Two Guns I built... and a problem

[QuanLoi]

Here's the problem:  In the year 2000 I bought my wife's "dream" house... built in 1908.  Since then, I've been working on the house and not on guns.  Now that the house is almost done, I've decided to get back into it.   And I found out something very important.  It's not like riding a bicycle, once you learn how to ride you never forget.  Not gun building... If you don't build guns for a long time you forget a lot of things... your skill becomes somewhat lost.  So now that I'm getting back into it, I'm finding I have to learn things all over again.









So wish me luck!!  (Wife's happy, though)

Decker

[greybeard]

Whatever you did back in the day will be what you had best do today.   Bob

[Cody Tetachuk]

Welcome to the club. I have a Lehigh about 90% done but haven't looked at it in about 4 years. We moved and I was too busy building our business, cleaning up the place, fixing up the shop etc. Now, I finally got my gun shop kind sorta organized enough to work in it and am a little apprehensive about getting back to the Lehigh. You are absolutely right, it AINT like riding a bike. Good luck.

[JDK]

Judging by those 2 rifles, you could forget half what you knew and still build a fine gun.  Very nice work.

[Dave Waters]

Two very fine rifles, looks like what you knew came back just fine. Very nice.

[QuanLoi]

Sorry I wasn't too clear...  I built those guns back in '98 and '99 and the Bucks rifle took a nice ribbon at Dixons the year it was finished.  Those guns were builds numbers two and three. 

[Vomitus]

  If you ever tire of the Bucks Co., I know of a good home for her!

[deano]

"Noting to fear but fear itself"....think I'll drill those pin holes this evening on that Beck rifle! I have been staring at it for too long now!

[QuanLoi]

Insert Quote
"Noting to fear but fear itself"....think I'll drill those pin holes this evening on that Beck rifle! I have been staring at it for too long now!

That's what I'll be doing pretty soon... I installed 3 of 4 tenons in the barrel this weekend.  I'm starting to feel better about this... things are starting to fall into place.

Next weekend I'll pin the barrel to the stock and go from there.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I am enjoying looking over those two rifles.  You appear to me to have considerable skill, and I know it'll all come back to you if you take your time and think things through, before diving in.
One small critique if I may...I'd like to see your lock panels narrower along the top and bottom.  That would go a long way to improving that area at the breech on the side plate side, which should not be such a cavity.

I'm looking forward to seeing your upcoming work.

[QuanLoi]

Thanks for the compliment.  When the Bucks Co. was critiqued at Dixons way back when, the comment made to me was exactly yours... The lock panels needed work -- (That much I DO remember).  That area was always a sore spot for me.  I hope I'll do a little better this time.

[Acer Saccharum]

Agreed on the panels. Nice guns, and I think your skills WILL come back, with renewed vigor. I took ten years plus when my kids came along, and too many diapers and feedings to allow much concentration on the gun. But now they are almost grown and flown, I get to spend a little more time at the bench, oh, Joy.

As Taylor says, you do indeed possess what it takes to make a beautiful rifle. I look forward to your new work.

Tom

[kentucky bucky]

Start by organizing your bench and tools. It seems to me that tools sprout legs and migrate to places where they think you won't look. Picking up that first tool and starting is the hardest thing for me. The second hardest thing is stopping at a decent hour and going to bed! By the looks of it, I'd like to know about half of what you forgot....good looking work!

[doug]

Start by organizing your bench and tools. It seems to me that tools sprout legs and migrate to places where they think you won't look. Picking up that first tool and starting is the hardest thing for me.

     It is a well known fact that a clean and organized workbench is a sign of a disturbed mind  :>)  :>)

cheers Doug