Semi-Done first build

[Thawk]

Here She is.  Iv'e shot her and I like it.

Some of the things I don't like. 

1. Too blonde not enough red.  I have some alchohol based cherry stain that I'm gonna thin and try on a scrap piece.
2. Trigger guard and triggers.  I should have used a DS-4 but...  Well now I know better.
3. Decided carving was a skill level to high at this point.
4. Line of the comb  If you look at it right it looks fine other angles it looks like the butt plate dips in.
5. Flats in the swirls on the forestock
6. Cheekpiece is too thick but it looked alot thinner before the aquafortis.
7. A couple of other trouble spots.

Over all I'm happy with her as a first build. Can't wait to start the next one.  All critiques are welcome.  Skin is thickened.  I knew from the begining I was going to take alot of expensive parts learn some expensive lessons.

[Hungry Horse]

Looks pretty good. The wood has a very interesting curl. You might want to turn the front sight around before you go to the range though.

                 Hungry Horse

[bob in the woods]

ditto, re the front sight. It's reversed.  Nice rifle.  I kind of like the colour.  Are the ram rod pipes sitting proud of the groove, or are they fully inlet ? It may be the photo angle.
All said, it is a nice gun.

[Kermit]

(Don't sweat the sight thing. You're not the first, nor will you be the last. Comes from looking at modern sights.)

Good work, that!

[David Rase]

For a first build, there are is a lot to like. 
As for comments on the build, since you ask, I will throw out a couple to get things started.
The patchbox lid looks too thick. Try tapering the patchbox thickness fromthe back to the front. Also, the forward edges could be sloped a bit more making the patchbok lid look as though it is rising out of the stock. 
The nose of the comb looks thick from the pictures.  Try to get this area thinner.
Toe line on the stock looks parallel.  This line should taper a bit on its way to the trigger.
Forward pipe looks too far forward.
Your incised lines look crisp and sharp as do a lot of the edges on the gun.  The inletting looks to be fairly clean as well.
David.

[Thawk]

Thanks everyone.

The Toe line is parallel.  Thanks for the advice. I'll try to get it right on the next one.

Ramrod Pipes are not flush in the picture.  The picture showed me the mistake.  I have since gone back and re-worked them.  They need a little more but I'll get it. 

I may go back and rework that patch box.  I like the shape but I think your advice will make it look better.

Over all I learned alot.  The craftsmanship got alot better toward the end of the project.  I'm glad I stopped where I was.  I've been practicing the carving and engraving for the next build.  I'm not sure when that will be.  My youngest boy and my Dad want to build a cedar strip canoe so that may be the next project.  If I can find the cedar.

[mountainman70]

I will tell ya what,Hawk-I spend way too much time looking at longrifles,etc on gunbroker,and there are a lot of em ,older contemporary and newer,that dont look as nice as yours.The prob areas are honest boboos,handle and look at as many originals as you can get to.I,personally ,like the front site,it would match my bassackwards rear site-just kidding.Until I was told otherwise,my first attempts were site-challenged also.keep at it.Having fun is the main thing.Best regards,Dave in WVa

[DLJ6]

Regarding the front sight orientation...I put my first one on just as you did. I need to research it but It would seem to me that the long slope would be easier to see as it should reflect more light providing more visible surface area than the short steep slope. If anyone has a link as to why the steep slope has traditionally been placed towards the shooter, please share.
Good job on the rifle....BTW
Thanks

[necchi]

the long slope would,,, reflect more light .

Please note I clipped the quote,
The long slope "Reflects" light alright, but that's a bad thing. It doesn't gather light to allow for better visibility, it can reflect a "glare" that turns the front sight into a blob of light with no definition.
The slopes on both sides or in some cases just the one side is there to add strength to that wispy piece of metal we call a front blade sight, it slopes down instead of being flat so that just the peak is visible.
It's not flat because in some/many hunting/battle situations a perfect shoulder mount can't be acquired every time and if the back of the blade was on the same plain as the front it could end up being used as the focal point.

I personally can't think of any "documentation" beyond human experience from the very first weapons man created with sights, the goal was that fine point unfettered by other objects and reflection or glare.

Now that that's done,,  

[necchi]

Nice job, clean lines, thin where it needs it. Hope it turns into a shooter for ya.

What trigger did ya use?

[KLMoors]

I agree with the comments so far. Good looking gun for your first. It is hard to tell from the pictures, but the wrist and the area just ahead of the lock panels look "flatish" on their sides, to me.  Not a big deal, and it might just be the lighting in the photographs.

Kudos to you for not carving it if you weren't sure you could do it right. Get the basics right, then move on.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

Ken

[geb324]

Looks Great! You can always strip it down and tweak it.
Better yet start another one !! 

[Thawk]

Nice job, clean lines, thin where it needs it. Hope it turns into a shooter for ya.

What trigger did ya use?

DS-6.  Which is what it came with.  I had problems with it trigger guard and trigger fit.  This was my fix.  I modified the DS-6 triggers to not look as awkward in the large trigger guard I swicthed to.