Finished Chamber's York!

[DrRed]

After well over 100 very enjoyable hours here it is :





























This is a Jim Chamber's York kit that I began at Jim's annual class in Asheville, NC.
Thanks Jim, Jim Klein, and Bob Raye for all the help getting started.
42" B Rice round groove rifled barrel.
Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions on this forum, but especially thanks to Dr. T. Boone, Jim Kibler, Jim Filipski, and Rich Pierce for help getting the lock molding and the forestock skinny enough and for help with the carving.
This is my first carved gun and I'm very proud of it even though it's far from perfect.
The only problem is I'm a little sad it's done- I looked forward everyday to working on it the past few months. I guess I'll have to do another, maybe a fowler this time.
Please feel free to critique-you wont hurt my feelings. I want to learn how to make the next one better.

Bob

[Waksupi]

Very nice for a first build!

[rich pierce]

I can't find much to offer you, critique-wise!  Very nice rifle.  Great fit, finish, color, excellent and appropriate carving.  Beats more than half the rifles you'll see for sale at Track's website.

[smylee grouch]

You shure did a nice job for a first. I think your hooked so dont try to fight it just keep on building.      Gary

[Ed Wenger]

Bob,

You did so well with a first carved rifle, you need to step up and do some engraving!  I love that Chambers kit, and you did a really fine job.  Carving looks very well executed, and I especially like the finish.  I know what you mean about being sorry it's finished.  I just finished a rifle tonight and I'm already antsy...  Great job!

                         Ed

[smallpatch]

Dr Red,

Very nicely done.  It looks like you worked out the carving behind the cheekpiece very well.

The one thing I notice, because I am guilty of it myself...... maybe next time, thin down the width and thickness of your patchbox lid.  And possibly the lock molding. (kind of hard to tell from the photos.

BUT, a very well finished rifle, for even a second or third effort.

Keep building

[BILL OKLAHOMA CITY]

I sure hope my chambers york looks this good.
Well done!

[g.pennell]

Beautiful rifle!  Congratulations...hope it shoots as good as it looks!

Greg

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I like it!  Your workmanship is excellent.  I know you will enjoy that rifle for many years, and it'll draw lots of oo's and ahh's where ever you go.
I'd love to hear how you stained and finished it. 

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Very nice sir!!  I definitely would be proud to own that gun!!  Make notes on the things you want to do differntly on the next one...keep making them!!

[longcruise]

Very nice rifle!  Also an excellent job with the photography.

[bdixon]

Nice job Doc, I wish my wifes chambers little fella looked that nice.


Brett.

[Jim Kibler]

Looks good!  You should be proud of yourself!

[Daryl]

Well done, sure makes my first seem sadder than ever.

[Randall Steffy]

Very nicely done! You must have learned earlier in life the rule "Measure twice, cut once". Because, as you must know, a rifle looks quite differently when you measure once and cut twice. Keep up the good work. Truly impressive. And as my grand dad would say, "There are no flies on you".

[DrRed]

The stock was a $50 upgrade from Jim Chamber's standard wood. For the stain I really wanted to try ferric nitrate but I also loved the examples I saw using the orange understain. I ordered ferric nitrate from The Science Company and Danglers golden brown and orange toner from Muzzleloader Builders Supply.  I hadn't seen anyone try the orange toner followed by ferric nitrate so I tried it on scraps and liked it and decided to use that on the stock.

I diluted the orange 50/50 with alcohol and brushed it on:





It's pretty scary looking. My wife called it a Tenn. Vol. rifle.

I mixed the ferric nitrate 1:4 with alcohol and brushed it on liberally and let it dry 30 mins. This is what it looked like before heat.







I heated with a heat gun and got a nice reddish brown that was slightly redder than I wanted so I
brushed on one coat of diluted Dangler golden brown, let dry and wiped the whole stock with an alcohol damped rag.  This gave the final color. Sorry, no pictures at this stage.
I sealed the stock with Watco Danish oil because I had used it before on other woodwork projects and had also read good things about it from knifemakers. I did it a little different than the can's instructions.  I soaked the stock and kept it wet for and hour brushing more on about every ten minutes. I let this dry for 48hrs wiping the stock several times with a dry rag as it seeped out of the wood. Between the first, second and third coats I wet sanded with Danco lightly with 600grit paper staying away from the carving, letting it dry 24hrs between coats. This is where it was when I posted the pictures. Since then I have rubbed on 2 light coats of pure tung oil letting it dry 24hrs between and rubbing well with old denim blue jean cloth between coats. I'm real happy with it at this point.

Bob

[KLMoors]

Looks real, real, nice. I love the tones you got in the finish. Thanks for the pics.

[Two Bears]

SWEET  !

[Timberdog]

Very nice!!! I'm getting ready to take on my
first build this fall/winter. Let yours be an
inspiration to all of us.

[wattlebuster]

if this is your first rifle i look forward to seeing your tenth. very very nice thanks for the pics