Getting started with barrel/breech inlet

[magyar]

Afternoon all,

I just received my kit from TOW and want some advice with getting started.

The barrel has the breech plug installed as well as the sights and underlugs as i was afraid I would not cut the slots properly and didn't want to take chances. Honestly, in the case of the front sight, I think I could have done better myself. That is my only complaint about the kit so far.

But now I think that the underlugs may affect inletting the barrel and breech. As any of you know from these kits, there is still a bit of final fitting to be done.

My questions are:
1-should i remove the underlugs to help in the process?
2-should i remove the breech plug and do the barrel and it seperately?
3-whatever other question i cannot think of but you know I will have!

Thanks all. I am wide open for suggestions from you pros. I have been waiting a couple years to get around to doing this and plan to take my time. Any insight into a plan of attack and what thing to do first would also help. Please point to any past postings and tutorials that may help but i am pretty sure i have combed the archives pretty thoroughly!

i plan to copy Acer's horn end-cap process Thats just way too cool.

[54Bucks]

 I've put a few kits together but don't consider myself a builder. Also I'm not experienced with exactly what lugs TOW may have installed. So take everything that follows with a grain of salt.
 The 1st thing I'de do is determine if the lugs are too full to receive the pins or keys down the road. Either will be installed later very snug to the bottom barrel flat. Quite possibly the lugs can be cleaned up some with a file. Then I would carefully measure the lugs from the barrel breech end and transfer the measurements to the barrel channel in the stock. Making a good measurement of the lugs to know how deep the wood removal needs to be. It's not unusual to break thru the web between barrel channel and ramrod groove when inletting. But ya don't want the lugs to actually impede the ramrod space.
 Personally I would not remove the breech plug for inletting as it should be inlet as a unit. I would get the lugs inlet close first. Then it's a process of inletting the breech plug and tang pretty much straight down, keeping the barrel/plug snug rearward as you go. And once you get a good start on the breech plug/tang you will need to bend the tang to shape as you progress with the inletting.

[Dave B]

Your Idea to remove the under lugs is right on.  I like inletting my barrels with the plug installed. But first order of buisness is the lock pre-inlett? If not go a head and inlet the barrel. If it is then you need to have a rod down the barrel to transfer the face of the breach plug mark on the flat where the touch hole or powder drum will be installed. Which do you have Hawken breach, flint , powder drum breach? Once you confirmed the location of the barrel  for this, inlet the barrel. Do you have a book to assist you with the process like Recreating the American Longrifle or comparable? These are good http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/303/1  http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/303/1/BOOK-GGC/BOOK-ABPL If not I highly recommend getting one of them and reading through it first to "get your ducks in a row. The process I started here for you must be prefaced with the importance of lock placement with regard to the touch hole/powder drum location. If you have a powder drum situation and a pre-inlettlock you must find the placement location  for the drum before inletting the barrel. Once you have the location approximated and you know the barrel breaches location indicated I install the powder drum to keep the barrel where it suppose to be for the inlet. If your using a flint lock then the touch hole area being marked where the clearance of the screw in liner is accounted for is left for later installation. Go for the complete barrel and plug inlet.  Do you want a filed detail on the tip of the tang? do it now before you start cutting the inlet. I thought about it too late on my first long rifle and wished I had done it before getting rolling.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

You should remove the breechplug to inlet the barrel. You can leave the lugs in place and inlet the barrel upside down to get the breech fully inlet, and the barrel fully down. Once that is done replace the plug and inlet the tang, the lugs will probably interfere when you inlet the plug, if so remove the lugs and be sure to mark their position and orientation to the barrel so they go back in the same slots they came from. In the future try doing your own dovetails, just take your time, it's not that difficult.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Don't try to do anything as a unit, yet.

First establish where the face of the breech plug is, on the outside of the barrel's side flat.  You may have to move the barrel back in its channel so that the pan lines up with where the vent is to go.

Remove the breech plug, underlugs and sights.  Inlet the barrel alone, according to the first step. 

Now reinstall the plug, having filed a pleasing finial on it's rear end, and bent it cold to the contour of the wrist.  Inlet the breech plug and its tang.

Reinstall the lugs, and mark their position in the channel by measuring or with transfer colour like inletting black or prussian blue pigment.  Inlet the lugs into the channel. 

Mark the lug's position on both side flats of the barrek, and transfer those marks to the wood.  Measure the thickness of the barrel at each lug, and transfer that dimension to the wood.  This will locate exactly where the pins or keys will have to go.

[Jim Kibler]

It's commonplace to inlet a barrel less the plug and underlugs.  Some acomplished builders like to inlet with the plug in place.  As to underlugs, I think it's safe to say that in some cases (English fowling piece barrels for example) barrels were inlet with lugs in place.  With all this said, it would likely be a bit easier to work with these things removed.

[docone]

You can inlet the barrel, muzzle end first.
Remove the sights, and square to the muzzle rather than the breech. Then inlet the breech/tang.
Sights are not adjusted to center and height anyway.

[coutios]

  Dave B has sound advise. If your stock is pre-inlet for the lock it must be inlet first. Than follow with the barrel once you have located the position of either drum or touch hole/liner..  Gather your information think/plan your moves in advance.. Most of all have fun with it..

Good luck
Dave

[keweenaw]

I'll disagree about inletting the lock first.  If you are using a pre inlet stock you should be able to tell where the center of the pan or drum will be from the precut inlet without putting the lock in.  Just lay the lock over the inlet as well close as possible to final position and mark the center of the pan.  The set the barrel at the appropriate place as others have suggested.  The reason to NOT inlet the lock first is that the depth to which the lock must be inlet is determined by the contact of the lock bolster with the barrel in place.  Without the barrel in place you can't determine this depth.

Tom

[Dave B]

I was not saying to inlet the lock first but to determine the location of the lock pan/drum due to the inlet position being already chosen for you.  This being essential for the determining the place the barrel needs to be inlet to. The barrel is always first of all things when building  one of these things we just need to keep the breach face in its correct position relative to the locks placement.

[davebozell]

I agree with Dave B on determining the pan location first even if the lock is not pre-inletted.  I found that TOTW's barrel inlets are often not far enough back, and it's a real pain to have to move the barrel and breech plug back after it has been inletted once.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is to make sure the barrel inlet is deep enough so that whe the lock is positioned the top of the pan falls at the center of the side flat. I just had one of TOW's stocks that I had to deepen the barrel inlet nearly 3/32" at the breech end to line up properly with the lock. If the pan is too low on the barrel you can end up with powder dribbling under the barrel.