most important thing to keep in mind whole building ?

[chuck-ia]

For me it is probably keeping track of the center line on top and bottom of the stock. Got into a little trouble on the gun I am working on, inletted the trigger plate crooked, too late when I realized what happened. Had to shift the trigger guard around a bit to compensate, looks pretty crooked in the square stock, will probably not be so noticeable when the stock is rounded.  Next build I will try to keep track of the center line throughout the build. What do you guys think the most important thing to keep in mind is? chuck

[rich pierce]

I try to keep in mind that I am not Mike Brooks or another pro builder and if I try to be as efficient/fast as them, the results will be anguish and gnashing of teeth.

[Habu]

Blood is a real pain to get out of maple once it soaks in, so wipe it off before seeking first aid. 

I guess a guy could just try to not get cut, but I'm more realistic.  I just plan on getting cut. 

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Safety First!  No wait that is not it.

[smylee grouch]

Why am I building this thing in the first place? Hopefully because you are enjoying it. If you are enjoying it, you wont dread those jobs on the build that you used to be intiminated by but look forward to doing them because of the chalenge and satisfaction from doing it and getting the job done.    Smylee

[TinStar]

Go slow. Think.  And then think again before you start a certain task. If things start to go badly and you get a little upset; I found that stopping(if you can) and walking away until the next day is better. I have found that some days if I start making goofs in almost anything I do it likely will continue so I stop and come back.

Don't be afraid to ask questions of  experienced builders on forums; even if the questions seem dumb. Use the search features too.

I am almost done with a Type D french trade gun and I really don't know what I would have done in some points If I didn't use the search feature and ask questions.  And I have a good book to follow too.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

[Acer Saccharum]

Keep your grand vision of the final gun in your mind at all times. That makes the little choices much clearer. It also puts any mistakes into perspective.

[chuck-ia]

Some very good suggestions. thanks, chuck

[Pete G.]

Keep track of those centerlines. I put a rear thimble in off center and it is a glaring mistake every time I pick up the rifle.

[Mike Brooks]

Smooth flowing lines and archetecture. The center line is also incredibly Important. I have miss measured that a couple times and my life was constant pain and sorrow forthe rest of the project.

[flintriflesmith]

Some folks have said that Murphy, the author of Murphy's Law, was an optimist but he was probably just a riflebuilder!

Seriously, the one rule that makes the whole building process more efficient and therefore easier to enjoy is "Do not spend time working on wood or metal that will not be part of the finished rifle." I am amazed at how often a builder will be carefully rasping, filing, or chiseling on wood that is a quarter of an inch or more above the eventual finished surface. This applies to barrel inletting, stock shaping. and even small tasks like cutting the cavity in a patch box. It does not need to be smooth until all the extra wood is gone! I try to always use the coarsest file and biggest chisel that I can control for each step.

Gary

[Roger Fisher]

Some folks have said that Murphy, the author of Murphy's Law, was an optimist but he was probably just a riflebuilder!

Seriously, the one rule that makes the whole building process more efficient and therefore easier to enjoy is "Do not spend time working on wood or metal that will not be part of the finished rifle." I am amazed at how often a builder will be carefully rasping, filing, or chiseling on wood that is a quarter of an inch or more above the eventual finished surface. This applies to barrel inletting, stock shaping. and even small tasks like cutting the cavity in a patch box. It does not need to be smooth until all the extra wood is gone! I try to always use the coarsest file and biggest chisel that I can control for each step.

Gary

Good point Gary.  I like to break the process down in to small jobs and step back and look her over find many screw ups that a way.  Sometimes we get our long noses too close to the work at hand and don't catch a wrong turn quick enough... to nip in the 'bud' so to speak.  Been there.

[Acer Saccharum]

That is so true, Gary and Roger. Once you are an experienced stockist, you can get right down to the finished shape in a short time. But if you have not done this much, we tend to be tentative in our wood removal, even to the point of leaving too much wood on the stock.

This falls into the category 'It's easy...once you know how'

[Eric Smith]

Smooth flowing lines and archetecture. The center line is also incredibly Important. I have miss measured that a couple times and my life was constant pain and sorrow forthe rest of the project.

Center lines!

[b bogart]

Keep track of those centerlines. I put a rear thimble in off center and it is a glaring mistake every time I pick up the rifle.

I did the same with the front tang of the trigger gaurd

[Acer Saccharum]

I occasionally lose a centre line. But at some point, the lines are useless anyway. You gotta go with what you've got. Learn to trust your eye, and seek the Jedi path.


To keep RR and entry pipe straight while inletting, I put a 12" piece of rr that fits snuggish in the pipe. That lays in the groove as the pipe is let in, forcing you to keep the pipe straight. Also when letting in the entry pipe, the piece of rr will slip into the drilled hole once the pipe is deep enough.

[flintriflesmith]

That is so true, Gary and Roger. Once you are an experienced stockist, you can get right down to the finished shape in a short time. But if you have not done this much, we tend to be tentative in our wood removal, even to the point of leaving too much wood on the stock.

What you say is true about shaping but when I see a guy carefully inlet the entire lock plate with smooth chisel cuts over the entire surface I just think of the wasted time. He knows, if he would think about it, that the guts of the lock are going to make him chop out 80% of that careful work.

Same is often true of inletting the patch box door to its thickness over the entire surface. Whether you drill or chisel the cavity, it can be chopped out before any inletting. Only the edges and ends of the door need to be touching on the back side for support.
Gary

[Acer Saccharum]

..... when I see a guy carefully inlet the entire lock plate with smooth chisel cuts over the entire surface.....

What guy, who? 

[flintriflesmith]

Tom,
Lots of guys in classes I have taught. 

[volatpluvia]

The first swamped barrel I inletted, I used soot from the lamp to start the process.  It took me sixty hours!  I realized then that I could carefully trace along the barrel on top of the wood and start removing wood with the chisel until I was nearly down and then start using the lamp to fit the barrel into the channel.  Phwew!
volatpluvia

[tallbear]

I think the most important thing to remember during building is that this is fun.It will help get you though all the little problems that arise

 Mitch

[Eric Smith]

It really is fun. I never thought a headache could be fun till now. 

[Acer Saccharum]

Tom,
Lots of guys in classes I have taught. 

Gary, I thank you for your contributions, and I also thank you for keeping me in line. 

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I think the most important thing to remember during building is that this is fun.It will help get you though all the little problems that arise

 Mitch

I agree with that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robby]

I took a course about forty years ago that involved understanding the art and artisans of the middle ages. Modern man doing restoration on some of those Medieval  cathedrals and castles found, that even works found in obscure places, or so high on the steeples that no one would ever see them, the artisans still kept to such a high standard that even six, seven, eight hundred years later the care for detail and workmanship was obvious. That jived pretty well with the way I was brought up. Just do the best you can with what you got. That's what I keep in mind.
Robby