TOTW help and ideas please.

[g2608671@verizon.net]

Building the TOTW English Fowling Gun and things have been going great until now.  Here is the issue: I have the barrel breach and tang inlet and just today finished inleting the lock.  However the space between the lock and the side of the barrel it mates with is about 3/8 " - can't get it any closer and this ain't good,.  The lock plate rests firmly on the milled ledge in the lock mortise with the crown of the Queen Anne lock plate just a bit proud of the stock surface, just as it should be.  In addition, the end of the sear just clears the bottom of the area in the lock mortise that is milled out to receive it and if I somehow lower the lock in the mortise the end of the sear will touch the wood.  I have only built 2 previous guns but my brain tells me that I should not be in a situation in which I need to grind off / shorten the sear as part of the solution to my problem.  And even if I did that (shorten the sear arm) I still have the issue of the space between the barrel and the lock.  I know there is probably an obvious answer / solution to this problem ( I sincerely hope) but guys, I can not figure this one out.   

[tallbear]

Sounds like the whole mortice and sear hole just need's  to be deeper.Remove wood until the lock and barrel mate up.Then lower the lock moulding until it's where it should be.


Mitch

[smart dog]

Hi Polekat,
I have built quite a few English fowling guns and I know what I am doing.  I am having a hard time understanding what your problem is.  Can you post some pictures?

dave

[Joe Schell]

Like Mitch said, the whole lock needs inlet deeper. Those pre inlets are just roughed out and need to be finished by hand.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Yes, it sounds like you're expecting the precarved stock lock panels to be to finished form.  This is not the case - they will need a lot of refinement.  As noted above, slowly and carefully keep inletting the lock deeper until the bolster contacts the barrel evenly.  This will require careful inletting of all the internal components, sear included.  Then, you will need to work down the lock panels until the lock plate stands in an appropriate relation to the panel surface.  Following this, you will the need to reshape around the panels themselves to an appropriate form.

If I may be blunt, this is why very early on I realized it was a heck of a lot easier to just stock a piece from a blank!

[mountainman70]

What everyone has said,also---make sure you use some kind of inletting dye/soot,whatever- to mark the high spots. I use a kerosene lamp base with no globe to soot up the part being inlet, then carefully work it in. Hope this helps. Dave

[smylee grouch]

It might help to just inlet the lock plate down to the point where it contacts the barrel and then inlet the other parts one at a time. JMHO

[g2608671@verizon.net]

Many thanks for the great replies, they have all made an impact and I do appreciate them.  I think what has (had) me on the ledge was not understanding that I need to be more aggressive in removing wood. While I did not expect the stock mortises to be a "drop in" kind of thing; I did not expect to be removing so much wood.  Lesson learned - and again, with the help of all who replied.  I was concerned that I would break through into the ram rod hole but now I feel that this is a remote possibility.  Also, since I wrote my original call for help I have identified a few more high spots that have appeared in the ongoing process and need to be removed.  Thanks folks, back to work with more confidence than I had before.
FWIW - I am using candle soot as an inlet marker and although I coat all the parts heavily am finding that this medium for identifying wood to metal contact is not working well for me. Need to get some inlet marking stuff (but not lipstick).