Work in Progress - Palm Rifle

[Berks Liberty]

I thought I'd share these with you all.  I hope to have it done by January....maybe February, that's if my wife leaves me alone.  I've done a lot of research of John Palm from the Tulpehocken/Womelsdorf area.  And since he's my ancestor, it gave me more incentive to build a rifle with the Palm feel.  I'm using photos in Shumway's book Longrifle Articles, Volume 1, page 88 and 89.  I am also studying some other Palm rifles to get a feel for his work.  I'll update as I get farther down the road with this piece to get your feel for it.   Colrain 44 inch, octagon to round barrel (Colrain's Turkey barrel) Chambers Ketland lock, besides the wood, trigger guard and butt plate, that should be all that is made by someone else.  I am planning on making all the other parts.

Jason

[Old Ford2]

Nice work, looks like you are well on your way to a fine rifle.
Best Regards
Old Ford

[Don Getz]

Jason......I am going to be somewhat critical about some of your work.   Your lock panel appears to be "applied", or it looks too much like a photograph.    The panels are still too big, and the rear part of the lock panel should just flow away
from the lock, it should not have a distinct divot, or concave look to it.   It should just flow into the wrist.  It's only about
six weeks until the Lewisburg show, come on down and look at some good originals, or look at the work of some of todays best gunbuilders, this will give you more insight into how this shaping should be done...........Don

[Acer Saccharum]

Jason, you have chosen a great time to post your pics.

Don has some very good suggestions, namely about the lock panels and wrist area. His thought of the Lewisburg show is immensely helpful, for there you will see what the contemporary guys are doing, and see a bunch of original work as well. Go to the show with a notebook and a camera.


On the top view, fifth pic down, I see the wrist 'necks in'  between the tip of the comb and the tail of the lock. Don't take any more wood off that low spot! You do have a lot of wood that can come off between this spot and the buttplate. I like to run a straight edge from the highest spot of the buttplate to the wrist, and see where I can take off high wood, while still leaving a flattish area for my patchbox(if you are going to have one).

I hope that helps.

Thanks for posting your work. See you at Lewisburg!

Tom

[Berks Liberty]

Jason......I am going to be somewhat critical about some of your work.   Your lock panel appears to be "applied", or it looks too much like a photograph.    The panels are still too big, and the rear part of the lock panel should just flow away
from the lock, it should not have a distinct divot, or concave look to it.   It should just flow into the wrist.  It's only about
six weeks until the Lewisburg show, come on down and look at some good originals, or look at the work of some of todays best gunbuilders, this will give you more insight into how this shaping should be done...........Don

Don, you can be critical that's why I posted the pictures.  Once you pointed out the lock panel I looked at the photographs and noticed the same thing.  I have a little more wood that flows from the tang toward the panels which I can probably use to make it flow more.  Thanks again.

[Berks Liberty]

Jason, you have chosen a great time to post your pics.

Don has some very good suggestions, namely about the lock panels and wrist area. His thought of the Lewisburg show is immensely helpful, for there you will see what the contemporary guys are doing, and see a bunch of original work as well. Go to the show with a notebook and a camera.


On the top view, fifth pic down, I see the wrist 'necks in'  between the tip of the comb and the tail of the lock. Don't take any more wood off that low spot! You do have a lot of wood that can come off between this spot and the buttplate. I like to run a straight edge from the highest spot of the buttplate to the wrist, and see where I can take off high wood, while still leaving a flattish area for my patchbox(if you are going to have one).

I hope that helps.

Thanks for posting your work. See you at Lewisburg!

Tom

I see what you mean about the low spot.  The photos I have shows a more tapered look from the lock panel and thickens from the comb to the butt plate.  I think once I blend the panels I might be able to give it a better flow.  I know I need to flatten the side for a patchbox so I'll use the straight edge to see about making it work.  I'm definately looking at Lewisburg now that you guys brought it up.  Just right down the road about 45 minutes so it shouldn't be hard to get there.  Thanks again. 

[Acer Saccharum]

Don is sometimes grouchy, but always honest. He lets me have it every chance he gets, with good reason. He has seen one heck of a lot of guns in his life. Don't let that "I only build barn guns" line fool you... his guns look and feel like originals.

Yeah, Donnie, I got it comin'...again. 

Tom

[Don Getz]

Jason......please don't take it personal, only trying to help.  Bring the gun along to  Lewisburg, You will never find a more
helpful bunch of guys, and take their advise.  Not many of the guys on this forum have had such an opportunity when they were starting out.....Don

[frogwalking]

Oh!   Palm Rifle.  I thought  you said Palin Rifle.  I was curious as to what that looked like.   

[Robby]

Frog, It would probably have some pretty nice lines, and a rather pleasant report.
Robby

[Berks Liberty]

Jason......please don't take it personal, only trying to help.  Bring the gun along to  Lewisburg, You will never find a more
helpful bunch of guys, and take their advise.  Not many of the guys on this forum have had such an opportunity when they were starting out.....Don

Don,

I didn't take it personal, so don't worry much.  I'm glad for any comments, I'd like to get it right.  Thanks again.

Jason

[Kermit]

  Grouchy is in the eye of the beholder.

About thirty years back, a young couple moved onto a farm down the road, and he was trying to farm using both horses and a tractor, using each where most apropriate. He asked an old Dutch farmer from nearby to come over and give him some advice. When the old fellow walked into the barn to check out his team of Clydes, he took one look at the harness hanging on the wall and remarked, "If I'd hung harness like that, my old man would have beat the (tar) out of me!"

Young fellow, "You were really lucky to have a father like that."

Dutchman, "Didn't you hear me? I said he'd have beat me!"

Young fellow, "Yes, you were lucky to have someone to teach you how things should be done. I'm having to learn it the hard way."

So began a friendship that lasted til the old man died aboout 4 years later.

Sorry. I digress.

[Berks Liberty]

I thought I'd give an update on my current build.  I hope to have it ready for turkey season in PA.  I have to add the patchbox, touch hole and sights and do some tweeking here and there before I finish it.  It's not perfect which I couldn't care to much about since it is my 2nd build.  Some imperfections but I plan to antique it a little to take the shine down.  I can't wait to shoot it


I plan on bringing the high polish on the lock down a lot, along with all of the brass.  Turkeys don't really like bright metal.




I made the two piece nose cap that was a lot of fun!


I forged the trigger myself which was a first, I think I'll do that again!


I left my pattern on the brass to give you an idea what I plan on putting on the patchbox.

[northmn]

Instead of rushing too much to make turkey season, I left my 25 in the rough and hunted with it all squirrel season.  While I was osme careful all the dings, scrathes and dents got rasped away.  Soem find that sacriligeous but you get kind of a feel for what you want to do that way.

DP

[smylee grouch]

Jason, I'd say you are comming along pretty good and the advise you get from Don's buddys and looking at all the origanals will open your eyes alot too. The one thing I saw from your pics was the forward edge of your cheek might look better if you tappered it into the wrist a little more, just my thoughts and maybe some of the other vewers will expound on that. Your gun looks pretty good so far.  Flintlocks Forever.  Gary

[Cody Tetachuk]

Oh!   Palm Rifle.  I thought  you said Palin Rifle.  I was curious as to what that looked like.   

That would be a rifle with great architecture  .

[Roger Fisher]

Oh!   Palm Rifle.  I thought  you said Palin Rifle.  I was curious as to what that looked like.   

That would be a rifle with great architecture  .

She's a beauty for certain; but in the political game that can hurt her chances.   It's called jealousy

[Berks Liberty]

The one thing I saw from your pics was the forward edge of your cheek might look better if you tappered it into the wrist a little more,   Gary

Gary, I noticed that when I got some feedback in December.  I thinned the stock in front and rear of the cheek area, so I did tapper it so it would flow better into the wrist.  Looks a lot better.  thanks for noticing and thanks for the feedback.  Jason

[Berks Liberty]

Instead of rushing too much to make turkey season, I left my 25 in the rough and hunted with it all squirrel season.  While I was osme careful all the dings, scrathes and dents got rasped away.  Soem find that sacriligeous but you get kind of a feel for what you want to do that way.

DP

I'd do that but the turkeys don't really like a big white stick pointing at them around here!     I wish they did it would be so much easier!

[Berks Liberty]

Oh!   Palm Rifle.  I thought  you said Palin Rifle.  I was curious as to what that looked like.   

That would be a rifle with great architecture  .

Thanks Cody! 

[Berks Liberty]

Oh!   Palm Rifle.  I thought  you said Palin Rifle.  I was curious as to what that looked like.   

That would be a rifle with great architecture  .

She's a beauty for certain; but in the political game that can hurt her chances.   It's called jealousy

Thanks Roger!  I'll post the finished product later on. 

Jason