my boy's rifle build

[Bill]

These are three pictures of the gun stock that I am working on to build my son a .32 caliber rifle. The blank had 1977 written on it when it was pulled out of its resting place in the barn. I have had the barrel and ramrod channels installed and am getting ready to finish inletting the barrel and installing the tang. As can easily be seen, the drawing of my bot's rifle leaves a great deal of wood on top. Should that be cut down closer to the drawing before I attempt to inlet the tang?
I appreciate any advice from members on this forum.
Also, many thanks to Nord who enabled me to post pictures!
bill

[Dennis Glazener]

Should that be cut down closer to the drawing before I attempt to inlet the tang?

Absolutely, I would never try to inlet the tang down through that much surplus wood. While at it I would cut off the rest of the surplus and use it for something, knife scales if nothing else. Too much nice curl not to use it.
Dennis

[Dphariss]

Now that the barrel is in cut it to the lines if you are SURE the drawing is right. You cannot put the tang in before cutting to the drawing.

Dan

[cmac]

Great getting your boy into it. Hope I can do the same with mine when he is older. Really nice piece of wood too.

[greybeard]

It might be a photo illusion but ti looks to me that your drawing will have to be moved up at least 1/4 inch??
The way it is now the drum  is going to miss  the side flat of the barrel. On the drawing the paper from the center of the drum
foreward toward  the muzzle should be removed  as thst line is going to be level with the top of the forstock.
The way you present it in the picture  it appeard to me that when you remove that part of the pattern and move                                                                                                                                                     the pattern up on the blank it will place  the drum about right to go
into the side flat of the barrel.  I just wanted to bring this to your attention before you start cutting toooo much wood off the top of that beauty
of a stock blank.    I hope I am wrong in my observations.   Bob Reader

[Bill]

Well, I was "assuming" that I would have to cut the wood down before trying to inlet the tang. BUT, I have learned, painfully, that the majority of the time when I "assume" something, I'd better plan on using extra glue or nails to finish the project!
Greybeard, I didn't think of that! It would be best then to cut the barrel out of the pattern and then realign on the stock. Thank you for pointing that out. This is my first ever build from scratch like this. thanks very much!
I do intend to use the extra wood for a few little projects to go along with the rifle for him.
Thanks so much for your responses. I will repost when I make the corrections on the drawing.
Ron Borron made the drawing of the Keller boy's rifle. The parts on his drawing almost are a duplicate for the Keller "attributed" rifle in the earlier post "another who, when and where iron mounted rifle" that was posted here a while back. The patchbox in the drawing is essentially a duplicate of the one in my drawing. Ron told me that his drawings were taken directly from the rifles themselves.

[Eric Krewson]

Unless you have the exact same parts as are in your drawing you may find the parts you have don't fit your stock blank once you saw it out.

On my first scratch build I used a Beck life sized drawing and followed it to the letter. Turned out the sear position on the drawing was a full inch forward compared to the lock I had bought. Fortunately I left an inch or more extra wood on the butt before I started inletting the butt plate.

Had I trimmed the blank to the size of my drawing i would have had a rifle with a 12.5" length of pull. With my extra wood I ended up with 13.5, exactly what I needed. 

[Shreckmeister]

Grey,  You're seeing the top flat of the blank there along the channel.  There isn't a 1/4 excess there.

It might be a photo illusion but ti looks to me that your drawing will have to be moved up at least 1/4 inch??
The way it is now the drum  is going to miss  the side flat of the barrel. On the drawing the paper from the center of the drum
foreward toward  the muzzle should be removed  as thst line is going to be level with the top of the forstock.
The way you present it in the picture  it appeard to me that when you remove that part of the pattern and move                                                                                                                                                     the pattern up on the blank it will place  the drum about right to go
into the side flat of the barrel.  I just wanted to bring this to your attention before you start cutting toooo much wood off the top of that beauty
of a stock blank.    I hope I am wrong in my observations.   Bob Reader

[greybeard]

O K.  This is the last post for me on this topic!!

 Bill.  Just make sure that the drum is located in the middle of the side flat of the barrel.
Also that the drum is far enough foreward to miss the breech plug.
Go slow, measure 3 times, Cut once with very sharp tools and have fun.
Please keep us posted as you progress with pics.The way I would go on this is to get the barrel fully
inletted back into the wood, now draw the curve in the stock blank where the tang ts going to live. Allow an extra 1/16 inch to remove after the tang is inletted
Now install the breech plug . Next I would drill and tap the threads in the side flat of the barrel for the drum and be sure to stay ahead of the breech plug.
Install the drum and procede to inlet the whole assembly . The drum will then dictate where the lock will be positioned on the stock.
Hope I  am not confusing the issue.    Bob

[greybeard]

Grey,  You're seeing the top flat of the blank there along the channel.  There isn't a 1/4 excess there.
Rob; I was refering to the paper pattern., not the wood. The paper pattern has the sight slot drawn in so that is
obviously represents the top flat of the barrel and he has that part of the pattern laying flush with the wood of the
forend. That just won't work.  I just wanted to point that out before he started cutting.  Bob Reader

It might be a photo illusion but ti looks to me that your drawing will have to be moved up at least 1/4 inch??
The way it is now the drum  is going to miss  the side flat of the barrel. On the drawing the paper from the center of the drum
foreward toward  the muzzle should be removed  as this line is going to be level with the top of the forstock.
The way you present it in the picture  it appeard to me that when you remove that part of the pattern and move                                                                                                                                                     the pattern up on the blank it will place  the drum about right to go
into the side flat of the barrel.  I just wanted to bring this to your attention before you start cutting toooo much wood off the top of that beauty
of a stock blank.    I hope I am wrong in my observations.   Bob Reader

[Acer Saccharum]

Be sure to bend the tang to fit the curve of the drawing BEFORE you inlet it.

[Bob Roller]

I mailed the lock,trigger and butt plate for that boy's rifle this morning. Bill told me the barrel was 5/8 at the breech and 9/16 at the muzzle.
The lock I made is a Hawken squirrel rifle lock and the triggers are two lever Ky.Rifle type. The butt plate is a relic from a wrecked gun but still useable.
That IS a pretty stock blank but I get tired just thinking of all that cross grain cutting.

Bob Roller

[Captchee]

 I would agree with greybeard . the paper pattern needs to move up . the Drum bolster  of the paper pattern should be set to  the center of the side flat  of the barrel as its set to the stock .
 IE .if the barrel  thats drawn on the paper pattern depicts the side flat then the  paper pattern has to go up . if what it shows is the top of the barrel , then  the Bolster is either shown as being installed at joint of the side and first 45   or the barrel is going to have to set alot deeper then is shown in the first photo

[Bob Roller]

IF I were to make a rifle with a drum and nipple,I would first locate the face of the breech plug. I would then check the diameter of the threads on the drum and then,using the face of the plug,locate the place in the flat where it will go. THIS would be done after finding the center of the flat and in this instance,IF it is a 5/8 to 9/16 barrel,the center line would be 5/16ths of an inch from the bottom flat. I would think a 1/4x28 thread would be about all this little barrel could use and I would consult a drill/tap chart and see what is the proper drill for this thread and then drop down one size. After drilling,countersink the hole the depth of one thread and then,after making sure the tap is started straight,put a few drops of tapping fluid or cutting oil on the tap and begin the job. Use a new tap because they cut easier and are  less likely to break.
I agree with Dan,a drum and nipple are the least desireable but if a bolster breech isn't available the it's either drum and nipple or make it into a flintlock and having spoken with the man making this rifle,I know the boy isn't interested in a flintlock for a first muzzleloader.

Bob Roller

[Vomitus]

having spoken with the man making this rifle,I know the boy isn't interested in a flintlock for a first muzzleloader.

Bob Roller

  I've watched young boys grow up with cap guns and they seldom if ever change.They either "can't" shoot a flintlock or won't. If it were my choice,my kid and my build, I'd make it a flinter. He may not like it at first but down the road he'll know "the old man" done the right thing and thank you for it.This is just my humble opinion though.That wood is way too nice...!