« previous next »
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5]   Go Down

Author Topic: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock - broken photos fixed!  (Read 37715 times)

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #100 on: February 26, 2018, 08:51:58 AM »
I have been working on other projects and have been remiss in my posting.  As for this rifle I mostly have been doing a lot of scraping and polishing, getting thing ready for final finishes and engraving.

The cheek inlay is in, I made a wooden punch from a ramrod scrap to tap the inlay in place.  The inlay is rather tight in the wood, the wooden punch helps prevent putting dings in the inlay and stock.





Made a copper rivet from a piece of #12 electrical wire, swedged the head on one side.  Used a punch to peen the other end into the countersink in the muzzle cap, then filed it flush. 





I drew directly on the forestock escutcheons with a mechanical pencil, then sprayed some hairspray into a cap and used a small artist's brush to paint over the pencil marks.  This works as a fixative and helps prevent smudging of the pencil lines.  If the inlay was not in the stock I would have just sprayed it on.



My reference material tends to pile up as I am working in things...  anybody else have problems with piles growing?



Got started on engraving the patchbox.  I used hot glue to fix the lid and finial to a block of wood with the top filed in an arch, and used a light coat of white spray paint on box as a base to draw on.  The side panels and inlays will be engraved on the gun.

If there is anyone out there that has difficulties hitting the small end of a graver handle, I have the solution - see the big head graver handle in the photo.   8)



Thanks for looking,
Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Greg Pennell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1522
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #101 on: February 26, 2018, 04:23:12 PM »
Boy, and yet another use for the ever-present railroad spike...I never would’ve thought...

Greg
Logged
“Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks” Thomas Jefferson

n stephenson

  • Guest
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #102 on: February 26, 2018, 06:04:10 PM »
Curtis, Thanks for the hair spray tip. That`s what I like about this site. Seeing beautiful guns and picking up tips and tricks from the best builders around. Thanks nate
Logged

Offline taco650

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 122
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #103 on: February 27, 2018, 03:16:26 AM »
Curtis,

I'm really enjoying reading along on this build of yours.  I'm learning a ton and think your craftsmanship is great!  You also explain things well.  Bravo!
Logged

JVavrek

  • Guest
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #104 on: February 27, 2018, 04:43:46 AM »
Curtis, Once again i want to say thank you for sharing this build with us. I hope you truly know how much you are helping us new guys. Ya couldn't resist getting the spike in there  :)
Logged

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #105 on: February 27, 2018, 07:42:22 AM »
Who's this spike fella you guys are talking about??  ???  Seriously, I appreciate your comments gents.  Nate, hope you get some use from the hairspray tip.  It sounds a bit lame at first to hear a gun builder talk about hairspray, but if you have ever just drew the perfect drawing only to accidentally smudge it off and go through two pencil erasures before you get it right again, you can learn to appreciate hairspray.  Don't ask me how I know that.   ;D

Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #106 on: February 27, 2018, 08:13:29 AM »
I made myself a push graver today, using an old doorknob I found in the yard of a fallen in house while deer hunting on a friend's land, and a graver from an antique mall.  Got a whole jar full of them for a few bucks.  When I found the knob I immediately thought of using it for a push graver, alas it took me a couple of years to get around to making it.  The steel shaft was rusted in place and I couldn't get it out, so I just cut it off with a hacksaw and drilled it with an 1/8" bit.





I got the patchbox lid and finial engraved and re-installed, and did some simple engraving in the side panels as well.  I feel the eagle head needs some help yet, but will probably look at it for a couple of days while working on other things before I decide what it to do about it.  I must confess the engraving I have chosen to do for this rifle is beyond my current skill level, but I decided to push myself beyond the comfort zone and hope for the best.

While I had the finial off I tweaked the lid spring.  I tilted the spring up in the back by angling the inlet beneath the spring mounting screw.  Works perfectly now.






Thanks for looking,
Curtis



« Last Edit: February 27, 2018, 08:15:35 AM by Curtis »
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Greg Pennell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1522
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #107 on: February 27, 2018, 04:37:36 PM »
Curtis, I think the eagle looks pretty wicked as he is...if I tried something like that it’d look like a three year old scratched it with a rock...

Greg
Logged
“Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks” Thomas Jefferson

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #108 on: February 28, 2018, 07:03:06 AM »
Thanks Greg, I was sorta aiming for wicked!  I had the opportunity to get a bit more engraving done.  The escutcheons have some significant curve to them and made the process somewhat tedious and difficult for me.  Here is what I ended up with:





Short post this time around!

Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline SingleMalt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 613
  • One day I'll be considered a good builder.
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #109 on: February 28, 2018, 07:46:19 AM »
I see no fault with your engraving of the escutcheons.  I agree it looks tedious!
Logged
Never drink whisky that isn't old enough to vote.

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."- Plato

"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #110 on: March 01, 2018, 07:30:16 AM »
Thanks SingleMalt, all I can say it they look okay at arms length, even better from across the room, and they keep looking better and better the farther away you get!

Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

n stephenson

  • Guest
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #111 on: March 01, 2018, 08:11:42 AM »
Curtis , it looks like your skill level is higher than you estimated ! Those eagles are AWESOME!  They look like they mean business! Nice Work!!  Nate
Logged

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #112 on: March 03, 2018, 07:53:47 AM »
Nate, you haven't quite convinced me to re-evaluate my skill levels but your flattery is most appreciated.   ;D  I think my son will be surprised about the theme and hopefully he will be of the same opinion that the eagles mean business!  Perhaps their astute vision will assist him in making many great shots.

Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #113 on: March 03, 2018, 08:07:41 AM »
I have been finishing up some more of the engraving, getting ready to brown the barrel and stain the stock.  I have been watching the vinagaroon I am brewing go through some interesting changes, the past couple of days it had developed a head about an inch thick.  I tried a bit on a scrap of maple and after washing over the vinegaroon with some hydrogen peroxide it made for a nice color - I think the vinegaroon will be usable when I am ready for it.

I did a bit of engraving on some of the screw heads.  I use an old drill chuck to hold the smaller screws, an idea stolen from John Schippers excellent book.



Finished engraving the sideplate, cheek inlay, toeplate and entry pipe.  Still have some work to do on the patchbox so no new pics of that yet.









Many thanks for looking,
Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #114 on: March 05, 2018, 08:06:47 AM »
I mentioned in a earlier post that I was brewing some vinegaroon - I believe it is still "working" some but I have been testing stain samples every couple of days and decided it was at a point it is usable.  In making it I used cider vinegar and some rusty old barbed wire taken down on part of my property.

Having read some a post by Long John concerning vinegaroon on this site I was intrigued by the mention of washing over it with hydrogen peroxide.  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=47945.msg474361#msg474361  So I tried it on some test samples with good result.  I though I would post a couple of photos while I was performing the procedure on the actual gunstock.  The changes are dramatic and can be seen instantly.  I may yet add another coat of stain before I start to put finish on, I will have to see how it looks in the morning.





The photos were taken after having applied one coat of v. stain, washing it with peroxide, letting it dry and applying another coat of v. stain, and starting to apply second peroxide wash.

Curtis
« Last Edit: March 06, 2018, 07:45:16 AM by Curtis »
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #115 on: March 06, 2018, 07:54:11 AM »
FYI - I fixed the link in my previous posting, it now works.

Lock plate and hammer:





Thanks for looking,
Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Chowmi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 843
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #116 on: March 06, 2018, 05:52:40 PM »
Nice work Curtis, that is looking really good!

I like the engraving a lot.  Looks like you have been practicing! 

I've been thinking about case hardening lock plates etc, care to share what process you used?

Norm
Logged
Cheers,
Chowmi

NMLRA
CLA

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #117 on: March 07, 2018, 07:50:47 AM »
Thanks Norm!  Sadly, I haven't really been practicing my engraving much, even though it would likely help considerably.  I did  cut a test eagle on a flat piece of german silver just to see if I could do it.  I do typically make a test cut or two with a freshly sharpened graver just to see if it will behave as expected.   I can't help but notice that my engraving improves somewhat from the start to the finish of a project, likely mainly from the familiarity gained using the tools.

The finish process used on the lock plate and hammer is something I learned from one of our members here, TOF.  After seeing how nice it looked on several guns he built I asked him how it was done.  It is not a true case hardening but does seem to impart some carbon into the steel. 

The parts were hung on a wire and heated with a torch to cherry red, then dunked several times into a bucket of water with about 3/8" of ATF (automatic transmission fluid) floating on the top.  I dipped the plate about four times, with about half second intervals between dips before leaving it in the water to cool.  The quench water was about 70o give or take.  I also used the same process on the trigger plate and the rear sight.

Here is a quote from TOF that explains the theory better than I could by paraphrasing him, I hope he won't mind me posting it here:
"My theory is that most parts today are cast from metal that can be thru-hardened, so heating them and quenching will harden the part if plunged directly into water.  However, if oil is floating on the water, it is picked up with each plunge and forms an insulating barrier as it enters the water.  The carbon in the oil adds carbon to the part and also slows the rapidity of the quench.  Instead of getting a part that is glass hard, you get one that is differentially hardened and requires no tempering.  The added benefit is that you can manipulate the case colors on the part.  A quench done at 50 degrees using 30w oil will give deep blue colors.  As the quench temp is raised and the oil is thinned, you start to get lighter blues and grays on the metal.  ATF contains components that increase its temperature stability, so it doesn't cling like motor oil and you get more of a solid color.  It is also possible  to get a French gray color under certain circumstances that require the color to be steel wooled off, leaving just a case hardened part."

I experimented with a few different oils and quench temperatures and got the colors I liked the best from the ATF and 70o quench.  I would like to caution that small parts like triggers can come out glass hard, depending on the alloy.

Use a heavy wire or you might burn it in two with your torch, causing gravity to take total control over your red hot part.  Yup, I did that once.   ;)

Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Chowmi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 843
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #118 on: March 08, 2018, 09:29:30 PM »
Curtis,
Thanks for explaining that. I am working to expand my metal working knowledge and that adds to my list of techniques.

I don't understand why that process would result in no need for tempering, but that is an off-topic subject for discussion elsewhere.

Norm.
Logged
Cheers,
Chowmi

NMLRA
CLA

Cajun72

  • Guest
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #119 on: March 09, 2018, 07:15:18 AM »
Beautiful work
Logged

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #120 on: March 09, 2018, 07:56:53 AM »
Thanks guys!  Norm, PM sent.

Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #121 on: March 12, 2018, 07:11:57 AM »
Hopefully I will wrap this thing up soon!  I put a traditional rust brown on the barrel, using a solution of approximately 20% ferric chloride, 50% water, 25% denatured alcohol, and 5% cider vinegar.  I didn't measure anything exact, just eyeballed the amounts in a jar.

I experimented with using a hot brown using chlorine bleach - it seems to give the smoothest, smallest grain rusting of most any browning methods I have tried, when carded between applications.  I was worried about the silver inlays so I tried it first on a test test sample using the barrel section I cut off.  The heating caused some minor movement of the silver, and allowed boiling bleach to get under the silver, etc so I abandoned the test after about 3 applications.  Here is what the sample looked like, I'm thinking two or three more applications and it would have been ready.



I had previously used the hot bleaching method when restoring a set of shotgun barrels, pictured below.



Here is what I ended up with using the tradition brown in my sweat box.  It took about 3-4 days of rusting and carding, followed by washing with Dawn and water, then a good waxing.







Still working on applying the stock finish, I probably have another few days to go on that yet.

Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #122 on: March 26, 2018, 08:22:15 AM »
My apologies -  it has been a long time between posts, however it has taken a great deal of time to get the finish on this rifle to near my liking - I think I am almost there.  I applied 5 or 6 coats of LMF sealer, and about 7 or 8 thin hand rubbed coats of tung oil.  Most of the applications had a few drops of LMF maple stain mixed in.   I have been working on other projects while waiting for oil to dry between applications.

I am still not particularly thrilled with the results but sometimes you just have to call it!  After applying the finish the lock, trigger plate, barrel and trigger guard would no longer fit and I spent an entire day scraping, sanding, cutting and fitting to get the components back in place.  The patchbox lid would no longer close, was off center and needed extensive re-fitting.  I have never had such a degree of wood swelling after applying finish, the wood must have really soaked up the stuff.  Even the buttplate did some moving and it was securely screwed in place the whole time finish was being applied.

After getting the barrel and components back together, I captured the barrel key using a brass nail.  I drilled a slightly undersized hole, cut the nail to length, drove it home with a punch and then filed it flush.  I normally secure a barrel key after the barrel has the finish applied and the stock as well, as I normally have to perform some last minute fitting of the key when these steps are done - which I find is easier to do while the key is still removable.  Track sells a small screw for capturing a barrel key but I have never tried using one.







I took a couple horrible of pics of the stock hanging in the shop to give an idea of how it looks...  I will take a full set of completed photos outdoors when the weather allows.  We are expected to have lots of rain the next couple of days here in mid Missouri.  It is likely I will put the finished photos in a separate post since there are so many pages in this thread.






***Photos of the completed gun can be found here: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=48647.0***

Thanks for looking,
Curtis
« Last Edit: March 27, 2018, 06:57:14 PM by Curtis »
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2338
  • Missouri
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock
« Reply #123 on: May 07, 2020, 08:02:25 AM »
I went through the post and fixed the photos so they would show up again!  Makes more sense with pics!  ;)


Curtis
Logged
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline RJD-VT

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
Re: Building an Ohio Style Halfstock - broken photos fixed!
« Reply #124 on: May 07, 2020, 11:55:51 PM »
Thanks Curtis, This was one of my favorite builds. I was able to see your pics by clicking in the empty square boxes but that was a pain.
 :) much better now.
Logged
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5]   Go Up
« previous next »