Hello all!
I have been scouting y'all's forum for a while now and thought it was time to join and ask some questions of my own. Before I ask the questions, though, let me warn you that I am a complete newbie to building rifles and have very very little gunsmithing experience. Right now, the only real building/design experience that I have is the past two years that I have been studying Engineering Design here at college. I have always loved traditional style rifles and wanted to build one ever since I watched a smith build one years and years ago.
So, on to the questions...
1. I am a poor college student with absolutely no equipment/tools (except for what we have in our college's woodshop). I am not trying to get a complete set right off the bat, but what would be the tools that are essential to the process. FYI, my end goal is to carve the stock from a blank and using a pre-bought lock, barrel, and other metal components.
2. This is probably going to sound really stupid, but I have been looking at barrels and am at a complete loss with all of the different options. I know most of it depends on the style you are trying to emulate, but is there a reason for choosing one type over the other? Also, I plan on building a pistol at some point and was curious about the different external diameters and how to decide on one.
3. I know this will vary greatly on the carving, inlaying, and how meticulous you are, but around how many hours does it usually take to build a first rifle with little "flourish"? I will spend as much time as needed, I just like to have a good idea of time before I start.
4. What are good ways to practice techniques? I have very little experience with woodworking and intend to practice a lot before I start this, but I am kind of at a loss with a lot of the concepts. For instance, when carving, is most of it done by eye? Or is there a template that is made beforehand to make sure it is symmetrical and the right dimensions?
I have looked up a lot of tutorials from many websites and have read through a lot of post and such from here, but I would love your input on these specific questions. I apologize if these are really beginner questions, but that is what I am 
.
Thank you so much once again!!
Ryan
Welcome to the forum Ryan. It is good to see a young man become involved in our addiction. I am fairly new to gunbuilding myself, been in it for a little over two years now. I will answer your questions in the order you posted to my best ability.
1. Being in collage and being poor only means you stretch your purchasing bouts according to your budget, you'll end up with the tools you need but it will take a little longer. No big deal in the end but as Pete G. said don't buy cheap, buy the best you can. Beginning from a blank is ambitious but not unheard of. Go that route if you feel you must, consider a blank with the barrel inlet and ramrod hole drilled. You will have to choose a style to emulate and a caliber. Someone suggested 45 and 50 for calibers, good advice. Buy as many books as you can afford and do your research before cutting into wood. You might consider a "try stock" before cutting into your actual project, or at least practicing on some inexpensive wood shaping the butt and lock panel areas. Popular is good for that and relatively inexpensive. Of course it is much softer than walnut or maple, but playing with it will give you confidence to proceed to the real deal. Only a suggestion and not mandatory by any means.
2. The only "stupid" question is the one you didn't ask. I can't advise you on pistols, I've never tackled one, someday though... Barrels come in two basic styles, straight sided and swamped. I suggest you going with a swamped and that is the reason I recommended going with a blank with the barrel inlet. Swamped barrels come in different profiles, lengths, and weights. There is A, B, C and D, A being the smaller on up to D being the heaver and larger across the flats. A weight swamped barrels are slim and lightweight, they can be had up to 45 caliber. I just completed a Tennessee style rifle with an A weight 45 caliber 42 inch Green Mountain swamped barrel and am about to finish another in an A weight 36 caliber which I a Colerain brand. Both are fairly light and slim. Your 50 caliber with begin in the B weight which is larger across the flats and heavier but still an acceptable weight for carrying in the woods all day. My 50 caliber has a B weight 44 inch swamped, Rice brand barrel. Besides the standard profile and length barrels one can obtain custom barrels from several makers. You will have to study and understand the different profiles and weights to choose one for your project.
3. and 4. There is pretty much no telling how many hours it will take you to build your first rifle, there are just too many variables. So far folks have thrown out 100 and 200 hours, I would lean toward the longer figure. It took me 13 months of fairly dedicated work to complete my first. But then I'm pretty meticulous, cautious and frankly indecisive (it being my first attempt) and and needed to teach myself quite a bit before moving along. Kinda one step forward and a half back as I encountered one thing or another. Several have suggested practising you carving before digging in for real - GREAT suggestion. I used blocks of popular at first then moved on to some southern maple before carving my 50 caliber (my first, from a Jim Chambers pre-carve stock). Note this: don't just practice on flat surfaces, a longrifle is curved all over, and that makes a difference in carving technique. As your practise note how the wood grain effects your cuts, it is a large factor. There are no templates I know of but you can make them as and if you feel you need to, however, doing so is only marginally helpful and your time is better spent drawing on the stock. What you do is take a No. 2 pencil and draw the intended design directly on the stock (don't dig in with the pencil) and erase and redraw until you have something you can live with.
Basic carving tools: Buy full sized tools, for now you won't need palm style. Also, a mallet, my most useful is a 1 1/2lb weight, You might be able to make several in that woodshop you mentioned. Note too that tools are a personal thing and what one fellow finds indispensable the other never considers. Beyond some basic tools you add to your repertoire as you find a need and according to you developing technique(s). Learn to use the chisels with the mallet which is a more controlled method than simple pushing the tool into the wood which WILL cause trouble sooner rather than later.
1/8th parting chisel (used to inlet RR pipes, barrel keys and some other stuff)
1/4 inch chisel - you'll find this one handy for all sorts of jobs, a must have.
3/8s and 1/2 inch parting chisels - useful sometimes.
3mm No. 3 sweep - I use this one quite a bit for carving and inlays. consider larger versions of the No 3 too, up to 3/8ths.
60 degree V tool, and 1mm U shaped chisels - useful for cutting in around carving and relieving around the inside of inlays, carving volutes.
Various scrapers - make your own. Smaller ones with curves are very useful, larger ones for stock scraping are good.
Knife, exacto or otherwise but it has to have a thin very sharp point and blade.
Consider making some carving tools out of old hacksaw blades. Those blades are useful too with doing wire inlay. You anneal them, shape, sharpen then temper them.
You must learn to sharpen and strop your tools to beyond razors edge. A dull tool will cause grief pretty darn quick. Once you have a keen edge on them it will last quite a while with stropping as needed before you must resort to the stones again.
Hope that helps, most of all relax, do your research and have all the fun you can.
dave
