Stock blank thickness?

[Naphtali]

What is an acceptable stock blank thickness - not the shaped stock, the basis wood to be shaped - to accommodate a flintlock single shot whose basis barrel blank is 1.25 inches in diameter? . . . For a cap lock single shot whose basis barrel blank is 1.25 inches in diameter if there is a difference in stock thicknesses?

[rich pierce]

With a breech that large you generally want a buttplate near 2" in a flintlock longrifle.  Depending on layout and castoff, the cheekpiece may add a little to that.  For a percussion rifle, it could be a later style with a narrow buttplate so 2" thick could be plenty with care.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You can make do with a 2" thick plank for both builds, but it doesn't leave much room for error in the lay out.  The bolster on a flint lock plate is generally around .300" thick - Some Davis plates are thicker.  So add 2X bolster thickness to your barrel diameter at the breech, and a little more for insurance...le voila!  The cheek piece on many rifles is not thicker that that, but if you have a butt plate that is over 2" wide, take that into consideration too.

[Naphtali]

I'm slightly confused - my normal state. I think I'm reading that a 2.5-inch blank will be sufficient for flintlock and slightly less, perhaps 2.25 inches will be adequate for cap lock. Have I reached the correct conclusions?

[Dennis Glazener]

I'm slightly confused - my normal state. I think I'm reading that a 2.5-inch blank will be sufficient for flintlock and slightly less, perhaps 2.25 inches will be adequate for cap lock. Have I reached the correct conclusions?

Not sure why you have a difference in a flint over caplock. I use 2 inch for both caplock and flint in my Gillespie patterns and both have 1/4" of cast off. I have used 1 7/8" for this same style when I was building from scratch and not a pattern. It was close but I made it.

I have had to use 2.75 for other style guns so it all depends on the style of rifle and how much castoff and the design of the cheekrest.

Also whether you are doing it by hand or want someone to duplicate it on a machine. If it is to be duplicated the operator usually wants all the width he can get to make it easier to set up the machine.
Dennis

[Jim Kibler]

Sounds like another decision for whoever is going to be building the rifle.

[rich pierce]

After the barrel lock bolster and sideplate side thickness, the width of the buttplate and the cheekpiece will make the decision for you.  I suggested wider for a flintlock as many flinters with fat barrels are early.  Of course if it was a later flintlock like a Hawken, different story.  There's no difference in bolster thickness betwen most percussion and flintlock plates.  Alsp on many originals the wood on the sideplate side is thinner.  Depends on where they start the castoff, maybe, or some reason unknown to me.

[Bill of the 45th]

I'm a novice,and will be starting my 10th rifle soon.  Starting from a blank, I have wanted it to be breech plus twice the lock bolster, plus an eighth of an inch for slop  That allows for the lock tail kick out with a swamped barrel, and any aw sh#t's I might make.

Bill.

[keweenaw]

It's easy to take off extra wood and really difficult to grow more on.  And if the piece isn't straight one can get really screwed up when starting with a minimal thickness piece of wood.

Tom