Latest work on first build

[LURCHWV@BJS]

  As I stated awhile back, I wasn't going to do anything else until I went to Dixon's.  I went and yesterday I picked er up and this is the result.



 

The next picture is the only one I took at Dixon's.  It's my wife trying her hand at throwing a hawk




           Rich

[Bill of the 45th]

Lurch, You've really taken on a challenge for a first build.  I guess we kept missing each other, you were up on the hill, and I was in the tents, and vice versa.  Don't worry about showing pic's on here, it's less traumatic than taking a gun to Dixon's  and letting the likes of Nate mcKenzie, J.W. Filipski, Eric von, and Acer review it in person.  But what great advice.  Looks like you will be building some Hawks in the near future.

Bill

[northmn]

Like Bill said, you have taken on a bit of a challenge for a first build, especially out of a blank.  Looks goo so far and keep us posted.  What are you making?

DP

[KLMoors]

Looks good. It is hard to tell in the pics but, in that area,  I  like to shape the stock pretty close to where it will be in the end. That way you don't need to inlet things any deeper than necessary. It looks like the wood at the front of the entry thimble is still pretty high.

Speaking from experience , when you get to lowering that wood you may find that you have a gap where before there wasn't one.

It depends on how much  of the ramrod you are going to want to see. I like to show 2/3 of the ramrod, so I bring the wood down to pretty close to that before I start inletting the thimbles.

[Jim Filipski]

Hi Rich,
While I can't speak for the others, there are some procedures when working from a blank that should be followed in sequence. Many times on this forum I see new guys doing their first builds and they are inletting parts into the wood that normally would be done far later in the project. Not sure why this is ...maybe they think they will start on the easier things first 
Anyway (assuming you have a good scaled out drawing traced on your blank) Starting from the blank Once your barrel is inlet, that determines where the lock goes. When the lock is inlet then you now have a basis for a few things one being the approximate placement of the trigger. With that position marked on the blank you can now get to inletting the butt plate at the  proper distance. The lock also determines the wood parameters for the panels and the wrist and lower forestock. When the elements are inlet in sequence they then help you shape the wood.
The sequence I use is Barrel, lock, butt plate, trigger. The ram rod pipes come way later in the build when the forearm is closer to it's final height ( which is determined by the inlet elements as I described above.) Just trying to pass on some helpful critique. Hope you don't mind
Jim

[Roger Fisher]

Assuming you have not yet set in the rear pipe, consider the earlier advise about taking down more wood around said pipe so you do not have to inlet thru excess wood (and do excess work)!  Ooops, I failed to notice the first photo and that you already have the rear pipe set in.  (Guess I was looking too long at the 2nd (photo)


Good luck and keep posting photos as you go along.   Some folks here may be able to give good pointers as you go...
BTW that lady of yours has to be hurting a bit via sunburn...  I hunted up a cool spot!

Just what are you building can't tell by the photos.   Smoothbore maybe

[bob in the woods]

Dixon's book lays out all the steps in a non complicated manner. Doesn't have the depth of some of the others, but I think one of the easiest to follow. Best $20, you'll spend re building

[Dale Campbell]

McCrory's book puts the thimbles in a square stock.  I did that my first couple (or so) builds because that was all the information and guidance I had to work with.  The only person around who could give me advise had built his rifle from McCrory's book.  My how things have changed.

[LURCHWV@BJS]

Unless I read it wrong but I believe Chuck's book shows inletting from a square stock.

[LURCHWV@BJS]

Again trouble with posting

[rich pierce]

I fixed the pix.  When posting, after you are done typing, hit return or enter to drop down a paragraph.  Then put in the photo.  Then hit enter to drop down a paragraph.  Then put in the nect photo.  Do this every time.  Must have paragraph spaces between the text and photos or it comes out all wonky.

[KLMoors]

Yup, your way will work, but I think you may find it easier to get the surfaces down closer to their final shape first. Same holds true for the lock panels. Might as well get the stock thinned down to near its final thickness there so you don't have to inlet the lock through 1/4 inch of wood that will eventually be removed.

[Jim Filipski]

Rich,
 yes you can inlet them into the square stock ( I have done it that way many times ) it is just that you still need to have the planes of the wood close to the finished size before inletting otherwise you end up with a big clunky forend. From the photos the forend looks deep
Jim

[LURCHWV@BJS]

Yes it is.

[Jim Filipski]

Yes it is.

Well than go for it my Man!