Author Topic: Copy Of a Lovely Chambers Rifle - Update of photos (Read 43911 times)

davec2 · « **on:** September 18, 2015, 11:10:59 PM »

Back on 29 July, a rifle by Jim Chambers was posted on the Contemporary Makers site. Here is the link ...

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-work-by-jim-chambers.html

I thought the rifle was particularly beautiful and I asked Jim, via an ALR post, if he would mind if I attempted a copy of it. Jim graciously told me to go ahead, so I asked him for all of the specifics (caliber, barrel length, etc.) Not a month or two before Jim's rifle showed up, I had decided to build another rifle using the many spare parts I had lying around. I also decided that I wanted to build a small caliber rifle this time as everything else I had built recently was .50 or larger. I didn't want to go as small as a .32 so I had purchased a 42 inch, .36 caliber swamped barrel from Rice and had it sitting on the shelf. I also had a maple stock blank that I had purchased more than 25 years ago from Golden Age Arms and that had now been in the garage rafters for nearly three decades. Since all the other parts I had available seemed close enough to Jim's rifle, I thought it would be OK to use them and just duplicate the feel and style of Jim's rifle, as best I could, with what I had rather than trying to make an exact copy.

So, although I am up to my eyeballs in work at the moment, I thought I would do a little on the rifle here and there. In addition, I like posting the progress here for two reasons; first, I get such great feedback and constructive criticism all along the way that it helps me learn and make what improvements I can as I go. Second, it hustles me along...just to keep the story moving, I need to make some progress.

So, here we go.....This is the quarter century old stock blank. The first thing I did was to send the blank and barrel to Dave Rase to have him inlet the barrel for me. As usual, he did a great job and got the blank sent back to me in very short order.

Next, I plied up all the parts, printed some pictures of Jim's rifle, and started to do some scaling from the photos to lay out the major architecture.

A little work with the band saw and the major portions of unnecessary wood had been removed.

To get the barrel all the way down and in final position, I re-shaped the end of the breech plug, to match Jim's rifle, and then completed the inletting. I also always like to bed the breech area, so I did that with AcraGlass as well.

So far so good....More when I can get to it.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #1 on:** September 18, 2015, 11:59:03 PM »

Thanks for letting us follow along. I look forward to it.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2015, 02:04:15 AM »

No kidding! This is going to be fun.

wattlebuster · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2015, 02:13:07 AM »

I love watching these "come along with me on this build" post's. This old dog might learn something after all

goodtime7 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2015, 05:28:03 AM »

Thanks a bunch.....looking forward to it!!!!

flatsguide · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2015, 07:04:01 AM »

Looking forward to seeing her come together. Post lots of photos and how to's
Thanks Richard

oldtravler61 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2015, 04:57:42 PM »

Looking forward to watching your gun come together. I learn alot from these kinds of builds. Thank you

davec2 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2015, 10:21:57 PM »

OK....had some time to make and install the four barrel loops. I had originally intended to use keys, but shifted back to pins at the last moment since Jim's rifle uses pins. So the barrel is down tight, except for the tang screw, which I will install after the trigger plate is inlet.

Had some time left, so I shifted over to the ram rod pipes. The two forward pipes go quickly, but I always dread the rear pipe...no reason, except I find it tedious. Jim's rifle has no engraving on any of the pipes, and I don't intend to add any, but I did cut some additional decorative rings on the pipe end moldings to make them a little more elaborate.

davec2 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 20, 2015, 04:29:45 AM »

Had all the parts except the side plate, so I stopped to make that today out of 1/8 inch brass sheet. I had to scale the design a little as the lock I am using is about 3/8 of an inch shorter than the one Jim used. I cut out the plate, beveled the edges, and sketched out the copy of Jim's engraving on it.

I have not had any time to engrave much lately so.....I thought I should start on the side plate. If I messed that up, I could make another one and try again. If I messed up on the lock or patch box, the mistake would be much harder to correct. This is just the outline cut...no shading yet.....

Shading cut in......picture with the finished plate and a picture of Jim's plate.

Closer image of side plate.....

flatsguide · « **Reply #9 on:** September 20, 2015, 05:17:52 AM »

Thanks for posting the good photos. Nice touch on the pipe. I really like you style of engraving, very clean and flowing. I'm building JC's English Sporter and hope I don't come to grief when I start engraving her.
Regards, Richard

davec2 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 22, 2015, 05:18:43 AM »

More progress - Frizzen annealed, lock polished and ready for the engraving layout:

Muzzle cap installed (except for the rivet)......

Butt plate installed........

smylee grouch · « **Reply #11 on:** September 22, 2015, 05:29:00 AM »

No idle hands in your workshop, you have been busy but you sure used your time wisely. Real nice work and thank you for keeping us up to date.

James Rogers · « **Reply #12 on:** September 23, 2015, 02:25:52 PM »

Always a pleasure when you share your excellent work with us. Your creativity comes thru at just the right flavor even when following another contemporary piece.

davec2 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 23, 2015, 11:21:21 PM »

Before running off to complete the lock engraving, I wanted to get it located and inletted. Once down and in place, I made the lock bolts and then drilled and tapped the stock and plate for them.

With the lock located and in place, I assembled a trigger plate and trigger and got them installed as well......

Trigger guard next..............

davec2 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 27, 2015, 07:06:02 AM »

Have enough parts inlet now to start taking of any wood that doesn't look like a long rifle.

This next photo may take a little explanation.......This stock blank turned out to be about 3/8 inch too narrow for the butt plate I am using and for the depth of the cheek piece I wanted. So, I had decided that I would add as much material as I needed in the cheek piece area. At first I was considering brass.....then ivory.....then horn.......then black horn.......wait, how about ebony? Ebony it was. It looks a little nutty right now with the stark contrast between the maple and the ebony, but once stained, I think it will look fine. I have mixed the two woods on other projects and been very pleased with the result. We will see how this turns out. I have a fall back if I end up not liking it.

Nordnecker · « **Reply #15 on:** September 27, 2015, 02:55:53 PM »

Terrific work…..inspiring. Can't wait to see this one finished with that ebony cheekpiece.

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #16 on:** September 27, 2015, 04:00:05 PM »

Dave as Always clean and precise work. I have to ask the first post on this was 19 Sep, have you done all this work in that short a time? Maybe I missed something.

Tim C.

davec2 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 27, 2015, 07:18:23 PM »

Tim,

I had Dave Rase inlet the barrel for me the first part of July, but I didn't decide how to proceed until I saw Jim Chambers rifle on 29 July. I was gone part of August and it took a couple of weeks to get in the the parts I didn't have on hand. I polished the lock while I was waiting for parts, but I really didn't start the work on the rifle itself until the first week in September. Unfortunately, work gets in the way and I usually only have time to work for several hours in the evenings...... although I do make good progress on weekends. I don't feel like the the rifle is coming together all that fast and now comes the patch box and the carving. Those will take me a while to try to mimic Jim's beautiful work.

Ed Wenger · « **Reply #18 on:** September 28, 2015, 04:46:24 AM »

I really like what you did with the cheek piece, Dave. I think it'll look great once stained, (looks great now!) looking forward to seeing the end results! I've often thought of doing something similar with the bottom of the butt, in effect making a step wrist rifle...

Ed

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #19 on:** September 28, 2015, 04:45:36 PM »

Quote from: davec2 on September 27, 2015, 07:18:23 PM

Tim,

I had Dave Rase inlet the barrel for me the first part of July, but I didn't decide how to proceed until I saw Jim Chambers rifle on 29 July. I was gone part of August and it took a couple of weeks to get in the the parts I didn't have on hand. I polished the lock while I was waiting for parts, but I really didn't start the work on the rifle itself until the first week in September. Unfortunately, work gets in the way and I usually only have time to work for several hours in the evenings...... although I do make good progress on weekends. I don't feel like the the rifle is coming together all that fast and now comes the patch box and the carving. Those will take me a while to try to mimic Jim's beautiful work.

Thanks, Impressive, kind of reminds me of methods engineering.

Tim C.

Squirrel pizza · « **Reply #20 on:** September 28, 2015, 06:05:18 PM »

You make it look easy Dave. And you certainly picked a beaut to copy. The squirrels will line up to be shot by that rifle.

davec2 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 03, 2015, 10:13:01 PM »

Stopped work on the stock for a bit and shifted back to metal work. I decided to include my usual breech decoration and gold touch mark. Here is the breech cut with a border, the touch mark recess excavated and the gold sheet cut to fit....

The touch mark after pressing..............

My usual engraving on the underside of the barrel..............tried a different style this time....more rustic.....

davec2 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 26, 2015, 11:11:19 AM »

Had a little time between test contracts to start making some progress on this rifle. Started some carving and then switched over to engraving the lock. I am trying to do my best to copy Jim's design style.....not all that successfully, but at least I am not stuck in my same rut. The lock isn't completely finished yet, but it's close.

Ed Wenger · « **Reply #23 on:** October 27, 2015, 09:16:01 PM »

Dave, the rifle is looking great, and your engraving continues to be some of the finest I've seen. Shaping up to be another beautiful piece...

Ed

jerrywh · « **Reply #24 on:** October 27, 2015, 10:33:13 PM »

Dave.
Put your name underneath the pan. Nice work as usual.

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Author Topic: Copy Of a Lovely Chambers Rifle - Update of photos (Read 43911 times)