Started on a Beck rifle from a blank

[Rolf]

The blank is  a grade 6 red maple  I bougth from Dunlap , The barrel inlet and ramrod channel by Fred Miller. Boy, is this wood tough !!
I'm inleting the lock plate now and seem to use half my time resharpening my chizels. The stump cut sugar maple I used on the long barrel pistols was easier to work with.









The ram rod hole is not drill in the center of the blank. It's about 3/32" towards the left side of the rifle, which means the tail of the rear thimbel will be at an angel to the mid line of the stock. Anyway to fix this?



Best regards
Rolf

[Dave B]

Rolf,
Congrats on getting started on your Beck Rifle! He is one of my favorite makers. You will do well on this project from what you have shown us of your work so far. The off set is actually desirable to my way of thinking. it will keep the ramrod drill from breaking into the lock inlet as well as keep the hole from banging into the front trigger guard lug. This will give you the ability to use a longer ram rod for loading and better yet cleaning. A longer rod will give better purchase at pulling a stuborn cleaning patch when wiping down the bore. some use screw on extensions for this purpose but its nice to have a little extra in my book.  Back to the question about the off set. Just inlet the ramrod entry pipe square with the for stock and cheat the inlet to the side reducing the visual  discrepancy. you can come back with a drill and ream out the extra wood that is now blocking part of the entry pipe hole.  I met a fellow that would do this modification to the rifles he built for the exact reasons I listed but it was done by routing out a canted section in the barrel channel side of the stock and a universal jointed drill bit to make the ramrod slide just past the front lug on the side plate portion of the breach gaining and 1-1 1/2" of additional ram rod length. Here is what I am talking about.

 
You can fudge the joining of the top edge of the front of the pipe inlet by clearing back the wood just a couple inches a head of the pipe so it looks symetrical

[Karl Kunkel]

Rolf,

I'm sure you checked this, but just to be sure - did you check the ramrod hole offset with the barrel channel inlet?  How far off are the two from each other?  If they are close you probably have enough excess wood on both sides of the blank to disguise any offset alignment.

With Dave's suggestion it wouldn't be noticeable.

[Acer Saccharum]

I like to offset the rod toward the sideplate when i can. By accident, or by design, it usually works out very well.

[Rolf]

Thank you for your replies. This going to be a left handed rifle, so ramrod hole is offset towards the lockplate.
I might have to shorten the ramrod.

At the muzzle the rr channel is smack in the middle of the stock, so its not paraell to the barrel inlet.
I'll try Daves suggestion and try to "cheat" on the thimbel inlet.

Best regards
Rolf

[kaintuck]

Why would you want to " skin a cat"?

They are one of the best persons on the planet!

[James Rogers]

Why would you want to " skin a cat"?

To get to the banjer strings 

[deano]

I am looking forward to following your Beck rifle build, I always learn something new following your work.

Ken