Constructive advice requested

[frogwalking]

Last winter, I bought a Rice swamped barrel that was inletted into a nice hard piece of sugar maple.  The fellow from whom I bought it had a southern rifle in mind, thus the 32 caliber bore. I had already bought a southern classic barrel, a pretty piece of walnut, and had sent them to Mark for inletting, so rather than build another southern gun (My last was a Tennessee rifle also), I am building a somewhat generic Lancaster.  I am not able to build the quality of rifle  that many of you do, but I love building them for my children and grandchildren.  (if you are as slow as I am. it is cheaper than playing golf.) I am making a patchbox from a Chambers kit, and have completed the hinge. Now, I am dressing the stock up a little more before I cut out and install the box.  Let me know where to go from here.  Thanks.  Here are the photos.

[FALout]

Looks good.  Two areas that need work are the edges of the lock panel need to be closer to the lock(top and bottom), then the forend could be thinned more.  Looks like you doing okay. 

[Dave B]

A great start on a beautiful rifle. The most helpful thing I can point to for you is to look at originals. Here are a couple shots that can help you get the Idea of what is needed.
The fore end needs to be slimmed up. I am loosing track but I believe this is from one of Taylor's shots I took the liberty of adding to my collection of photos. Every school has its variations but this is generic enough to work for Lancaster. Note that the edges of the nose cap dont reach the half way point on the side flats. The ramrod groove is taken down so only less than a third of the rod is covered on the side of the ramrod. These two things help to keep the fore stock slim.






The lock panels are a personal taste thing that the builders even back then were free with the margins. Here are some that look good to my thinking. This first is Issac Haines, second is Jacob Dickert and following with one of our own. Each has his own way of doing it. even the same maker will vary his margins a bit from piece to piece.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/DaveB44/Ferree005web-1.jpg

[P.W.Berkuta]

My kind of rifle -- I LIKE it .   I would continue towrds the muzzle - refining the shape - put the muzzle cap on - work back to the butt plate - set rifle aside - look at it and see where you can "improve" the slimness then inlet the patch box & thumb piece if you are using one - then final metal work - final wood prep - apply stain & finish -- done .

[frogwalking]

Come on, Dennis, Taylor, James; tell me where to go from here.   I have had a couple of PMs, and all comments so far are very helpful.  I have slimmed down the wrist, removing the flair toward the comb.  I have lowered the sides where they contact the barrel side flat on the forearm.  I am currently removing wood on the cheek piece side of the buttstock, but want to leave a little for my second attempt at carving.  I know that a generic Lancaster sets some of your teeth on edge, like Johnny Cash's Cadillac, but it is what I can do.  I am trying to make it reasonably identifiable as such.  Thanks to those who have commented, but I can use more.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Frog, you don't need to leave any extra word for your carving. take it to final level and then carve.  Take more wood off of the fore-stock... show more ramrod... make it really slender.... I would bring the front bottom edge of the lock and side panels up so the nose of them is not so thick..

[Dennis Glazener]

I agree with Tim. I would thin those lock panels down similiar to the bottom photo that Dave B posted.

Looking good so far, hope you can bring it by our Williamsburg show.
Which reminds me, anyone wanting Rice barrels might be interested to know that Rice will be set-up at our Williamsburg VA show June 5/6
Dennis

[kaintuck]

there IS one thing...on the left side panel...that curve should start at the barrel flat...not the top of the barrel....its almost at the top from the picture~that'll make her a fattie
you could get the bottom up some to...then get that rasp around the forarm again....anytime the panels are smaller, the curves get re-done...

think 'broomstick' with a barrel..............

tomtom an marc

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Your forestock is heavy at the lock.  Measure the vertical height of the forend at the entry pipe, and transfer that measurement to the stock at the lock...you can add 1/16" for a taper if you like.  This will show you that you have a very fat stock vertically at the lock.  If I were building it, I'd take away all of that wood down to the line I've just described, re-inlet the trigger plate and guard.  Regarding the guard, inlet the forward and rear extensions so that they are flush with the stock.  You will likely, after doing this work, have to plug your pin holes for the guard, and re-drill.  I drill the pin hole for the forward part of the guard through the lock mortise, so it does not show on the lock side at all.
Your wrist should not be much deeper than it is wide.  Re-inletting the trigger and guard will take care of most of that, as you will have to then bring the bottom line of the butt stock up some.
Others' comments are valid.  The top line of your off-side panel should originate from the top line of the side flat of the barrel at the breech - not the top of the barrel.  It should follow the same approximate lines as the lock side panel.  So shape up the lock panel first, make a tracing from cereal box card stock of it, cut it out, and transfer it to the off-side using the lock nails as index.
Keep us posted on your progress, and enjoy the process.

[frogwalking]

I think I see what is being said.  I had thought that my sideplate was positioned too high to cut the stock down to the top of the side barrel flat, but looking at the rifle, it can indeed be done.  I had accidentally angled the rear lock bolt slightly downward placing it's location a little too low.  I see now that that accident may have been fortuitous. 

My last rifle was a Tennessee style that was so skinny in the lock area, I was afraid there was not enough depth to get the triggers inlet.  I guess the available depth on this one went to my head.  I can reduce the width of the lock panel and raise the bottom of the stock, reinletting the triggers and TG. 

I have already reduced the forend cross section by more than I thought reasonable, and will probably cut more off before I am finished.

Thanks to all.  If there are more suggestions, do not fail to share them with me.

One more thing.  I like this Sees patchbox.  Since this rifle is intended only to be representative of the Lancaster rifle, is it appropriate?