At What Point...

[Tom Cooper]

Do you consider a building project halfway to completion ?

For me I figure about the time I reach for sandpaper and scrapers I am at the halfway mark, how about the rest of you.

[Stophel]

When I get the barrel and lock in it. 

[rich pierce]

Barrel, lock, trigger and buttplate, with ramrod groove and hole done.

[Dave B]

I am with Rich, Its all down hill after you can drill that ramrod hole just in the right place.
I used to think that the worst part is setting the butt plate in. I have finally gotten over that hurdle after the first 20 rifles. My first rifle I tried puttin it in wiht the stock still square and a good inch on either side of the plate and took me a week to set it in.

[Elnathan]

Well, I have the butt piece, lock, barrel, and ramrod hole in, and I am kinda thinking of it as half-done, especially since I had to make the butt piece first (Five tries!). In terms of tediousness, I think it is about halfway there - it should get progressively easier and more interesting from here on. The worst parts to come are drilling for the barrel pins and polishing the lock (Chamber's Virginia).

I'll probably change my mind once I have a chance to get back to work on it - it has been fighting me every step of the way, and everytime I finish something I think that I am over the hump, only to have some complication arise.

[Tom Cooper]

H%ll Dave,
It takes me a good week to inlet a buttplate anyway, spose it does go much faster for me once the furniture inlets are complete and I start taking everything off that doesn't look like a rifle.

[Roger Fisher]

Do you consider a building project halfway to completion ?

For me I figure about the time I reach for sandpaper and scrapers I am at the halfway mark, how about the rest of you.

Never gave that a thought!!  I mentally break the process down in to small jobsso I'm not looking at the whole job since I would think I'll never get her finished...!

Since I use up an entire winter on one rifle or smoothy She is generally over the hump by late January

[Evil Monkey]

Well, I figure that when I have as many hours left to do as I have done, I'm half way. For someone like Don Getz, building a barn gun, half way would be noon the second day with the barrel, lock, butt plate and trigger guard on. For someone like Jerry H making an elaborate inlayed, carved engraved gun, haveing the gun 'buttoned up', all pieces installed would be about 10% done. Point being that the type of gun has a HUGE impact on what stage "half way" is.

[eagle24]

Do you consider a building project halfway to completion ?

For me I figure about the time I reach for sandpaper and scrapers I am at the halfway mark, how about the rest of you.

Boy, I sure wish I hadn't read this.  I'm still trying to get the buttplate right on my rifle and thought I was well beyond the halfway point.

[Rich]

It depends on the style of gun and how you build. I'm currently building a Southern Mountain rifle with no engraving or carving. I saw the stock blank with a hand saw (a lot of work) and hand inlet the barrel. On this rifle, all of the furniture is hand-made including the set triggers. That took a lot of time since it was my first time doing it. I considered it 1/2 done when the barrel and tang were inlet barrel pinned, and furniture finished. If the rifle had carving, wire and engraving, my opinion would change.

[Jim Filipski]

Well in my experience; the closer you get to finishing, the longer it takes!

[Tom Cooper]

Well in my experience; the closer you get to finishing, the longer it takes!

no truer statement.