It's been a long time in coming...

[Stophel]

Well, it's been a long time in coming, but here it is.  A Peter Neihardt type rifle.  This gun just about killed me, and I ain't sure about all that "makes you stronger" $#@*...

I think it was possessed.  A nightmare.  Everything that could go wrong, did.  Twice.  I got to where I couldn't stand the thought of it.  But, I finally got it done and out the door.

I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, finally.  Particularly in the shaping of it, which was not easy, let me tell you.  The finish was a comprimise.  I wanted red varnish.  Bad.  Originally, I had my own home made varnish, but it was just NOT going to dry in a reasonable amount of time, so I removed it and used the old stand by Tru Oil, with just a bit of purified linseed oil added to help keep it fluid a little bit longer so I could TRY to smooth it out.  The pigment was "mulled" into the varnish just with my fingers a little bit at a time.  Now that I have good (really outstanding) weather, I could probably get my varnish to dry quicker, but at the time, it just wasn't going to.  It did look better.  It was more transparent with a greater depth of color than this varnish is, but it's OK.     It was VERY hard to keep/get the varnish out of the carving, and I spent a great amount of time with a metal pick digging varnish out of the grooves.  My varnish gave me no problems in this area, since I could smear it on super thin, it just passes over the carving without going in, but the Tru Oil must be put on thicker, so it's filling the carving no matter what.  I tried different things to keep it out, but it didn't work.

Anyway, here it is.

www.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Fatdutchman/Flintlocks/Neihardt

I now notice one little detail I forgot to do on it....the moulding lines in the butt should be filed in the buttplate.   ...  I know the nosecap should be more rounded, but I couldn't get the nosecap to do what I wanted, and it just kept ending up like this.  I think it looks better angled anyway.   

One thing I purposely didn't do "right" was the stock area around the wood box lid.  On every Lehigh gun I have seen with a wood box lid, they just flattened the stock, put on the lid, and left it be with no effort at shaping down the wood around the box.  Well, I couldn't stand that, so I shaped the wood down like I would with any other gun.

Well, what do you guys think?  Oh, and I know y'all don't like the top jaw screw...

[Acer Saccharum]

Now that you pointed out all the mistakes, I don't even have to go look. 

All right. I'll go look.

Tom

[Ken G]

Chris,
I don't know much about Lehigh architecture but I do know what is pleasing to my eye and that is.  Nice job.  Clean execution. 
Thanks for posting the link.
Ken

[Acer Saccharum]

Chris, I understand your fears. I have not built a Lehigh, because I am skeered to. I don't understand them well. But you have overcome the beast here. I think your shaping and carving is very good.  I agree on the finish not being transparent enough, despite that you have a work to be proud of.

It also gives me inspiration to give Lehigh a try someday.

Thanks for posting.

Tom

[TinStar]

Stophel,

How about some specs on the rifle?(i.e. barrle length, weight, cal, wgt of gun etc.)

Do all Lehighs have the open ended muzzle cap or are some closed in on the end?

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

[Acer Saccharum]

I have been told that all Lehighs have open ended Muzzle caps. But I have SEEN some with closed ends.
 
And that only sheath buttplates were used, but that is also not true.

Tom

[Stophel]

It has the 38" Getz barrel.  .50 caliber.  The gun is not very heavy.

As a general rule, yes, open ended nosecaps, riveted on with brass rivets.  The so-called "sheath" buttplate...some makers used them (the ones most associated with the "Lehigh school"), and some didn't.

[smshea]

"All" "Always" and "Never" should be erased from Longrifle Vocabulary and replaced with "Some" "Sometimes" and/or "Most". So many rule breakers 200+ years ago? Shame on them!

Really nice rifle Stophel!

[rich pierce]

Dandy rifle; you're expanding your repertoire.  Lots to like there.  Super clean work.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

My heart skipped a beat.  I love it. 

I love those style rifles, when I finally get around to building one that is what I want to try, with a liitle help form a precarved stock perhaps.  Or maybe not. 

I have never seen some of the details that your photogrpahs provide and i havenever held a lehigh style in my hand, so these questions may seem a little silly.

The forend is very interesting.  Are they all triangular in shape? 

I was thinking of using a plain flat face colonial style lock on mine, would that be appropriate? 

Coryjoe

[LRB]

  Excellent Stophel. Very, very nice. How's the knife coming?

[gibster]

Very nice build.  Nice lines and the carving looks great.  Congrats on a great looking rifle that I'm sure anyone would be proud to take to own.

[David G]

Stophel,sounds and looks like you met and conquered the beast. Well done! Were you able to shoot it?

[Stophel]

Aaagh!  I haven't started on the knife!  Maybe I need to set up a daily schedule (not that I would follow it).  I have two guns, a knife, and now a dulcimer to work on. Ooh, sewing too...breeches, shirt, jacket, hunting shirt, new leggings...still gotta finish the vest...

Today, I ain't doin' nothin.  Still sore from all that dang barrel filing.

I shot the gun a few times just to make sure everything was copacetic.

[Stophel]

My heart skipped a beat.  I love it. 

I love those style rifles, when I finally get around to building one that is what I want to try, with a liitle help form a precarved stock perhaps.  Or maybe not. 

I have never seen some of the details that your photogrpahs provide and i havenever held a lehigh style in my hand, so these questions may seem a little silly.

The forend is very interesting.  Are they all triangular in shape? 

I was thinking of using a plain flat face colonial style lock on mine, would that be appropriate? 

Coryjoe

Other than the pattern that Fred Miller has (which I have not seen...can anybody show us one?), I doubt you'll find a precarve that is ANYWHERE near being "right".  I think Lehigh precarves are generally the worst of all of them.

The V fore end is pretty standard for Lehigh and Bucks guns, though I wouldn't say "always".  The nosecap itself should probably be just a bit rounder.

I'm not sure what you mean by "colonial style lock".  Guns like this generally have your basic German import lock.  The Siler works as well as any of them.  This has a heavily modified Siler lock, but I don't think I changed the lockplate shape at all...well I think I reshaped the tail end just ever so slightly...

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Beautiful! and the finish and carving ain't bad either!!  All the work and tears paid off!!

[California Kid]

Stophel, I think he means the newer lock that Davis makes.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

How do you get in touch with Fred Miller?  Is there a company name.  I was looking at Knob Mountain Muzzleloaders precarve for the very reason you mentioned, I doubt I could achieve the right shape on my own.  Their forestock is not shapted.  But after looking at yours the precarved I have seen do not have the shape as graceful as yours onthe cheekpiece area.  I may just need to go whole hog. 

The lock I was talking about is from RE Davis and is just a plain lock that they call the colonial lock.  I am wanting to make something of a poorboy in the Lehigh shape and I just thought it would look cool.  Though I agree what few originals I have seen have a lock similar to the Siler. 

Any pointers are how best to achieve that shape on the forestock?

Thanks for the information.

Coryjoe

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

The stock forward of the lock on Lehigh rifles goes from oval or egg shaped toward the entry pipe transition, and for the rest of the forend, it is flat or close to flat from the rod groove to the roll into the barrel channel.  There is often more wood along the barrel channel of Lehigh rifles than on other schools...as much as 1/8" approximately.
Stophel has done a capital job of getting the feel of this interesting school, and his workmanship and execution are excellent in my humble opinion.  I really like the rifle Chris.

[flehto]

Have been contemplating a Lehigh for some time now and have compiled a list of "oddities" of this style, have all the components but have avoided starting. IMO, the most difficult area  of a Lehigh to "get right" is from behind the breech to the start of the comb.  The wrist becomes larger vertically  from the rear of the lock panels to the comb and achieving this along w/ a stepped wrist isn't done properly on many Lehighs and totally destroys the looks of a "Lehigh". Chris has done an excellent job of achieving this most difficult area of a Lehigh. I'm far from being an expert on any style of LR, but I knows it when I sees it......Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Fred, if it's half as nice as your Bucks Co. rifle, it'll be a knock-out.

[flehto]

I always appreciate a compliment from a master builder. The Lehigh style is a much more difficult style to do right than the Bucks County and w/ a BC you get the curved butt w/o all the Lehigh  headaches....Fred

[Stophel]

I made the fore end about an eighth of an inch wide.  Normally, I shoot for 3/32".   (The Berks county guns I have seen have also had relatively thick fore ends.) The lock is real high and the wood is very flat across the top at the breechplug.  The natural inclination is to finish off the left side (above the sideplate) by swooping it down one way or another at the breech, but every Lehigh gun I have ever seen has left this area "unfinished".

The wrist is very straight, with very little drop.  It takes getting used to, because of the grip position.  Everything works together to get this high, straight wrist, with the high lock and the bottom of the stock making an ever so slight rise long about the trigger, pinching the wrist.

Fred, think of a Bucks gun as a "Lehigh light"...a stepping stone towards a Lehigh.  

Coryjoe, I think you'll find that early lock to be generally too large.  You CAN make it work, but it would take even more careful design and layout.

And thanks, everyone, for the compliments.   

[msw]

great carving and color ... worth the effort by any measure!