Jamie building her first rifle

[bama]

Hey Dad I want you to teach me to build a longrifle! What a wonderful Christmas request from my daughter. Believe me that was music to her Dad's ears.

I had Charley Burton make me up 3 nice light 40 cal swamped barrels with the intentions of building a rifle for her and my grandsons so I had the barrels already. Jamie's birthday is the 26th of December so I give her one these barrels for her birthday and she grinned the biggest grin I beleive I have ever seen on her.

So here are a few pictures of Jamie and the start of her first build. I told her that we were going to do as much by hand as we could and she was good with that. So the first step was to layout a blank and inlet the barrel and she has hung in there like a champ.

Here she is starting to cut the breech area so we can set the barrel down flat so the guide rails can be attached.


Here she is attaching the guide rails to the blank.


Stabbing in the barrel profile.


Starting to cut the channel


This is a smile that made my day. Yes I am a happy man.

[smylee grouch]

I think she is smiling because she knows she has a good teacher. Thanks for bringing in new blood to the ranks.  Have a happy new year.

[Ed Wenger]

Jim, that's awesome!  Very happy for you both!  Keep us posted with the progress if you can.


       Ed

[gunmaker]

It don't get any better'n that !!!  Way to go......

[Mark Elliott]

That's great!

[mountainman70]

Out Standing,Jim.Y'all have a great time togather!Happy New Year all you guys!  Dave F

[snapper]

she looks like she is having fun as well.

Fleener

[BOB HILL]

This is wonderful. ...........Bob

[Topknot]

Jim, now you have your son and daughter building, is the wife next? Now is the time to take that long planned vacation and leave the rifle building to them. ha-ha!
I think its nice to have your family interested in building rifles and they couldnt have a better teacher.

                                                                                                      topknot

[GANGGREEN]

That's awesome.  I occasionally ask my younger son to come out to the shop to help me with this or that task and he never complains, but I haven't seen any desire to build his own yet (and I've asked).  Maybe some day.  Good for you for passing the tradition on.

[A.Merrill]

   She looks happy to me. Looks like she is going to take your place building guns. You going to take her place cleaning house. bahahaha. ..   Al

[Willbarq]

Are we using steel for the guide rails or aluminum?  What kind of wood are we using?

[bama]

The guide rails are 1" aluminum angles that have holes drilled about every 4" along it's length. The stock blank is a nice piece of sugar maple that I have had for a number of years that was just waiting on the right project. It has really fine tight stripe and should carve and finish very nicely.

I use the clamps to conform the rails to the barrel then screw the rails down to the blank. I do not put screws in the end of the rails closest to the breech. I hold back about 6" then start my screws, this keeps me from getting a screw into the lock or side plate areas of the stock.

Once I have the rails anchored down I remove the barrel and stab in the profile with my 1/2" flat chisel. Once I have the barrel profile stabbed in I remove the rails and start down with the channel. I first remove the depth of half barrel accross the profile and the full lenght.

I then layout the center grove which I make the witdth of the norrowest part of the barrle land, I try to get this grove as close to the bottem of the barrel depth as I can. I have the bottom of the barrel laid out on the side of the stock and I use my depth guage to keep check on this depth.

When I have this grove cut all I have left is to remove the corners left after cutting the bottom grove, this make the 45 degree lands of the barrel.

When you get through removing these corners you will have a rough barrel channel cut. I now start the process of blackening the barrel and fine tuning the barrel channel. After I have the barrel setting into the channel to my satisfaction I inlet the breech tang.

It is a good but slow process and one that gives me a feeling of accomplishment. I know that there are ways to speed this process up and a machine inlet barrel channel will give me a better overall fit but I would not have the pride of telling someone that yes that is a hand inlet barrel.

[bama]

Here are a few more pictures of Jamie's first day of work. It shows me laying out the rifle and the guide rails attached and then the first part of the channel that Jamie removed. All in all a good first day of work.  I will keep posting updates as she is ablle to work on this project. Jamie is a full time mom and has a full time job so progress may move a little slow but I am very proud of her and like any proud Dad, I like to brag on her.

[Topknot]

Looking good Jim, I know that your very proud of her as any Dad would be. She has an excellent teacher! Just keep her chislin along and before long she will have a brand new rifle that she made herself and boy will she proud.

                                                         topknot

[WKevinD]

Your a lucky man!

[Steve-In]

You are blessed having your daughter for an apprentice.