Author Topic: Christian's Spring rifle inspired by RCA #43- Photos Fixed (Read 84029 times)

Curtis · « **on:** May 19, 2016, 07:15:32 PM »

The post below was originally part of Davebozell's "Show us your current project" thread. The moderators have split the many projects in the original thread out into individual threads so the members can more easily ask questions and the builders can more easily answer.

Starting on a Christian's Spring rifle inspired by RCA #43. I am enrolled in Jack Brooks Christian's Spring class in June @ the NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar. Trying to get the basics out of the way before the class.

Sawed the blank entirely with a rip saw and a frame saw:

Inletting barrel. I thought about having David Rase do it but I hear he is kinda hard on breech plugs, lol. Sorry Dave, I couldn't resist.....

Getting closer:

I am further along now but don't have the pics off the camera yet.

Curtis

Curtis · « **Reply #1 on:** June 29, 2016, 05:16:44 PM »

Made some progress on the rifle while I was in Bowling green at the gunsmithing seminar:

Curtis

thimble rig · « **Reply #2 on:** June 29, 2016, 10:56:55 PM »

Good job so far.Thanks for posting the pictures.Cant wait to see more.

jrb · « **Reply #3 on:** June 29, 2016, 11:59:26 PM »

Thanks for taking time to post and share build pics Curtis, looking forward to more !
John

rich pierce · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2016, 12:22:04 AM »

Good choice in a build. Looking forward to more.

wattlebuster · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2016, 12:50:34 AM »

I love threads like this

yip · « **Reply #6 on:** June 30, 2016, 01:37:54 AM »

curtis; whats the size of the gouge pictured? ..............yip

David Rase · « **Reply #7 on:** June 30, 2016, 02:22:58 AM »

Curtis,
Very inspiring project. It is taking shape and looks outstanding. Can't wait to see more of your progress.
David

J. Talbert · « **Reply #8 on:** June 30, 2016, 03:48:14 AM »

Looks like some nice clean efficient work.

Well done Curtis.

Jeff

James Rogers · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2016, 03:57:50 AM »

Lookin mighty nice Curtis!

Curtis · « **Reply #10 on:** June 30, 2016, 06:30:43 AM »

Thanks so much for the encouraging comments, guys! It is truly a fun and interesting project, and I admire the original rifle considerably. It may be a while before I get to resume working on it, but will continue posting photos as I progress with it. Jack is a great teacher and I hope I can channel some of what I have learned from the class into this rifle.

Yip, there are two different gouges pictured. The first gouge pictured is a 1" #11 sweep Henry Taylor English, the one in the rest of the photos is a #9-20 Sweep Pfeil Swiss. I have to say I prefer the Pfeil gouges over any others I own, they very cleanly eat wood like beasts if you keep them sharp. I somehow managed to acquire two of the 9-20 Pfeil gouges, and I think one should last me a lifetime. If you are interested in having one, send me a pm and I would offer it to you at a discount.

Curtis

Mauser06 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 30, 2016, 06:33:43 AM »

Thanx for sharing!!!

Looking forward to seeing the progress...

I dig through lots of posts like this...being a newbie to the gun building world it's very interesting to see a slab of wood and pieces of metal turn into a gun....

yip · « **Reply #12 on:** June 30, 2016, 02:21:32 PM »

Curtis; thanks for your reply and for your offer on the gouge, i'm interested please email me thanks...........yip

Cory Joe Stewart · « **Reply #13 on:** June 30, 2016, 04:58:44 PM »

I really like the style and approach to your work. It is great to see the process.

hudson · « **Reply #14 on:** June 30, 2016, 06:32:34 PM »

Great posting! I have only made three stocks from a plank so every bit of information is a great help, thanks.

blienemann · « **Reply #15 on:** June 30, 2016, 09:59:28 PM »

This is living history - stocking a copy of this grand old rifle in the same way and with the same tools that Andreas Albrecht (attributed) used to stock the original many years ago. Following your progress is the next best thing to a time machine.

Be sure to take down your trombone, zither or violin and play a bit each day, like he did!

Bob

Long Ears · « **Reply #16 on:** July 01, 2016, 03:06:02 AM »

Nice work but you really need a band saw. That was a ton of work. Well done. Bob

Curtis · « **Reply #17 on:** July 01, 2016, 07:11:10 AM »

Thanks for the comments again everyone!

Bob, thanks so much for posting here, I have thoroughly enjoyed your book "Moravian Gun making of the American Revolution". I will have to play the zither in my imagination however, as it has been decades since I have tried to make my own music and it would most likely be offensive even to my ears!

Long Ears: Thanks for posting as well! While I appreciate the mechanical efficiency of a band-saw, just today I retired from a 26 year career in high technology an I must say I find doing things the old ways a source of relaxation and a chance to distance myself from the noises and bustle of modern life. Don't get me wrong, I really love my flush toilets and comfortable living space! However I do "feel" a project coming together much more intimately while using hand tools. Not to mention the lack of noise! I am not an anti technology kinda guy, but I appreciate the lack of noise and fast cuts when I'm feeling artistic. Just a personal thing, no offense to anyone.

Curtis

Chowmi · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2016, 01:13:59 AM »

Curtis,
Congrats on the retirement! Must have been a good job, you are way too young to retire!
19 more years for me...

Nice to see the pictures of your rifle. Last time I saw it, it was looking great.
I have not touched mine since returning from class. Too much work to do on my Isaac Haines. I'd rather bugger up the Haines than the my RCA #43!

Cheers, Norm

hortonstn · « **Reply #19 on:** July 02, 2016, 04:56:39 AM »

Curtis
Congrats on your retirement I'm close but scared to pull the trigger to many hobbies and five grandkids to teach all the wrong things,maybe I will get to teach them to shoot blackpowder of course
If you ever get across the bridge stop by and say hello
Paul

conquerordie · « **Reply #20 on:** July 04, 2016, 08:53:51 PM »

Curtis,
I'm looking for a better way to start the shaping of my stocks, and your pictures make it look simple. In one of your pictures the bevel on the lock panel to the breechplug tang seems to be the same angle all the way back to the buttplate. Flows from the lock to the butt plate. Do you create this with rasps or plane? Maybe your spokeshave? The way you perform these beginning stages of shaping seems to make final shaping much easier than anything I do. I'm eager to see more. Thanks,
Greg

Curtis · « **Reply #21 on:** July 06, 2016, 06:55:38 AM »

Hello Greg,

Great observation! You can't tell very well from the pictures, but the bevel is not the same angle, but on a "plane" that varies in pitch according to the height and width of the location on the stock. The profile and the widths are all established before making the "planes". It's part of a method for achieving good stock architecture that Jack Brooks teaches... I highly recommend taking one of his classes!

I used draw knives, spoke-shaves, planes and rasps in shaping the stock, primarily a plane when it worked well. It depends on the grain, and if I can get a plane in to cut due to the changing angles on the stock and the size of my planes, hopefully that makes sense to you. I often use a rasp in the tight spots, or when the wood wants to get chippy.

Curtis

Curtis · « **Reply #22 on:** July 06, 2016, 07:00:32 AM »

Norm & Paul,

All I can say is - so far I highly recommend retirement! And Norm- ugh, 19 years... that will seriously get in the way of your gun building time! And BTW, I enjoyed having you as a classmate @ Bowling Green. Hope you can make it next year.

Curtis

bama · « **Reply #23 on:** July 06, 2016, 04:32:00 PM »

Great project and it looks like you are going to do a fine job of it.

I retired just a little over two years ago and I am now building full time. It is something I looked forward to for many years and I can truely say I am having a blast. I get to get up in the morning drink a little coffee enjoy a nice breakfast and then drive down my little hill to my shop and spend the day working on a rifle. It's a tuff job but somebody has to do it.

Good luck with your retirement and your build.

Jim

Curtis · « **Reply #24 on:** July 07, 2016, 03:36:11 AM »

Bama,

Thanks for the positive feedback. I plan to follow your retirement example to the "T"! Only difference is I just have to walk 35 yards across the driveway to get to the shop. Almost like heaven on earth....

Curtis

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Author Topic: Christian's Spring rifle inspired by RCA #43- Photos Fixed (Read 84029 times)

thimble rig