2RKnmq/triggerguard-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/m5LJsNh)
(https://i.ibb.co/0hLgFf7/triggerguard-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/18NDd9g)
In addition, the lock is flat-faced as it should be. In the 1770s only livery, military, and cheap trade guns had round-faced locks. I built it from TRS castings but replaced the cock with one from a Chambers early Ketland lock, which has much better geometry. I will cut the proper two-stepped molding around it later.
(https://i.ibb.co/Fq1mVLG/lock-inside.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1JN76tH)
(https://i.ibb.co/XtqCvc1/lock-outside.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9W7rCQ6)
The barrel is a Colerain "D" weight octagon to round 42" inches long and 0.62 caliber. I cut it back to 39", which improved the balance immensely. It has to be fit for the bayonet. The stock is English walnut, which Chris had the barrel inlet and 3/8" ramrod groove and hole already done. The thicker ramrod will be fine for a rifled gun and I am taking measures to keep the gun really slim despite the thickness of the rod. The hardware will be brass and I will cast the side plate, which will be a panoply of arms. I will also create a wrist escutcheon.
The standing breech is from TRS and I filed the breech plug fitted to the barrel into a hook for the breech. Note that it tapers toward the top. That provides a nice snug fit. Also note the lug on the bottom for the cross pin, an essential feature.
(https://i.ibb.co/VDkLQs4/standing-breech-1.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/gmVf719/standing-breech-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/VJmzNy9)
(https://i.ibb.co/H4q4crJ/standing-breech-3.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
I fit the standing breech to the barrel then solder it in place. Then I inlet it into the stock attached to the barrel. The result looks like it grew from the wood. The breech has a sighting groove and hump, which will enhance the elegant profile of the gun. It should be a very elegant piece.
(https://i.ibb.co/TWnt963/standing-breech-inlet-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5KzLbmH)
(https://i.ibb.co/ZK7Zpfx/standing-breech-inlet.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jGspP8D)
(https://i.ibb.co/sQgdtQd/Roughed-out-gun-March-13.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1K0tbKt)
dave
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I really like that gun ! It will be a beauty :) Where did you find the bayonet ?
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Looking good Dave.
I am interested to see how you do the bayonet lug.
That little bayonet and trapdoor buttcap are neat.
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I have tried a few times unsuccessfully to get in touch with TRS lately. Have they been good at having parts in stock
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Hi Folks and thanks for looking and commenting,
Justin, TRS has been good lately. I ordered two batches of standing breeches in different styles from them last fall and they came in less than 2 weeks. The parts for the Bess arrived in about the same time frame. I confess that I have another order of parts they did not have in stock and are still waiting on the foundry. It has been over a month so far for that order.
dave
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Looking nice! One thing sticks out to my eye... The cock. It looks weak. Sort of like it's stretching upward. Compare it to all the great locks in Great British Gunmakers. They tend to have more of a breast. The earlier flat faced locks have less but still significantly more than this. I find it helpful to look at the shape of the curve from underneat the bottom jaw extending around the cock. I guess there may be some examples to be found shaped more like your version, but aesthetically I think they don't stand up. Hope you don't mind my thoughts.
All the best,
Jim
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Hi and thanks for looking,
Jim, thanks for the comments. The cock closely duplicates the profile of the original except the position of the square hole and shoulder work much better by allowing the cock to overhang the pan more. In my opinion, if I beefed up the breast the cock would look way too massive for the lock because it has to be fairly tall. Also, it is a very sturdy flintcock because the neck is pretty wide. Below is a picture of the assembled lock with the original cock from TRS.
(https://i.ibb.co/dbB2csC/lock-picture-from-catalog.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rbk6tK8)
The cock provided does not work well without really long flints. I assume it was accurately cast from the original but the position of the shoulder and tumbler hole really does not work very well. My replacement solves the problem. To my eye it will look good when I cut the 2-step molding, reduce the height of the head of the top jaw screw a little, and properly shape the tumbler screw head. I am also going to put a sole on the frizzen to add mass. To me it is too light and thin. Perhaps it was cast from a much worn original. Again, thanks for the comment, Jim. I understand your point and would prefer it as you suggest if it was not so tall. However, when you look at Twigg guns in GBG there is quite a bit of variation in lock designs. Some Twigg flintcocks look gangly, which does not appeal to me, and others have the beautiful shape that I think you were describing.
dave
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I'm looking forward to your progress on this one, Dave.
It will be Very elegant!
Good start!
Richard.
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Dave,
Yeah, your's is pretty much spot on as compared to the original example. There is a bit of variation in the Twigg guns in Great British Gunmakers, but none of the ones I saw were as weak as the original you posted pictures of. I'm sure there were tiers to the work produced. An officers fusil, would have not commanded the price of a top grade sporting arm and therefore It likely wouldn't have had the same care. This of course seems to happen fairly often with British gunsmiths. Heck, your lock maybe more correct than if it was closer to a high grade Twigg!
All the best,
Jim
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Hey Dave. How do you come up with the stock profiles and dimensions for your builds? I can't find a source of full size plans for proper English guns.
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I think it is most unlikely that you will find such plans; I am not sure they ever existed. I draw my own from good photographs.
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Hi Justin,
As a start, this tutorial section will help and it includes 2 drawings of originals with many dimensions listed:
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=48844.0
I don't use any commercially available plans. I draw my own using a small collection of classic original English fowlers that I own, photos of fowlers that I've acquired over the years, notes I've taken on specific guns I've examined in museums and collections, and my library of books and published papers.
dave
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Thanks Dave. I think my biggest hindrance is that I don't have access to any original guns to look at/examine. Anything I do is based on my ability to best guess from pictures.
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Would this officer's fusil be a little more stout in the stock, as it was a military gun?
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Hi Justin,
A little but not much heavier. It really is mostly a fowler by design but rifled and cut back for a bayonet. The fore stock won't be as egg shell thin as you see on fowlers but it will look overall pretty slim. The 2 guns I am using as inspiration both look like civilian fowlers with rifled barrels. I honestly am not sure I understand what "officer's fusils" were for. Some commanding officers encouraged their officers to carry fusils in battle rather than the traditional spontoons. Others discouraged them because they believed loading and firing their own gun during battle would distract officers from leading their men. I am not sure that many fusils were not simply an officer's personal gun for hunting while on campaign. For many British officers, the first chance they ever had for hunting big game was when campaigning in North America, India, and Africa. Don't think that the short bayonet on this gun necessarily was a military application. Many sporting guns on the European continent had similar arrangements and the bayonet probably functioned as a hunting sword for killing wounded game. The word "fusil" really just means gun and "officer's fusil" really just means a gun carried by an officer for whatever reason. There was no standard official pattern as far as I know nor any official doctrine guiding the use of fusils by officers, so the term could cover a range of designs and uses from a sturdy military carbine to a sporting fowler. It might actually be better to think of these guns much like the privately purchased brace of pistols often carried by officers. However, having said that, I really don't have a clear concept of them in my mind nor has any of my research cleared it up.
dave
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Hi,
Got a bit done today. I made and attached the barrel loops for the keys. The rear loop is dove tailed into the octagon portion of the barrel and the forward loops are soldered to the round section of the barrel. I inlet them in the stock and then fitted the keys. If you look at my tutorial on making an 18th century English fowler, I show how keys are easily inlet.
(https://i.ibb.co/3NVKtkD/fitted-barrel-key.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wW8tDY9)
I began shaping the fore stock with a plane and pattern maker's rasp. I always do that by forming facets that eventually get rounded. By doing that the shaping is even and I can establish the dominant profile easily and evenly.
(https://i.ibb.co/GcgdCkC/shaping-fore-arm-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/86FmP2P)
(https://i.ibb.co/YWp6Cvm/shaping-fore-arm-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QcrZgsL)
I began making the 3/8" diameter ramrod pipes. I use 0.0325" thick brass sheet, which is easy to cut with shears. After cutting out the rectangle, I anneal it by heating to red and quenching in water. That leaves the brass dead soft.
(https://i.ibb.co/XLcbV9r/annealing-brass.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Then I form raised beading on each end using a little steel plate with a groove filed in it. I also use a cold chisel with the blade rounded to hammer in the bead. The plate and chisel work very well and makes forming beads, which also strengthens the pipe, very easy.
(https://i.ibb.co/SmQdLRC/Thimble-forming-with-chisel.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/cbcf3yc/making-pipe-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/B4VW3fV)
Then I wrap the sheet around a drill of the proper diameter. I usually bend it part way, then anneal the brass again, then pinch it closed in a vise. I run a bead of TIX solder in the tab to hold it together although that is not required. I have an original high end English fowler with silver mounts on which the sheet silver tabs are not soldered.
(https://i.ibb.co/YW8Cmb7/making-pipe-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Mhpvr9D)
(https://i.ibb.co/vJCjTD0/maling-pipe-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/brjKC7c)
(https://i.ibb.co/4Nk53bJ/making-pipe-4.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Next up is making the rear pipe and tang.
dave
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It's so enjoyable watching the progression of your work. Thanks for taking the time to post this.
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Smart Dog, another exciting build. Thank you.
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Hi,
Not a lot to report today. I had a visit by a friend from Quebec and spent most of the day helping him with his "Little Fella's" rifle project for his daughter and designing a late flint era British hunting rifle for himself. I was able to make the rear ramrod pipe. My strategy for these English fowler rear pipes is to make the pipe from sheet metal and then solder on a cast tang. Based on the originals I own, that was how brass and silver rear pipes were made. The cast tang is thicker, making it less springy and easier to inlet, and you can file a terminal tooth or point in it that anchors the end of the tang in the wood. I won't need the tooth on this pipe but thicker metal allows me to shape it better. I buy cast rear pipes for fowlers from TOW or MBS and then cut off the tangs.
(https://i.ibb.co/K9ZBzJY/rear-pipe-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/30XVYnw)
I make a sheet metal pipe that matches the forward pipes but it has a little more length or extension for the cast tang to be fitted. I fit the cast tang on to the pipe and solder it with Stay Bright or Hi-Force 44 silver bearing solder. On this gun I do not want a big step at the rear pipe. I want the tang for the pipe to be only slightly raised above the ramrod hole because I want the bottom of the stock to taper upwards from the trigger guard to the rear ramrod pipe. That sounds like a minor detail but it will make a huge difference in the profile of the gun and prevent the illusion of a bulge at the rear pipe, which happens if the bottom profile is parallel with the bore of the barrel.
(https://i.ibb.co/x68mhDd/rear-pipe-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3cYf17Q)
Here is the rear pipe almost ready for inletting. I will taper the tang more and shorten it a little. Here is the middle pipe ready for inletting.
(https://i.ibb.co/ynh3gCk/rear-pipe-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JRxhrTp)
(https://i.ibb.co/TKY4kJQ/middle-pipe.jpg) (https://ibb.co/M8ZcsKz)
More coming,
dave
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Hi,
I inlet all the ramrod pipes today. First the forward pipes, I mark a line for the tab on the bottom of the ramrod groove and then punch a series of holes with an awl.
(https://i.ibb.co/ZhpskQ3/inletting-thimble-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wKFHxnT)
Then I drill out those holes a little narrower than the tab.
(https://i.ibb.co/gR4zwXY/inletting-thimble-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/crYDtpq)
I cut out the wood between the holes with a broken fret saw blade ground to a narrow tip and mounted in a scalpel handle.
(https://i.ibb.co/N9QVtYP/inletting-thimble-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/x1PCX50)
Next I clean up the slot with a needle file that has the end ground and sharpened as a skew chisel, It cuts away wood and then files it away.
(https://i.ibb.co/N3fDZpN/inletting-thimble-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rtq84Mp)
After cleaning up the slot, I insert the pipe and trace its outline on the wood. Using a tiny gouge, I cut the wood to receive the raised collars on either end.
(https://i.ibb.co/4szpkcQ/inletting-thimble-5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5YmLZd7)
Then using inletting black and gouges, I cut the mortice until the pipe fits down in all the way.
(https://i.ibb.co/NStPjMd/inletting-thimble-6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/sHbGwZd)
(https://i.ibb.co/VxLkKtL/inletting-thimble-7.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
For the rear pipe and tang, I first cut and file away as much excess wood at the step as I can to reduce the amount of wood I have to inlet into. Then I use one of the other pipes, which are well matched in dimensions, to cut the mortice for the rear pipe.
(https://i.ibb.co/qs0Fz6n/inletting-thimble-8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HzNp0Z2)
That makes it easier to insert the actual rear pipe in the mortice to outline and cut the tang. The pipes are all in and I will drill the holes for the pins a bit later.
(https://i.ibb.co/XsQ0tB8/inletting-thimble-9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tsGjDfX)
(https://i.ibb.co/gMdLL6r/inletting-thimble-10.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Gv944Fd)
dave
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looking good Dave. I'm curious how you sharpen that tiny gouge. I have a few, but they are all dull can be.
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Dave I must commend you. You are a genuine and selfless educator. You take the time to instruct and that takes quite a lot of time away from building. Not to mention your ability as that is self evident. Thank you.
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Dave, as always, a wonderful job, great photography and teaching us about these British Arms!!!! Thank you
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Thanks for posting the ramrod pipe beading idea Dave! I will have to use that sometime. Very nice work.
Curtis
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Hi,
Drilled for the pins holding the ramrod pipes. I used 2 pins per pipe on this gun for extra security. When I drill the holes, I don't use any jigs. I simply make sure the edge of the ramrod channel is square and true along its length. Then I measure the depth of the ramrod channel from that edge. I mark that depth on the side of the stock and then draw a line or lines down from the ramrod channel edge to locate where I want the pin or pins to go. With an awl, I mark the hole or holes along that line but a little below the depth mark. I repeat that on the other side of the stock. Then I drill about halfway in from one side and again from the other. I can eye ball the drill to be level and perpendicular with the stock and it works great. After the holes are drilled, I insert the pipe and drill again to make the holes in the brass pipe. I use 5/64" pins and drills. They break far less often than 1/16" drills that many builders use.
(https://i.ibb.co/fMcMMHX/middle-pipe-pins.jpg) (https://ibb.co/G7h77Rd)
(https://i.ibb.co/mX2XS6d/rear-pipe-pins.jpg) (https://ibb.co/s6N6tyc)
I drilled for the barrel tang bolt. I start by drilling a small hole in the center of the tang where the bolt will go and perpendicular to the surface of the tang at that point. You can use jigs and center punches to align the hole top and bottom but I find I can eye ball the drill and have it come out in the middle of the bottom. With an undersized hole, I can correct small misalignment with bigger drill of round file. Then, I drill the hole the size needed for the tap, in this case a #21 drill for 10-32 threads. I enlarge the hole at the bottom to fit the round boss on the trigger plate that will be drilled and threaded for the bolt.
(https://i.ibb.co/PYRyGqS/barrel-tang-bolt-hole.jpg) (https://ibb.co/W3QXvmT)
(https://i.ibb.co/8b5MDc8/beginning-inlet-of-trigger-plate.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QkN9Fdm)
I inlet the plate in the stock. For this plate, the rear is shaped like a chisel blade and cuts into the stock anchoring it in place.
(https://i.ibb.co/HxDZ5Jw/trigger-plate-bolt-hole.jpg) (https://ibb.co/D8Dd0qc)
(https://i.ibb.co/12bnHw7/inlet-trigger-plate.jpg) (https://ibb.co/WKs3SYG)
. With the trigger plate in place, I again drill through the stock with the #21 drill. I remove the plate and drill again through the stock with a #8 drill for clearance of the bolt. I install the plate and using a 10-32 pulley tap, I thread the hole in the plate. This makes sure everything is lined up just right.
(https://i.ibb.co/HrWTp7H/tapping-barrel-tang-bolt.jpg) (https://ibb.co/K9Mxz6r)
The hole in the tang is drilled part way through with a drill a little smaller than the diameter of the head of the bolt. I drill down just enough to create a squared shoulder in the hole. Then I use a 5/16" countersink to cut the bottom of the hole to the shape of the tapered bolt head. Finally, I turn a shoulder on the head of the bolt that fits into the hole. This is far superior to just counter sinking the hole and allows the head of the bolt to eventually be contoured nicely with the tang.
(https://i.ibb.co/xDcMCnK/counter-bored-barrel-tang-screw-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/6mp4nKc)
(https://i.ibb.co/syfhfJ4/counter-bored-barrle-tang-screw.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
I inlet most of the lock guts except the mainspring. I neglected that spring simply because I just did not feel like doing it today.
(https://i.ibb.co/yFD3yTw/lock-mortice.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8gJh53W)
With the sear of the lock inlet, I could position the trigger. I want the trigger bar to hit the sear about halfway back from the trigger pivot pin. I cut and file the slot in the trigger plate accordingly, and then use it as a template for drilling a series of holes the length and depth of the trigger bar. Using a router bit in a Dremel destroyer tool, I rout out the holes for the trigger slot. It all takes just a few minutes.
Finally, I trimmed off more wood from the fore stock and rounded it a bit. Much more will eventually come off. Then I also began shaping the wrist. That is where I am at the moment.
dave
(https://i.ibb.co/jDW1Rcb/stock-shaping-1-3-20.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZxYkmnG)
(https://i.ibb.co/k6BgCHn/stock-shaping-2-3-20.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bRmg9Wh)
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Going to be an interesting gun. A neat choice for a build.
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Another slim gun, Dave. Looks like a fowler for sure.
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Hi,
Major pivot today. I had to put the fusil aside to work on a Brown Bess for a while. During that time I mulled over the discussion we had on ALR about officer's fusils. Several really knowledgeable folks contributed and I began to rethink this project. What was I making, a sporting gun or an officer's fusil? I really respect Joe Puleo's opinions and I agree with his basic identifiers for a true officer's fusil, a full-sized bayonet mount and sling swivels. Much else could be up for grabs because there was no formal pattern, just what the private contractors were asked to make for their clients, which could include bulk orders of some standard design or a one-off gun of essentially sporting gun design adapted for military use. I think the beautiful fusil shown in the thread below is a good example of that.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=46406.msg456207#msg456207
I decided against using the short bayonet and the butt plate with the trap door for it. Instead, I fitted a typical fowler butt plate from Jim Chambers and will mount a carbine-style bayonet and sling swivels on the gun.
I inletted the butt plate. I've done so many of these my procedure is routine. I trim the stock with a band saw close to the profile of the butt plate and then rasp and file in a shoulder to begin fitting the tang.
(https://i.ibb.co/KjVtrGQ/butt-plate-inlet-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xSzn7sc)
These plates usually have a lug under the tang for a cross pin. The inlet for that lug does not have to be tight and it will need excess space forward so the butt plate can be moved forward during inletting.
(https://i.ibb.co/r64r4NT/butt-plate-inlet-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BZqMqFd)
I always want a little curvature to the face of the plate and do not like those that are straight. Inletting that curvature is a little more challenging but if you use inletting black and go slow, it comes out fine. The inletting came out well, nice and tight.
(https://i.ibb.co/7Sz2d81/butt-plate-inlet-3.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Next I had to deal with the trigger guard. I really like the design of the guard from TRS. The acorn is just right and the bow has the perfect "egg" shape and raised borders. But the casting had a serious flaw where the bow joined the front finial. The slightest pressure to bend the casting broke it.
(https://i.ibb.co/N7JDg7z/triggerguard-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/b7Cwj7n)
What to do. The commercially available castings from Track and others with the acorn finial are garbage. The skinny acorn is some misshapen design from who knows what and the bows are much too large. I can make a proper acorn guard from the urn guard sold by Chambers but I determined that I had an opportunity to use the TRS guard given that I wanted to mount a lug for a sling swivel. That gave me an idea. I created a group of parts to assemble the guard from its broken pieces. I made a boss for the swivel hole and gave it a threaded post that extends through the front final anchoring the forward lug on the inside of the guard. Then I cut brass sheet to make a spline connecting the finial to the broken bow.
(https://i.ibb.co/sK2WGk1/trigger-guard-assembly-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8r0YpTx)
I fitted that all together and soldered it in place using low temp silver bearing solder. Then I drilled and installed a brass rivet between the spline and the forward curl of the bow and another rivet between the upper part of the swivel boss and the trigger guard bow. After riveting, I heated all the solder joints to flow around the rivets and fill in any spaces. It worked. I now have a beautiful British fowler trigger guard complete with swivel boss much like the gun shown in the link above. The assembly should be very strong.
dave
(https://i.ibb.co/tm7Gv85/trigger-guard-assembly-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GxK68cj)
(https://i.ibb.co/LNS7YPF/trigger-guard-assembly-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3R1Z4s3)
(https://i.ibb.co/nzmhfK8/trigger-guard-assembly-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PwjB4Vz)
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Dave, Awesome, you took what would have been a bad day for most of us and turned it into something better than what you started with.
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That IS a nice guard, Dave. Great job! Best,
Ed
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Nice fabrication. Looks stylish.
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For your trigger guard work - WOW!
Are you going to make the sideplate similar to the one you referenced? that is truly an awesome side plate.
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Thanks for looking folks and commenting. Craig, it will be a stand of arms. I have to carve it first and then I will cast it in brass. I am not sure what I will do for the wrist because it will be checkered in the early coarse fashion with dots in the centers of the diamonds.
dave
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I am looking forward to seeing how you do your checkering. My current project will need some early style checkering.
This is my inspiration gun. I don't plan on the forend checkering. Only the wrist.
(https://i.ibb.co/fMvWHM5/main.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZdmrxdP)
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Hi Justin,
The checkering I'll be doing is coarse and is cut in close to 90 degrees and will be about 6 lines per inch. It may not have any border either, just let the lines run out.
dave
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Hi,
I got a lot done these past 2 days. I am having a lot of fun with this project. I prepared and inlet the trigger guard. I've written about this in previous threads, but these long fowler guards are best inlet starting with the front finial. Inlet it fully and then clamp it in place before outlining the rear extension. For the rear extension, work back toward the rear inletting and fitting as you go. As the guard sinks into the inlet, it tends to move forward. Make sure the slots for the lugs can accommodate that forward movement. It is that shifting that causes a lot of inexperienced builders to end up with gaps at the end of the rear extension. Before inletting the rear extension, make sure the bottom of it is filed nice and flat and in most cases, thin it a bit. It does not need to have much thickness and the springiness caused by that mass will make inletting difficult particularly with cast steel guards. Another area many have trouble is inletting the guard down into the stock but running into the front of the trigger plate. Every guard and trigger plate combination is a little different but the problem can be addressed two-fold. File a step in the bottom of the forward curl of the trigger guard so it can be set lower on top of the trigger plate. Another trick is to inlet the forward part of the trigger plate so it is below the surface of the wood. Just make sure you file the wood flush with the rest of the plate beyond where the trigger guard overlaps. I usually do a combination of the two.
(https://i.ibb.co/pxV4pQ2/trigger-guard-inlet-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/VtnM8xV)
(https://i.ibb.co/jG8f3QC/trigger-guard-inlet-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tcHKYv0)
(https://i.ibb.co/gmNdg7c/trigger-guard-inlet-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Gny9PJr)
I had to deepen the inlet for the trigger plate to fit the guard and I also had to reduce the height of the trigger so it would fit within the bow of the guard. I like my triggers to have a nice graceful slant to the rear and barely sufficient clearance within the trigger guard bow. Note the "egg shape" to the bow. That maximizes clearance for your finger forward of the trigger without making the bow too big, something the Frenchies never learned.
(https://i.ibb.co/gjWY8FS/stock-side-plate-side-april-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QbH0VjP)
After installing the trigger guard, I reshaped and pinned the trigger. The fusil will have a LOP of about 13 11/16ths ". The stock fits so well and the English "baluster wrist" architecture is really well designed. This rifle will be a real shooter. I shaped the butt stock a bit more and then removed and shaped the fore stock to the final dimensions. This will be a very slim gun. I will cut back the front of the stock a little more to fit a standard bayonet and also a brass muzzle band. In the end, this should be a very fine rifle.
dave
(https://i.ibb.co/nkMDN8V/fore-stock-long-view.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PCG5vzb)
(https://i.ibb.co/DV25X1V/fore-stock-top-view.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QbwrBJb)
(https://i.ibb.co/kczwRrH/rough-shaped-lock-panels.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4NCX6Dm)
(https://i.ibb.co/q1HvPg9/stock-fore-stock-april-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Bsh9S6j)
(https://i.ibb.co/hYpr5xx/Stock-lock-area-April-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Z2yvsRR)
(https://i.ibb.co/bPGdSvj/stock-side-plate-side-forestock-april-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/G0rPKMf)
(https://i.ibb.co/L1xW46T/stock-top-of-wrist-april-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZxBPyKQ)
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Dave,
Very fine work!
But, Me being English, please send it to me (When finish'd of course) so I can "Feel" if you got it right;
Feel is a very important thing.
I will 0nly have to "feel" it for maybe 10-20 years, then I will return it. (Honest)
To get the baluster looking right is no mean feat, and you have done a grand job! It all Looks Right .
Best,
R.
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Hi,
Lots of stuff got done in the shop today on several projects. I think listening to my favorite pandemic songs; John Prine's "Please Don't Bury Me" and Harry Nilsson's "I'd Rather Be Dead Than Wet My Bed" really helped motivate me. I added the swivel mount on the trigger guard, which means I need a fore stock swivel. Contrary to most reproduction Brown Besses, mainly by those who speak Italian, Japanese, and Hindi, the forward swivel should have a supporting lug on the barrel. I ran out of good lugs for round barrels and I like the loop to be at least 1/8" thick. I had to make it. I found a chunk of octagon barrel that I had sawed off and realized it would be ideal for the lug. The bore provides the curve of the base and there was enough thickness to make a lug tall enough and wide. A few hacksaw cuts and then a little filing was all it took.
(https://i.ibb.co/Nt89V4C/cutting-lug-from-barrel-piece-2.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/fCfvmG1/cutting-lug-from-barrel-piece.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9q6tR38)
The forward swivel must always be located just in front of a ramrod pipe so the sling and swivel never block the ramrod channel. They lay against the pipe. I soldered on the lug and inlet it in the wood. Then drilled for the swivel pin.
(https://i.ibb.co/FhkdL2q/swivel-barrel-lug.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TwDNx6q)
(https://i.ibb.co/vqdvHTk/swivel-lug-hole-and-pin.jpg) (https://ibb.co/2hMYyCd)
My next job was to make and install the sheet brass nose band. This gun does not have a muzzle cap, rather a simple band of thin brass sheet wrapped around the stock to reinforce the muzzle end of the stock. The band was made for 0.032" brass annealed brass sheet. I cut and file in the groove for the band in the stock, then make a paper pattern to measure the length of the brass sheet. Then I cut out the brass, bend over one end and attach it to the side of the stock. The soft brass bends easily around the mortice and I pinch the other side on to the stock with pliers. I will eventually rivet it with a brass rivet. It came out nicely.
(https://i.ibb.co/7p4PPbR/nose-band-1.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/SVvNbkM/noseband-2.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
More to come.
dave
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This piece is really looking great. Thanks for letting us follow along.
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It's an important point Dave, to have the sling just in front of the pipe so it doesn't foul the rammer.
Very good you mentioned this!
Tidy as always, Very good idea about the octagonal barrel for a lug!
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Hi,
Well, more got done today. I resolved some lock issues. The lock is a series 569 from TRS copied from an original fusil by John Twigg made in the early 1770s. It had pretty good geometry, and the internals were nice but the flintcock did not work quite right. I don't think the square tumble hole in the cast part was positioned correctly. Anyway, I eventually found that the flintcock from a Chambers early Ketland lock worked. It just had to be trimmed a little smaller and some details added. I fitted it and in terms of geometry, it worked very well but it just was too massive and a little taller than fit the proportions of the lock as a whole. So, I went back to the original flintcock and filled the tumbler hole with weld and then cut a new one that positioned the cock better. It came out great. I had another problem. The cast tumbler bridle was very fragile. Likely because of some shrinkage during casting and then more loss of metal after cleaning up the cast part, it was not very robust. I hardened and tempered it but it eventually broke at a predictably weak spot. I ordered a replacement from TRS but that was long ago and with all that is going on, I decided to make a more robust replacement. I discovered that the bridle from an L&R Queen Anne lock would work well with a few minor changes. I have one of those locks, which I bought because it is the right sized round-raced lock for an early Peter Berry rifle I intend to build soon. However, after buying it I decided it needed too much work to be acceptable and decided I will use just the plate, flint cock, and frizzen (after filing off the stupid lug on the bottom of the pan cover) for the Berry but fill all the holes and install better internal parts and create a much better lock. As a result, I have some internal lock parts that can be salvaged for other projects. This is one of those. I just needed to weld over the sear screw hole and move it a little. I then filed the bridle to give it a nicer look but with a bit more excess metal for strength. It worked and is much stronger than the bridle that came with the parts set.
(https://i.ibb.co/TKWdBXs/reworked-lock-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LQNHzw3)
(https://i.ibb.co/rZ6SfWv/reworked-lock-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cNFHXmx)
(https://i.ibb.co/JtJB7h1/reworked-lock-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zxvnRkM)
(https://i.ibb.co/ynTXxgW/reworked-lock-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tMf41Y8)
I will eventually polish, engrave and then case harden the lock plate, frizzen, and flintcock. The new bridle will also be hardened and tempered. I am also going to sole the frizzen with a hardened sheet of high carbon steel. The case hardened frizzen will produce abundant sparks but the face is very thin. That is likely the result of making a mold from a worn original and not compensating for that wear and then shrinkage. I want to add some mass to it so will attach a hardened sole.
More to come.
dave
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You are doing another great job. I really like what you did with that trigger guard.
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Hi Guys,
Spring cleanup and other projects including a Brown Bess diverted me away from the rifled officer's fusil. I needed to make a side plate and found a design that I liked in Neal's "Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790". It was the product of a provincial maker in Bristol, England but the open style was also used by Ketland and others. I modified the design to suit my decorative objectives and cut it out from sheet brass.
(https://i.ibb.co/TPN7W2y/making-sideplate-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/WBRMV5C)
I filed it to shape and then created wells for the bolt heads by soldering brass sheet on the back. I've done this before and it is a slick way to avoid cutting the whole side plate from thick brass.
(https://i.ibb.co/M9McbCB/making-side-plate-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PtwcR6D)
(https://i.ibb.co/ScWwX9J/making-side-plate-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NrQ26H7)
(https://i.ibb.co/GFT8rvp/making-side-plate-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jHRQjvf)
Next up was inletting it and it was no problem. The fact that so little wood has to be removed makes it go really fast especially when you have tiny chisels that fit the design. The solid area under the rear lock bolt will be engraved with the looped ropes forming the border of a shield. On the shield will be engraved a lion rampant or an armored bent arm holding a sword. Both are designs linked to honorable military service.
(https://i.ibb.co/FWbKHRR/inletting-sideplate-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dc0rm88)
(https://i.ibb.co/RBtbFVZ/inletting-side-plate-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/P9JjLf3)
I trimmed the stock to almost final dimensions. I still need to final shape the lock and side plate panels and then final shape the stock. It will be ready for stain very soon but I have to checker the wrist first.
(https://i.ibb.co/DVv4FtP/April-15-lock-side.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HFb7yVL)
(https://i.ibb.co/vJcrdSV/April-15-side-plate-side.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HrKMPjB)
(https://i.ibb.co/GVSsQnD/April-15-top-view.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nDJ3M6y)
dave
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Great work on the side plate, Dave. Looking forward to seeing it with the engraving, along with the finished piece!
Ed
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That gun would almost make me want to enlist in the British army.
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Very fine craftsmanship and a very beautiful looking gun. Thanks for sharing your work.
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I like the side plate!!! - Very Clean!!! -
Jon
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Oh boy! Now isn't that special!
Very nice indeed.
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I've always admired that sideplate. Beautiful work, Dave!
Jim
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Hi, and thanks for looking and commenting. I appreciate the encouragement. Jim, thanks for your note and I do like the side plate design as well. I've always wanted to try it and I just did not want to make the generic solid plate that you see on so many contemporary-made English fowlers nor the common stand of arms style. Both would be appropriate but since these guns did not follow a standard pattern, I decided to do something different. The original in GBR that I based it on does not have the solid center. I am not 100% sure that I like it but I have a plan if I decide to eliminate it and copy the open loops of the original. I'll cut away the shield and file the full open loops and then glue a piece of English walnut into the space I cut away. It will be surrounded by brass and if I do a decent job matching the grain, you won't be able to tell it is a replacement. I think I will engrave the shield and see how I like it before deciding to keep or discard it.
Hopefully, today I'll carve the shell around the standing breech.
dave
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Beautriful work as always Dave.
I Know that sideplate!.. but will have to look at the book , as the name won't come.
Joseph Alley comes to mind, but I'm likely wrong.
Very distinctive and a grand choice!
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Hi,
It's been a while. I've had a lot of Spring chores to do and other gun projects. I also put the officer's fusil aside to consider my plan for decoration and prepare. I decided to be ambitious and consequently, I needed to plan and practice . I am fearless when it comes to growing my skills and experience, but I always have great anxiety when I decide to exercise that fearlessness. I worry about screwing up so I plan, practice, and then execute, always doing the best I can even if the result is flawed.
I finished detailed shaping of the stock and painted it with dilute stain made from black aniline dye dissolved in water. I then scraped off the black, which revealed all the scratches and tool marks. However, the black stain embeds in the open pores of the wood and will highlight the grain when I put finish on the gun. The next step was drawing the carving around the standing breech tang and cutting in the outline. I chose a rococo shell rolling in from one side as the motif. I love that design but haven't carved it in a while. After cutting and smoothing the background, I left cutting the details until later.
I wanted to checker the wrist in the coarse fashion used by British gun makers during the 1770s. The large diamonds are flat topped and the grooves look to be cut with a checkering saw and then filed with a checkering riffler. I made and used both tools to do the job. The photos below also show my checkering cradle.
(https://i.ibb.co/WFfMvK6/checkering-8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rMHz2ym)
(https://i.ibb.co/xDWZgyw/checkering-9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vHp9dbf)
(https://i.ibb.co/dJdpV5r/checkering-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gF5WfR3)
(https://i.ibb.co/G0KnHFc/checkering-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Vt7Jw32)
I marked guidelines using pin striping tape and a plastic "diamond" template that I made. I used a 60 degree single line cutter to cut those guidelines, then I used a 60 degree skip line cutter to make all the other lines. The spacing was 1/8" for the skip line tool. Then I deepened every other line with the checkering saw and the checkering riffler. That produced large diamonds 1/4" across divided into quadrants. Eventually, each quadrant will have a dot. It came out well although the lines do not match up perfectly side to side because the cast off in the stock makes the profile of one side of the wrist a little different from the other.
(https://i.ibb.co/f24pBqV/checkering-4.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/42nTDwC/checkering-5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BG5Z7Hv)
Next, I cast a copy of a thumb escutcheon from one of my original 18th century fowlers. After cleaning it up and chiseling details, I will inlet it on the wrist. I think it will be spectacular with the checkering. The photos show the original plate set in the stock but laying on the surface. It gives you an idea of what the final product will look like if I don't screw it up. These kinds of decoration are really sphincter puckering because you really can't fix them if you blow it.
(https://i.ibb.co/VMmgwk0/checkering-6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3SzpRP5)
(https://i.ibb.co/D1LrnSv/checkering-7.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
dave
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Very little on this forum stuns me as much as your work Dave. My favorite threads. Hands down.
.....but I always have great anxiety when I decide to exercise that fearlessness
???
;D
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Hi and Thanks Bob,
I appreciate the kind comments very much. Here are the original wrist plate and 2 copies. I cast the copies using the Delft clay casting system, which is essentially sand casting with a fine clay. I've described the method in other threads and it really gives me a lot of freedom because I am not restricted to the few designs available from commercial sources.
(https://i.ibb.co/RS0vx8Y/wrist-piece-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3sNrDK4)
. I cleaned up one of the copies and readied it for inletting. That process involves cleaning and truing up all the edges and cutting and polishing some of the detail. The plate requires more detailing but I've done enough for inletting. Note that this plate has deep lobes shapes along the edge that flare. This is not an easy inlet and that process is harder because your are inletting on a round surface. As you cut the mortice in, the plate goes in but those features wrapped around the sides go in and down. Anything flared feature risks creating a gap behind the flare as the plate goes in and down. The trick is two-fold. First, cut the mortice in at the top of the wrist first so the plate moves down. Second, any feature, like the bugle on the lower right, that flares and wraps down the side, gently bend it up so you can inlet the top without that feature interfering. That is the way to also inlet pistol butt caps with long stirrups on the sides.
(https://i.ibb.co/9nVrXt6/wrist-piece-2.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
This shows the mortice outlined by my inletting chisel. I undersized the outline for the bugle flare at the lower right anticipating it will move down a little as I inlet the plate. This is a point of no return. I cannot fix it if I botch the job and all my previous work is wasted.
(https://i.ibb.co/FwJcx15/wrist-piece-3.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Great relief!! The job ended very well. I have to file and detail the plate a bit in spots to bring it flush with the wood because the curvature did not match that of the wrist exactly. The blacking is from inletting black. I cannot handle the plate without getting it on my hands and spreading it to the wood. It really shows the checkering. Regardless, from here on out I have no fear. I am beyond that now and it feels great!!! The plate is anchored with a bolt through the wrist and into the threaded boss on the back side of the plate. The closeness of that bolt to the trigger guard lug emphasizes how important drawn plans are to prevent problems.
(https://i.ibb.co/SK3xSSC/wrist-piece-4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qRrn66Q)
(https://i.ibb.co/ckyfZZG/wrist-piece-5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TYwj77V)
(https://i.ibb.co/Fs64Qn3/wrist-piece-6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/k3K2LMB)
dave
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Those officers sure had it good if they had such fine fusils as this.
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These kinds of decoration are really sphincter puckering because you really can't fix them if you blow it.
Dave, I have this problem with the basic of decoration. The level you are working on is incredible and also inspiring. Looking forward to this Fusil as it progresses to finish. TommyG
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Those officers sure had it good if they had such fine fusils as this.
Hi Rich,
Many officers were pretty wealthy and bought their commissions. For example during the early 1800s, an ensign's commission was worth (in today's dollars converted from British pounds) $51,250. A lieutenant's commission cost $80,000, a captain $206,250, a major $366,250, and a Lt. colonel $515,000. When an officer bought a higher commission, he sold his current commission and paid the difference for the new commission. The British believed only men of wealth had a real stake in the empire and they wanted only those stakeholders to command the army. Interestingly, it was not that way in the navy, in which a man with limited resources could obtain high rank.
The wrist plate actually is from my second or export quality fowler. It apparently was no big deal for those skilled workers to inlet. I probably would make them shake their heads.
dave
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The checkering turned out great, Dave. Nice job on the wrist inlay as well! ;D
Curtis
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Hi,
Thanks for looking and commenting folks. A few details I wanted to share. The first photos shows the mortice for the wrist plate. As you can see, it is somewhat complicated. I had to file away some details on the plate to bring the metal down flush with the wood at some locations. This is because the radius of the plate differs a little from the wrist. I will cut those details back in later and it will look exactly like the original casting.
(https://i.ibb.co/sR2Pg3h/wrist-plate-mortice.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tK4hHCS)
I did some drilling chores today. First, I drilled the rear pins anchoring the trigger guard. I use 5/64" spring steel rod for the pins.
(https://i.ibb.co/VvZz75C/trigger-guard-pins.jpg) (https://ibb.co/2jQCDHM)
Next I drilled and installed the cross pin for the butt plate tang. The tangs were anchored either with a cross pin or the lug under the tang was filed into a hook that slid under a stud installed in the mortice. Rarely, if ever was a screw used like in long rifles. The only exception of which I am aware is the pattern 1757 marine and militia musket.
(https://i.ibb.co/Th3n33r/buttplate-tang-pin-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9Y5f55G)
(https://i.ibb.co/3MJRZYQ/buttplate-tang-pin-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/yY34jB7)
The next thing I did was drill for the cross pin anchoring the bottom of the standing breech. These breeches always had a cross pin on the bottom or a bolt threaded into the bottom of the breech that was hidden under the trigger guard or was used to anchor the front extension of the guard. The latter design was a feature from the 19th century.
(https://i.ibb.co/Bf2Fgr4/standing-breech-pin-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/b65Dr2H)
(https://i.ibb.co/FmFFjNM/standing-breech-pin-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/sbZZMkG)
Unfortunately, most modern made standing breeches lack the under lug because modern manufacturers and many builders are ignorant of the correct design. The pin or bolt holds the breech down securely so a snug fitting hook on the barrel, which you should want, does not lever breech up during installation and removal of the barrel. Finally, I filed a decorative molding along the forward edge of the standing breech. The design is similar to one used by John Twigg and will be refined as I finish the gun.
(https://i.ibb.co/GCXtgJ3/standing-breech-molding.jpg) (https://ibb.co/L9MJ4Ph)
dave
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Beautiful work Dave!
Lovely to see your chequering, but it still give me the shudders thinking about doing it!
I have not done many , and they made me want to scream! (Wrap -around)
It's going to be simply Stunning when finish'd.
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Hi,
Thanks for looking and kind comments. I put a brass rivet in the nose band to hold it in place and final detailed the stock. After sanding the stock with 220 grit, I finished the breech tang carving. Then I stained the stock with alkanet root infused in mineral spirits and double checked details and for scratches. Finally, I applied Sutherland-Welles polymerized tung oil that was thinned with mineral spirits and alkanet root stain. I applied the oil with 220 grit sandpaper. Sanding creates a slurry, which I will let dry overnight. Tomorrow, I will sand the stock smooth with 320 grit paper and the slurry will have filled the open grain of the walnut. After that process, I will assemble the rifle and check that everything still fits and works. Then I will apply unthinned tung oil until I build up a nice satin sheen. While the stock is drying, I will polish the brass, finish the wrist plate, mount the sights, polish and heat treat the lock, and engrave the hardware.
dave
(https://i.ibb.co/7CQqLP2/alkanet-root-stain.jpg) (https://ibb.co/W50LjZg)
(https://i.ibb.co/hWDNXcs/carving-1.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/LzbVBhB/carving-2.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/M74Z2h0/slim.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4pGKmfr)
(https://i.ibb.co/Gpg0zG1/slurry.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SyqPFH1)
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Dave, others - was similar checkering ever used on Jaeger rifles? I used similar checkering on a Pedersoli pistol kit, and put a little silver (Argentium) blob in the center of each square. Barrel on that pistol was 16.375", and you held it with both hands - the non-dominant on the forestock. But maybe would like to do that on a Jaeger - without the Argentium.
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Great tutorial. Thanks
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Loving watching this amazing rifle come together. That's really going to be one fine smoke pole.
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Hi,
Thank you all for looking and commenting. There are other threads and tutorials that cover the basics of muzzleloading gun making. My hope is that my threads fill in specific details about certain kinds of guns that you don't get from the broader discussions.
I stained the stock with alkanet root and a little golden maple oil soluble aniline dye. The color will be very nice and bring out the grain in the wood. I am still putting on coats of finish but am waiting until the current coat really cures. Then I will go back and refresh the checkering and add the 4 tiny dots in each large diamond. Lots, and lots, and lots, of dots....... After staining and the first coat of finish, I decided I did not like the way I shaped the bottom of the fore stock where it merges with the lock panels. I left it too flat looking and wanted a narrower curve that made a more pronounced knuckle at the front of the lock panels. So, I got out my rasp, files, scrapers, and sand paper and shaped it better. Then I stained and sealed it with finish. I am happy now. Today I finished detailing and polishing the wrist plate. I show the rough castings along with the original and then the finished plate on the left with the 255-year old original. It came out OK! There are a few minor differences but I think it is a keeper. More to come.
(https://i.ibb.co/0ts7ZNS/wrist-piece-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/X8YQpBg)
(https://i.ibb.co/5jvb68j/wrist-piece-7.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/k6zVdZ8/wrist-piece-8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0V1pw5M)
dave
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Hi Folks,
Got a lot done on several projects. The wrist checkering is finished. I added a dot to each quadrant within a large diamond. That amounts to over 1,020 dots. It is a style used by Twigg, Durs Egg, Henry Nock and others during the last half of the 1770s and into the next decade. Eventually the little quadrants became stand alone diamonds and the dots were abandoned evolving into the flat topped checkering we associate with British work from the end of the 18th and throughout the 19th centuries. I have an original gun from the period with a simpler version of this checkering. The dots looked to me simple awl pricks that swelled and filled when finished and barely show. However, many guns with this checkering show prominent dots that still have depth despite finish. So I decided to make mine more than just awl digs. I marked each location with an awl and hand pressure, then deepened the hole with a pin punch and hammer. Then I made the hole larger with a larger punch. The result are dots that actually create a rough surface.
(https://i.imgur.com/rwAmrNL.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TMojGy1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tpURSTe.jpg)
I finished engraving the side plate. It came out well. I engraved a twisted rope border around the shield and an "embowed arm holding a sword" on the shield. That is a heraldic symbol meaning courageous leadership in battle. It is perfect for an officer's fusil.
dave
(https://i.imgur.com/68kGwj3.jpg)
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Great, great project Dave.
Especially like that side plate.
Jeff
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Very Nice - they used the same on the Bedford Flag (Bedford MA) it is claimed to be the first flag ever flown by an american force in battle (Concord/Lexington) the original is in the Bedford Library - fun to see it.
(https://i.ibb.co/Tc84Crw/flag-fr-1.gif) (https://imgbb.com/)
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Really enjoying the way you are sharing your build.
I think, if I were to copy some of your checkering tools, that I would use one of my metal checkering files to cut the little teeth - at 20 lpi, i think it would be very effective.
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Beautiful work Dave, all around.
Here's a tip I learned from my dad that may be useful to someone on checkering. Dad did quite a bit of checkering, and hated "gloppy" filled-in checkering with too much finish.
When adding the finish to checkering, he said to add one drop of finish to the checkering area, and then scrub it in completely with a soft, clean toothbrush. Let it settle in. If the checkering isn't all sealed, then another drop, and scrub it in again. He said it prevented getting too much in the checkering.
He also used blue painters masking tape to seal off the checkering while finishing the rest of the stock. Recently he was looking at longrifle carving, and said he'd finish that the same way.
Hope this is useful to someone.
I am enjoying the "work along" pictures Dave. Please keep them coming.
God Bless, Marc
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Hi,
I finished engraving the butt plate and fitting the screws. I think I captured the look and feel of English engraving from the mid 18th century. The rococo elements such as asymmetry, exaggerated leaves and scrolls, and shells are pronounced. Only small square and round gravers are needed. I engraved a thistle in the little frame near the heel of the plate. Perhaps the rifle was owned by a British officer from Scotland. The mounting screws were countersunk and then file flush with the brass. After fitting, I case hardened the heads and temper blued them. Tomorrow I finish the trigger guard.
dave
(https://i.ibb.co/4NBMMGD/butt-plate-engraving-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3htWWq8)
(https://i.ibb.co/D53jbHd/butt-plate-engraving-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Ln4sPXK)
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Beautiful work, Dave.
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Hi,
I got a lot done. The finish on the rifle is done and much of the engraving. I am working on polishing the barrel and installing the sights and bayonet lug. I have to use an existing repro British bayonet, cut off the blade, and weld it to a new socket that fits the barrel. I've assembled the rifle and checked all the parts. The trigger pull is 1.5 lbs with absolutely no creep. I still have to engrave the standing breech and trigger guard. I finished polishing, tuning, and finishing the lock. I case hardened the plate, cock, top jaw, and frizzen. During that process, I temper the frizzen to 375 degrees F but the rest to 600 degrees. I left the blue tempering colors on the plate, cock, and top jaw and when they were still warm, I rubbed them with boiled linseed oil and rottenstone. That fine polish deepens the color and gives a nice finish. It will eventually fade to a polished silver gray. I put a sole on the frizzen using a piece of 1095 spring steel, which was hardened. After cleaning up the cast frizzen and getting rid of rough areas on its face, it was too thin for my liking. It needed more mass. So I cut a sole, tinned the surface of the frizzen with Stay Bright low temp solder, and clamped the sole on top and heated until the solder flowed again. When cooled, I ground all the edges flush and clean everything up. Then I clamped the sole and frizzen and heated it all again to 375 degrees in my oven. That assures the sole is not too hard so that a flint does not cut it. I assembled the lock and tested everything. Even with flints too large (as in the photos) it showers the pan with abundant sparks over and over and over again. The over sized flint (I don't have any the right size) is held securely by the teeth I cut into the cock and top jaw. They are far superior to those useless ridges you see on some manufacturers flint cocks. The bend I put in the frizzen spring where the frizzen toe touches it acts to some degree like a cam. It creates good resistance to the frizzen moving until the toe goes over the hump and then that resistance diminishes. It is a bit like having a roller bearing on the spring or toe of the frizzen. The inside photo of the lock shows the crisp and precision fit of the parts. The lock is smooth as silk. I cut the edge molding around the lock plate and the flint cock. I have a lot of experience doing that and the molding is not a flat bevel. It is ovoid in profile, which is much more difficult to produce but historically correct. More to come.
dave
(https://i.ibb.co/SwTLycv/finished-lock-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gZ1n9dg)
(https://i.ibb.co/7zkNVJD/finished-lock-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8BY42Dw)
(https://i.ibb.co/hfr2pFr/finished-lock-3.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fvZrmdZ)
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Great attention to detail Dave...enjoying this build a lot.
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Dave,
Many of us on the forum stagger along building southern rifles or Pennsylvania styles, (some of them very high order) You have put yourself into a category that lets the reader relax, I know how the story will end and I completely enjoy reading the progress toward the that end. One of the things that caught my eye was when you inlet the thumb piece, you commented of the inlay black mess. That reminded me of a cast silver patch box lid that I just made. In order to flatten the underside of the lid , I glued a small "T" shaped (folded) piece of cardboard to the face of the lid. That gave me a handle for jointing and spared my fingertips from twenty minutes of 220 grit. I used some spray adhesive to hold the cardboard on and everything later washed off with a little acetone.
Incredible fusil build It is a shame that Dixon's is out for this year. We will have to wait to see it.
C W
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Hi,
Finished! The barrel is a D-weight Colerain Griffin fowler rifled in 62 caliber. It was shortened to 39". The breech is almost 1 1/4" across at the breech and it balances very well. I browned it because during the 1770's browning started to become popular in Britain and it is a nice feature for a rifle. I plan to get another Griffin barrel in 16 gauge to drop in as a smooth bore and that barrel will be polished bright and more typical of surviving officer's fusils. The stock is English walnut stained with black dye that was rubbed off, and then alkanet root. The finish is Sutherland-Welles polymerized tung oil. I built the lock from TRS series 569 parts. It is a copy of a lock from an officer's fusil by John Twigg from the 1770s. All the engraving was adapted from original guns by Twigg, Jover, and William Bailes. The thumb piece is a copy of an original made in the 1760s. The rifle represents a high end gun that might be purchased by a wealthy officer for service in North America during the 1770s and 1780s. The architecture copies features of fowling guns from the 1770s with a little military influence as well. It was a challenge to make but I am happy with the end result. I'll shoot it this week. Enjoy the photos.
dave
(https://i.ibb.co/QjSHbXz/finished-fusil-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Kz4s0mR)
(https://i.ibb.co/1Ly76P0/finished-fusil-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/G0YnT8d)
(https://i.ibb.co/VVzhMPS/finished-fusil-5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tBvNYWs)
(https://i.ibb.co/s5WW4LL/finished-fusil-6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tZLL6yy)
(https://i.ibb.co/H4s8FRv/finished-fusil-8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XLgR26B)
(https://i.ibb.co/CMNrrWQ/finished-fusil-9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Hx1JJXq)
(https://i.ibb.co/SVqdsdz/finished-fusil-11.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kqY9H9t)
(https://i.ibb.co/dgWcM1Z/finished-fusil-12.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vYwBqg9)
(https://i.ibb.co/rtXHVh4/finished-fusil-13.jpg) (https://ibb.co/59JLP3B)
(https://i.ibb.co/JmnKKSx/finished-fusil-15.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PFxNNVT)
(https://i.ibb.co/WyVX5yQ/finished-fusil-16.jpg) (https://ibb.co/r6dh06g)
(https://i.ibb.co/fCnRHHB/finished-fusil-17.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rZcPHHT)
(https://i.ibb.co/vJpbX49/finished-fusil-18.jpg) (https://ibb.co/302wRmK)
(https://i.ibb.co/z2r9wD4/finished-fusil-19.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4S7vx3V)
(https://i.ibb.co/FxvGBhY/finished-fusil-21.jpg) (https://ibb.co/98XRqp4)
(https://i.ibb.co/sCbXVpc/finished-fusil-22.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1M74mYB)
(https://i.ibb.co/G9NtFqw/finished-fusil-23.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/yQDZMnS/finished-fusil-25.jpg) (https://ibb.co/DRNv6Dp)
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That is quite an elegant rifle. I have seen a lot of the tang and shell carvings that you have posted in the past . In my view I think it is one of your best. I like what you did with the checkering, giving the impression of larger squares by having different depth to the lines.
Would indeed have been an officers prized possession.
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Very excellent work, Dave!
Altogether lovely.
Not got my book here, so can you tell me where you got the sideplate design? My mind says Joseph Alley, but I've been wrong before!
Think William Bailes was the first to produce the shell curling in from the right, and yours is a Lovely example!
Congrats on such a beautiful job. Unbeatable I'd say.
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Dave, that is a very lovely piece, very purposeful. Everything about it seems to be saying, "Use me - I was built to shoot good and be beautiful as well!"
I have learned a lot following your build. Never be as great at it as you are, but you have shown me the right way to do things - thanks!
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So nice, David - beautiful.
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A beautiful piece, thanks for sharing.
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Absolutely amazing! No way I could maintain focus the way you do. BJH
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That is fantastic. You are a true master. Thanks for the pictures.
Dave
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Another winner Dave!!
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Well done Dave!! Your picture of the tang and carving demonstrates the wonderful attention to proportion that makes this rifle special. And nicely finished too. thanks for this great ride.
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Beautiful piece Dave. Your engraving design and execution skills never cease to amaze.
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Another excellent piece! Your attention to detail is amazing! I hope you have it at Dixon's next year, I'm looking forward to seeing it in the flesh.
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Hi and thank you all,
I appreciate the comments. I worked hard on this one and I have to admit, it is a bit of a fantasy piece because there was no standard to work from unless I copied an original example. But I did my homework and arrived at a plausible design. There were a few rifled fusils but the vast majority known were smooth of carbine or musket bore. However, because there is no standard pattern, I made up a story for what a wealthy lowland Scot officer might order from a good London or provincial maker. The Scottish heritage is from the tiny thistle engraved on the butt plate frame. The bent arm with sword on the side plate indicates courageous leadership. The rest of the engraving is classic English rococo. Richard, the shell is from a Bailes gun. He was one of the greatest in my opinion but he suffered from the poor payment behavior of his wealthy clientele. The side plate was used by Verncomb, Ketland, and several others. Mine is different in that I left a solid shield of brass in the center rather than open loops of rope. That gave me the opportunity to engrave the bent arm. I am always inspired by the past artists but I attempt to display my understanding of their work by creating designs of my own that seem unambiguously derived from those historical roots. The lock is interesting. It is set up just as the original it is based on. Note the flint jaws do not over lap the pan very much. Also note the face of the frizzen is almost flat, no arc. It took me a bit to figure this out. The parts were cast from an original lock complete with wear. After cleaning up the cast frizzen and its casting imperfections, it was very thin and light. After looking at original Twigg locks, I knew that thinness was wrong. So I soldered a thick hardened sole on the frizzen and I suspected the flat thick surface would work with the flint cock geometry to create great performance. I am was completely correct and the lock produces sparkler sparks right in the pan. It has the advantage that the flint is not right in the pan explosion and should remain cleaner longer. It taught me that there is more than one way to skin a cat as long as you understand the physics. This is priceless knowledge.
Thanks again for your comments and interest in my work.
dave
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Thank you for the great write-up and expalanations Dave.
Very well thought out and executed.
Very interesting re. the peascod (spelling) type hammer or frizzen. Thanks for that, wonderful information.
You know, Verncomb of Bristol was the other choice on my mind for that sideplate, yet I dismissed him as I seem to recall he engraved his name on the Inside
of the lock; Right now, I can't think Why this made me dismiss him for the sideplate!
( I did see a Verncombe at auction once, no name on outside of lock.)
Again, thank you Dave, for this inspiration and great thoughts you have shared with us.
Richard.
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"The bent arm with sword on the side plate indicates courageous leadership." This is the bent right arm with sword on the MacFarlane coat of arms.
Loc Sloy was the the-battle cry. This precedes the period of the officer;'s Fusil, but oh well.
Our Mom was a MacFarlane.
(https://i.ibb.co/tJsKC0Y/coat-of-arms-of-andrew-of-ardess-small-file-796x1024.jpg) (https://ibb.co/71WCy3r)