What makes building a Lehigh so hard?

[Boompa]

   I've never attempted to build one nor held one in hand but have seen several comments on this forum and elsewhere on how difficult it is to get a Lehigh rifle build right.
   Specifically what is so difficult?

[smallpatch]

There are so many fine nuances in a Lehigh that are not on any other style of rifle.  First, not a straight line anywhere on the buttstock. Three different radii make up those graceful curves.  V-shaped, ultra slim fore ends, with little or no web at the breech, an above center lock location, wider than high, "flat diamond" shaped wrist, and a sheath type buttplate, all add to the mix.
The KRA has a gr at CD, has great examples of originals, if you want to pursue them further.
Hope that helps.

[smart dog]

Hi Dane,
Could not have said it better.  I'll bet folks would love to see your RCA 26.

dave

[sz]

Lehighs are no more difficult to build than any other gun, but they are very difficult to see what needs to be shaped correctly from pictures available in the books today. 

Once you have handled a few made right, or handled some originals, you will see what needs to be done and after that it's about like making any other rifle as far as the tools are concerned.
    Not harder, but they have many fine points to shaping that you don't see on other guns. 
   Try to get your hands on some that are done correctly before you start.  Take pictures from angles of 30 degrees or so. That way you can refer to them later and see what your chisels and files are supposed to be making.

[Nate McKenzie]

Check Eric Von Aschwege's site.  http://www.neahkahnieflintlocks.com/lehigh-valley-details.html

[Acer Saccharum]

One cannot build a Lehigh from photos alone. It's all about the form, and the nuances are super hard to capture with a camera.

I've had great conversations with some very respectable Lehigh builders when shaping my own rifle. They had great comments and suggestions for my build. What I noticed while talking with them, they were running their fingers over the shape while talking to me. Then they would look down at the gun and point out areas that needed more definition.

Refer to original rifles when ever you have the opportunity. At shows like Dixon's there is often a chance to see originals and handle them, and there are certainly knowledgeable builders.

For those of us that rely on photos alone to build guns, it's a tough row to hoe.

[Hemo]

One thing I find irksome on the Lehigh architecture is that, due to the high curving wrist, unless your hand is very thin, the sights can be obscured. One fix would be to install high sights, which I think looks awful. Another option is for the shooter to hold his hand further back on the wrist. Still, I think it's awkward to hold for a good sight picture.
Last year, I made a Lehigh based pretty literally, line for line, on the KRA disc images of a John Rupp Lehigh with an unusual side-opening patchbox. Despite not holding the original in my hand, I think it came out fairly well.




Click on the images for link to my Photobucket album of this rifle.
I enjoyed building this gun, and it was not really harder than building other styles, but there are some design quirks in Lehighs that require extra attention.

Gregg

[Boompa]

I think it looks outstanding.  I see what you're saying about the hand being positioned to interfere with sighting.  An oddity thet the Lehigh is wider at the grip than it is tall.

[Mick C]

Fairly well?  That's stunning.

[fm tim]

Thread on Lehigh characteristics from a talk by Rich Hujsa and Joe Flemish at Dixon's.  E  Kettenburg  site and  J W Heckert.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=18919.0

[SingleMalt]

The diamond shaped wrist area was most difficult for me.

[smallpatch]

Dave,
Unfortunately, I'm still on the road, with no computer. Haven't been able to post from my iPad.
Will try to remember when I get home.

[Mikecooper]

That's a really nice looking gun except for the artificial brass black.   You should wipe some burnt black powder residue on it to give it a more natural patina look.   

[J. Talbert]

Greg,
I'd have to disagree;  looks great to me. 

Smallpatch,
FYI I have posted pix from my IPad.  I can't tell you the step by step process, but it was fairly intuitive as I recall.

Jeff

[Hemo]

That's a really nice looking gun except for the artificial brass black.   You should wipe some burnt black powder residue on it to give it a more natural patina look.   

Good eye, Mike, that is in fact artificial brass black. I didn't think it looked too bad (nor did Jeff Talbert), but you obviously picked it up. Since I do more building than shooting, I don't have a ready supply of black powder residue, though I know there are some products out there that produce a little more natural looking patina.

I should mention that before I built that gun, I attended a Lehigh building lecture at Dixon's and got to handle an original there. I also had excellent instruction at Dixon's from Eric VonAschwege in making Lehigh style red violin finish from powdered Madder Lake pigment, and handled one of Eric's fine Lehigh rifles (made by Eric). I also picked up some full sized plans for a Lehigh from Eric, as well as full sized plans from TOW, just to make myself feel better about getting the proportions right. I deviated from both of those plans a bit, to suit my taste, but the plans were useful. Eric's site (Neahkanieflintlocks.com) has some good articles about features of Lehigh rifles and how to do Lehigh-style red violin finish.

Gregg

[Mikecooper]

Did you put the red madder varnish on that rifle?  It looks more brown in these pictures.    Cochineal lake could have been used also but it could be a little too red.   Thanks for that link.  I know a few things about violin varnish but always looking to learn more.   

[Hemo]

Did you put the red madder varnish on that rifle?  It looks more brown in these pictures.    Cochineal lake could have been used also but it could be a little too red.   Thanks for that link.  I know a few things about violin varnish but always looking to learn more.   

I did use the madder lake pigment, mulled on a glass plate with a heavy glass muller, mixed with Chambers oil. I applied four or five applications over the original color base of aquafortis. I agree the color didn't come out quite as red as some. Eric mixes his in TruOil, which is thicker, and lets it build  up. I may have rubbed back the finish too thin to really show the red.

Gregg

[elkhorne]

Can anyone that has seen originals and Finley made contemporaries talk to the barrel types used on these fine and in my book very artistic rifles. I live in a part of the country that you can not even see an original, much less something like a fine old Lehigh. I would love to go to Dixons or the CLA show but that is too far to drive with my responsibilities at home. I was wondering what percentage of the original Lehighs were swamped, straight and part round. I would appreciate anyone with this type of knowledge and understanding to chime in for all of the audiences benefit. Thanks in advance.
elkhorne

[Mike Brooks]

I measured an original Kuntz last Saturday. Oct swamped 42" long .960 at the breech, .825 at the waist and .920 at the muzzle. Looked like a rifled .45 to .47 or there about.

[WKevinD]

I measured an original Kuntz last Saturday. Oct swamped 42" long .960 at the breech, .825 at the waist and .920 at the muzzle. Looked like a rifled .45 to .47 or there about.

That's pretty close to a Rice Southern Classic (and most of his A weight 42"s)

[horseman]

 Thank you for Erics PDF .