Simon Lauck Build

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

A while back, I was looking for information and specs for a Simon Lauck rifle and was not having too much luck.  However, as per suggestions, I obtained a copy of "Longrifles of the Shenandoah Valley"  put out by the Luray Valley Museum Vol I Issue V.  In that was the rifle I wanted to build with many detailed pictures.  So, I have set out and started this build.  I had no specs as to any dimensions and have now endeavored to just make it a "Inspired by:" gun.  Having a very figured stock that  I bought a little while ago from the Buchele stock, I was determined to use this one for my build.  (It was put up in a rack back in January of 1969!)  Problem was, only 2" wide.  Not much room for a cheek piece.  Looking at the pictures, it is a very long rifle and I went for .36 cal and purchased a Dickert style swamped barrel from Rice, 44 inches.  Using a late Ketland Chambers lock.  The butt piece was of a Virginia look but examining the trigger guard, I was a little perplex and then realized, it was a Beck.  Makes sense, Simon studied with Beck in Pennsylvania.  The patchbox is very typical of a lot of Virginia guns.  There is a single piercing in each side piece as well as the finial.  (Must have been someone making a lot of these in Virginia from what I have seen from many different gun makers that installed these on their guns.)  Since I went up to Dave Kecks for him to inlay the barrel and drill the RR channel, I picked up one of his blank 4 piece patchbox sets and sawed out what I needed.
Once home, I drew lines out on a picture of the rifle and extrapolated the angles for the stock.  It really didn't match either Virginia guns or Becks, but still a nice shape.  Somehow, I managed to give the gun a little offset, allowing me to sqeak a cheekpiece and think I did an okay job of it.
The only view not given in the series was a picture of the toe plate.  From what I can gather it was long, all the way up to the hinge on the box.  So I cut out one and put a flower on the end similar to the one on the patch box. (What is that flower???)
So here are some pictures of what I have so far:










Hunting season is getting in the way with my building at this time of year but during the winter months, hopefully, I'll get the carving and engraving done in time for a little Spring shooting.  Started with the molding on the fore end a little today. 

[Algae]

That's looking very nice!

Al J.

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

Using my high tech marking tool, I drew two lines for my molding.  Taking a 3/4 inch chisel following the lines I lightly tapped in a line.  I followed with a checkering tool to widen and straighten up the lines.  Used a triangle file on top and a small round file followed by a 3/8 round for the bottom incised mold. 
Both are straight and clean but should I make the incised a little deeper?

[GANGGREEN]

Very nice, great job so far. 

[BOB HILL]

Looking good from here. Keep up the good work.
Bob

[Rajin cajun]

The flower is called, Edelweiss. The Lauck, and the Sheetz used several variations of this flower.
Very nice rifle there ......







Bob

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

The flower is called, Edelweiss. The Lauck, and the Sheetz used several variations of this flower.
Very nice rifle there ......



Thanks.  I thought that was it but not sure.  Yes you do see it a lot in many guns from the period.
Michael



Bob

[Nordnecker]

You're making it look easy!

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

Here is what was written on the butt end of the blank.  When I worked curly maple before, it was very difficult the first time or so.  Since, I have gotten very good at sharpening my tools and keeping them so.  That helps a lot.  But with this stick being put up for so long, it is extremely hard and makes for easy carving.
Build can be very frustrating at times and like all good woodworkers, you learn to cover your mistakes. 

That being said, here are the items I learned the hard way and if a novice will take my humble advise, you might save on some of the errors many of us have made and will continue to do so:
Light:  Lots of it and from many angles.
Sharp tools:  Many guides out there.  Forget the fancy jigs,  learn the angles, make up a couple of little blocks of wood at those angles and line your tools up with them.  After a while, you will take a gouge or chisel and just go to your diamond stone, wet stone or your favorite and touch up the tool, Strop on a piece of leather and have at it.
Proper vise and support:  There's current thread on vises.  Great adVISE there.  With scraps make up something to support your non-working end of your gun.
Vision:  Get yourself a Optivisor!  I have one and with it several lenses of various power.  2X is good to start.
Drill Press:  The only power tool that is extremely handy.  (Can you do without it?  Sure.  But even a small bench top unit will be very valuable and you'll thank me for this advise.)
Mentor:  Wish I had one when I was first building.  However, going to seminars, and meeting like minded builders, Ican't begin tell you how much you learn from others and just by seeing their work.  I took a carving class with Wallace Gusler and learned years worth of knowledge and have spent time with Allen Martin.  Just walking into Allens shop something will just warp into my tiny mind and be helpful. 
So much for my wisdom.  Wish someone had given me these little hints when I first started building.  Anyway, here is what I got:

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

A little help here or suggestions please.
I was drilling for the pins for my RR pipes and am a little high, which shouldn't interfere with the rod itself but, I have a drifting problem with my drill bit.  See picture.  I was entering properly on the other side but once in, drifted up.  Any ideas how to prevent this?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Drilling pin holes for rod pipes or barrel tenons in an already convex shaped stock, is a little like drilling ramrod holes...use a new drill bit, high speed, and only a little at a time, clearing chips frequently.  Drill from each side of the stock, not attempting to go all the way through and out the other side.  With careful lay-out and drilling from both sides, your holes will align and meet in the middle of the target.   I always use a drill press, a solidly clamped vise and a spirit level to ensure alignment of the holes.

[Marcruger]

Looking great!

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

Drilling pin holes for rod pipes or barrel tenons in an already convex shaped stock, is a little like drilling ramrod holes...use a new drill bit, high speed, and only a little at a time, clearing chips frequently.  Drill from each side of the stock, not attempting to go all the way through and out the other side.  With careful lay-out and drilling from both sides, your holes will align and meet in the middle of the target.   I always use a drill press, a solidly clamped vise and a spirit level to ensure alignment of the holes.

I guess in the back of my mind, I knew these things.  Trouble is I'm too impetuous and tend to hurry things along.  Great advise and now that I have been refreshed, I will follow your advise.
Thank you!

BTW:  my pipes were not to finish specs, thus the file marks.  As said above, I rush things and once I had them shaped, I inlet them.  Once fitted but not pinned, I will then fine polish and after staining and finishing the stock, install.

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

Completed my build.  I'm pleased with the results and very happy with the way it performs shooting.  I'd like to thank Jim Chambers for the quality of the Ketland lock and Jason at Rice Barrels for the performance of both lock and barrel.
Although this was my ninth build, I was still a little reluctant on some of the work.  This site has been extremely helpful and it's members knowledgeable.  I'm getting comfortable with a few tasks and even feel that I can add my two cents in on discussions and advise as warranted.
All I had to go on were pictures from the "Longrifles of the Shenandoah Valley" CD from Luray Valley Museum.  My biggest handicap though was the stock blank only being 8 quarters wide. However, did manage to get a respectable cheek piece out of it.
So here are the specs:  Simon Lauck "inspired" flintlock.  .36 cal.  59 1/2 inches long, 14 1/2 trigger pull on a double set trigger.  8 lbs. 10 1/2oz. in weight.  Late Ketland lock. (BTW, this Ketland had script for Ketland and Co.  I found several other examples of the same script and tried to copy such.)  44 inch "Dickert" barrel swamped. (It matched up perfectly to what I was seeing in the pictures.)  for the patch box, I should have gone ahead and make the side pieces wider but just added a little brass to one of Dave Keck's 4 piece matchbox kits.  The tow plate is what I think it should look like since there were no pictures of the actual plate but you can see from a side profile that it was long.
Shooting:  Started off at 25 yards and was okay with the sights so went out to 40.  Had a flyer do to a distraction but the next 4 were nice and tight. Will lower the rear a hair. She fires real quick and I might go for squirrels but mostly this will be my everyday shooter.
Notes:  Although a Virginia gun, the profile is not.  Simon learned gun building from J.P. Beck in Pennsylvania and there are a lot of his his traits in Simons builds.  One was the trigger guard.  It is a Beck.  He might have brought parts with him when he moved to Winchester Virginia.
I also found that when researching Virginia guns, you will find a large majority of them feature the same patchbox found here. 

[Daryl]

Well done.
I have found, over the last 48 years, that barrels shoot well right from the get-go.

[GANGGREEN]

Nice job on the rifle.

[flatsguide]

You crafted a nice looking rifle and from the target it looks like she will put meat on the table.
Richard