new off the bench this week

[Meteorman]

Been workin' on this one since May, and frankly am getting tired of lookin at it.
No particular version of an early Lancaster, with some desired features from the customer included.
42" .50 B Rice.
Jim Chambers Siler, homemade pipes, patchbox, toeplate, nosecap, and modified a R/H Dave Keck sideplate.
FeNO3 crystals and alcohol, some dyes over top.
Permalyn sealer and Chambers oil finish.
Ramrod tip is elk antler, as are accessories - customer (a good friend) is an elk biologist in Jackson WY and wanted the motif.

The patchbox engraving is by Tim Adlam in Wisconsin.  Great craftsman.
He took my raw patchbox cover and made his design look like the 2 were born together.
I know this - Tim's work outshines mine by far !!

Pics were with 2 different cameras on 3 different days this week -  so some interesting variation in representation.

I also know this - the more guns I build, the more I realize how much I don't know about building guns.
If that makes any sense. 

criticism welcome and encouraged !

/Mike Millard

[wattlebuster]

I cant find anything to complain about. I like it lots. You just put the lock on the wrong side but other than that looks GREAT!!!!!

[alyce-james]

Very nicely completed project.  Looks, only in my opinion, in need of a little more red toner. One other mistake to note, cheekpiece also on wrong side of stock. The highlite for me is the patchbox engraving. Again rifle is very nicely done. Thanks for sharing. AJ
 

[Keb]

Nice looking gun. How's it shoot?

[Randall Steffy]

Your engraving is most impressive. My eyes bulge and my mouth hangs open. Thanks for sharing and I do say, Nice rifle!

[draken]

Darn nice job Mike !   On my monitor it looks like there is a sort of pattern in the barrel finish.   My imagination?

Again, really nicely done!

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Did you carve the stock or was it a precarve??  I like the shape.

[Glenn]

Can't argue one bit with the success of this one.  Nice stock design for sure.  Very unique to the gun.  I have to agree with you on the engraving; it looks like it was done specifically for your patchbox design.  Job well done on wood and metal finish; looks like it just popped out of an 18th. century gun shop.  Nice job and thanks for sharing !!!  

[Meteorman]

Doc Tim -
it started out as a late Lancaster from Pecatonica,
I took a fair amount off front of the comb and upper wrist area, in addition to the usual slenderizing of pre-carves.
probably should have taken more off.
Haven't shot it yet Keb.
I'll just make sure its on paper and let the customer fine tune it - he's a gun nut.
no pattern on the barrel. blued, bleached, blued and rubbed back hard.
thanks for the kind words.
/mike

[bgf]

MM,
Looks good to me, and your friend should be quite happy.  I esp. like the way you set the trigger back a little in the TG (very practical), and its good to see more people doing 4 pipes (esp. making their own) and running the PB lid over the buttplate.  Are the side-panels of the PB captive under the finial -- the lack of a screw near the hinge caught my eye?

[smokinbuck]

Mike,
A very nice rifle, well done. I really like the idea that you got the lock on the right, correct, side of the stock.  
Mark

[Meteorman]

  Are the side-panels of the PB captive under the finial -- the lack of a screw near the hinge caught my eye?

Yes, thinned the ends and bent them under the hinge for about 3/32". 
Hope it holds up to stock movement   .....

[Curtis]

Good looking rifle Meteor.  I really like your trigger, did you make that from scratch?  Your carving skills are coming along quite nicely!  Very nice fit and finish everywhere, along with pleasing lines. 

Along the lines of constructive critique - on the wrist where you relieved the background behind the beavertail and the carving below the comb, from the photographs it looks as like you could bring that whole area of the wrist down to the same level as the background of the carving.  Just two cents worth from a beginning builder, probably only worth about a cent and a half!

[Meteorman]

  Are the side-panels of the PB captive under the finial -- the lack of a screw near the hinge caught my eye?

Yes, thinned the ends and bent them under the hinge for about 3/32". 
Hope it holds up to stock movement   .....

well...  hoping didn't help.
the rifle went from my shop in hot muggy central PA to my friend in Jackson Wyoming - 6,200ft elevation and 15% humidity.
4 weeks later, pal called and said the patch box sideplates are bowing up a bit and interfering with smooth patchbox closure. 
The stock shrunk enough that the buttstock molding groove in the butt is outta whack up with the matching groove in the buttplate.
I had applied 3 coats of sealer and 5 oil coats.

I told him to send it back and I'll attempt to tweak the tolerances for a fix.

Not really sure how to better secure the hinge end  of the PB sideplate now...?
Might have to solder an anchoring pin on the bottom ?
Not much room for a screw now, with the engraving already in place.
I haven't received it back yet for a total visual recon, but this is a hard pill to swallow ....

[okieboy]

 Like your finish and color and how you didn't let the curl overwelm the gun. The patch box is outstanding.
 As for wood moving there used to be a woodworking rule of thumb for fitting drawers, "a dime in winter, a nickle in summer." Perhaps on patch box lids to side plates fits that translates to ".005" shim in PA, .002" shim in Wyoming." Just my thought.

[bgf]

MM,
I'm sorry to hear that, but reality often throws off the adventurous rider.  I've seen that setup on old patchboxes, but the only thing I don't know is how they secured (assuming they did) the hinge end of the side panels.  Nails along the side panels would appear to be a likely period repair, but I wouldn't go that route before trying something hidden.  My first thought would be to solder an extention on, inlet it under the finial and screw it down.  Just my amateurish attempt to help.

On the molding line, look through RCA -- there are several in there where it looks like the wood shrank enough to throw off the notch.  The difference I think is that it probably took 100 years then with the rifle staying in one place or moving very slowly from one to the other and acclimating, but now we can zip one off overnight to the far ends of the earth! 

You'll do right by your friend, I'm sure, and things will come out fine.