Inlett My Last Barrel...

[LynnC]

...At least for a while.  And it was just a pistol barrel.  It came out fine as usual but it took Many hours of time that is hard to come by these days.  Work just seems to keep me away from the bench too much.

If I'm ever going to finish another gun, its time to let someone else do this time consuming work.
So here is the two part question.

1)  Who is currently offering barrel inletting services?  I looked in the classified forum under Member services offered and no listings.  Would the folks on this board that offer this service please post your info there.

2)  What is the best way to pack and ship the stock and barrel to get it there and back?  I have barrel & stock blank.

I'm sorry I haven't filed this info away previously but for the last 20 years I've always been the do it yourselfer  

Thanks for any help..............Lynn

[billd]

http://www.knobmountainmuzzleloading.com/

[Acer Saccharum]

Dave Keck, Knob Mtn, PA  

Mark Weader:Jack's Mountain Stocks, PA

Dave Rase, WA

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Mark Wheland...PA

[SuperCracker]

Mark Wheland...PA

I second Mark Wheland.  He just did two for me. Good price, fairly quick turn around (beyond lightning fast compared to others) and the barrels are in there super tight.

[kutter]

Not that much fun anymore is it....

I just had Dave Keck do one for me
http://www.knobmountainmuzzleloading.com/

I dropped the bbl and stock blank off to him at Dixon's at the end of July. Rec'vd it back the second week in Sept, IIRC.
The bbl was inletted, the RR groove cut and the butt portion turned to the pattern I chose.
Could've just had the bbl inletted and RR groove cut. Really gettin' lazy I guess.
The sides of the forestock were trimmed off from the 'block' and those long pieces included in the returned package. Plenty of wood left for shaping though.


Mine came back in one of those heavy cardboard boxes like the M/L rifle kits come in from TOTW and others. Very well packed w/ the wood and metal taped together so nothing could shift around.
It could go out as a blank and bbl the same way no doubt.

No complaints here.

[satwel]

+1 for Dave Keck.

[pathfinder]

After my accident and subsequent hand and shoulder surgery's,inleting for me is pretty much a thing of the past. I still have this intense desire to create long gun's,and have parts for at least 7 gun's,you'd be surprised as to how important hand's and shoulders are in making a gun!,So I'll be relying on others to do most of the grunt work for me. Just sent some parts to Jackie Brown to see how this turns out for me. Maybe I'll have to go to,YIKES,pre-carved and inlet!

Hate to lose all the options a blank gives you,but at least I can create! 

[Dave B]

I like to use Dave Rase in Bremerton Washington State. He is first rate with his inletting.

[LynnC]

A Big Thanks for the replies.

Kutter - Inletting a barrel was never particularly "fun" but I used to have time  

OK  - Mark Weader - Need contact info?

Dave Keck at knobmountainmuzzleloading.com  - I can contact him


Mark Weland - contact info?

I've heard the testimonials about the supreme job done by Dave Rase but I have a feeling shipping to Washington state is a great deal more expensive than PA coming from Miss.    If I'm wrong let me know.

Time is really not an issue.  I bought the barrel for this project 2 1/2 years ago because I needed it Right Now  

Having always built from blanks I cut myself, I'm not familiar with how a kit arrives.  So I guess I just have to construct a sturdy cardboard box and tape the barrel to the blank and ship it - Any tips greatly appreciated!

Oh and should I use USPS, UPS, FedX or ?

Again, thanks for the info..............Lynn

[B Shipman]

I hand inletted my last barrel in 1980.

[Ian Pratt]

when was the first one?

[Vomitus]

LOL!!!

[Mark Elliott]

You know,  I keep a time sheet on all my work and putting in the barrel, cutting the ramrod groove and drilling the ramrod hole doesn't take me any more time than any other step.   It is about a day and half worth of work and I am getting faster at just about everything all the time.   The thing that just doesn't get any faster is the lock prep.  In fact, it seems to get longer because I do the lock engraving at that stage.   It is a couple days worth of work as is making the butt piece and trigger guard.  You file until your fingers fall off.  The final filing, polishing, scraping, and whiskering seems to take the longest of anything.  I spend many days on those things.  But a big gouge and specialized planes make quick work of the barrel channel and ramrod groove.  If I did it like the original makers,  I could get it done in a few hours.  A draw knife and gouge puts the butt stock in rough shape in a couple of hours.    Really Sharp edged tools have really made things easier and more enjoyable for me.   For me, most of the time building a gun is spent making the mounts and other parts.  It is not stocking them.  

[Osprey]

If you plan on shipping a few in coming times, make yourself a shipping crate.  One of the guys in our group did that and it makes life much easier.  I think he used 1x3"s for the sides and wood sheet/paneling for the flat top and bottom.  It's big enough to hold 2 blanks with barrels, one side srews on and off so it can be used over and over.  I think that full, from MD to PA, is only $25 shipping (one direction, of course).

[Old Ford2]

Make sure that you wood glue sides, ends, and bottom.
These parts cannot come " accidentally loose!"
I do hope UPS in the USA is better than UPS in Canada, because here UPS really sucks!
Old Ford

[SuperCracker]

Mark Weland - contact info?

http://www.markwhelandrifles.com/contact-us/

[LynnC]

Good idea Osprey.  I have the materials to build a crate.

Does it then have to be enclosed in card board or can I just label the wooden box?

Ship USPS or ?

Mark E - I Love to make the trigger guards, butt plates, thimbles etc...  Stock shaping is a pleasure.

Carefully inletting a 44" swamped barrel has become A Test of Patience...  I honestly have not had the time in the last 2 1/2 years to get this project started.  Like you Mark, I used to be the guy that would encourage sharpening up the plane iron and gouges and go at it.  But I had more time then.  I keep saying "maybe this winter"  

[LynnC]

Thank You Shane!

[Osprey]

Lynn, the box we use has our group leader's name on one side of the top and destination on the other.  After it's shaped the lid gets flipped, screwed on and it's ready to go.  Easy as pie.  Never needed cardboard on it.  He usually ships it out of his furniture store, not sure if he's using USPS or UPS.

[G-Man]

Lynn - you probably already thought of this but also if you can coordinate with them in advance a lot of these guys go to the  CLA show and some of the regional mini shows, etc. and some of them also sell wood.  So if you plan you can save some hassle and shipping $$ by picking up the things at the show, giving them to the folks who do the inletting - maybe even buying the wood from them too - and they are often able to bring it back with them. to their shop and eliminate at least one round of shipping.  Just a thought.

Guy

[LynnC]

Appreciate that insight Osprey   I'll be makin a box.

G-Man - I'll not likely ever get to a CLA show, me  being from way down south in Mississippi   but were I closer that would be a viable plan.  Actually I bought the cherry years ago while traveling in Ohio, sawed out the profile and its been standing in the closet with the barrel, lock and sideplate ever since  

When you are self employed you end up working for a slave driver who doesn't allow for a lot of free time  

Thanks all for the advise.....................Lynn