Cheat sheet

[Maineshops]

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The wife saw me struggling with the large cheat sheet and mounted it on a bi fold sewing aid from Walmart. Makes it handy to handle and move. Dan

[Eric Krewson]

I have only built three guns, a Beck, a Fowler and a TN rifle, I used a cheat sheet for each of them.

After I finished each rifle I gave away the cheat sheet to anyone who mentioned they planned to build a similar rifle.

I have an Isaac Haynes TOW kit waiting in the wings, I have my TOW cheat sheet waiting in the wings with the kit.

Drawing out a pattern for my fowler;



It came out OK;

[Jerry V Lape]

Did you make the cheat sheet or is this a commercial product? 

[Mike Brooks]

I have never found these sets of plans usefull. They are generally someone else's idea of what that particular gun is supposed to look like, and they might not have a clue about what they are doing. I haven't seen all of these plans, but that is my general opinion. I'm sure someone out there has done them right by now. But still, unless you use exactly the same parts, nothing is going to "fit" properly.

[Pukka Bundook]

Agree with Mike,

In a way, we  are crippling your ability by trying to copy someone else's plans.
Also it likely won't fit you as well as it could. 

Best,
R.

[ltdann]

Did you make the cheat sheet or is this a commercial product?

TOTW has them for the more popular designs.  I use them as a departure point/reminder.  Also make good window shades in the shop!

I really like the folding backing idea, though.  Space is at a premium in my work area.

[Maineshops]

It is a cardboard sewing layout board. Ma got it at Walmart for about $4.00. Just fits the cheat sheet with a inch to trim on each end. Starting from scratch and pretty new to building longrifles.. I also bought several books and a cd. I don稚 follow anyone of them to the letter as I am not trying to pattern one after the masters. I simply use the information from each that suits me and what I知 trying to accomplish


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Threaded the breach plugs today and got in wood. Gunna snow tonight.

[Mike Brooks]

You sure got a lot of big tools, every time I see your posts I say "huh I wonder what that does?" It would take me a day and a half to figure out how to turn that stuff on and off let alone all the time to set up the work! I do understand the physical limits though, I have had to change the way I do a lot of things the past couple years, worn out and used up.

[ltdann]

I can't think of the times in the last few years where I said "I wish I had a metal lathe".  Beats waiting for the mail man to bring me a set of custom lock or tang bolts.

My wood lathe crapped out years ago, discontinued without parts support.

[Clark Badgett]

Mills and lathes are easy to use. (says the guy that can't solder )

[Maineshops]

Craftsman lathe by chance? May be something simple.
The one advantage I have is that I知 a retired tool and die maker. I saved a lathe and mill when I sold the shop. Good to have but it is no substitute for the knowledge and patients most of you folks have. I知 certainly learning a lot from the group and hopefully I can contribute something on occasion,even though it may be somewhat unorthodox.
I built a Cnc router awhile back and I may try some inlaying with that . Any thoughts?  Just havin fun. Dan

[Mike Brooks]

Craftsman lathe by chance? May be something simple.
The one advantage I have is that I知 a retired tool and die maker. I saved a lathe and mill when I sold the shop. Good to have but it is no substitute for the knowledge and patients most of you folks have. I知 certainly learning a lot from the group and hopefully I can contribute something on occasion,even though it may be somewhat unorthodox.
I built a Cnc router awhile back and I may try some inlaying with that . Any thoughts?  Just havin fun. Dan

When I was in High school I took art classes. Never took even one shop class....guess it might have been helpful now....

[T*O*F]

When I was in High school I took art classes.

My Mom paid for 2 years of private art lessons for me.  To this day, the only thing I can draw is flies.

[ltdann]

Craftsman lathe by chance? May be something simple.
The one advantage I have is that I知 a retired tool and die maker. I saved a lathe and mill when I sold the shop. Good to have but it is no substitute for the knowledge and patients most of you folks have. I知 certainly learning a lot from the group and hopefully I can contribute something on occasion,even though it may be somewhat unorthodox.
I built a Cnc router awhile back and I may try some inlaying with that . Any thoughts?  Just havin fun. Dan

Nah, it was a small Ryobi.  The circuit board in the power head fried.  Ryobi discontinued the lathe, so no parts available.  I found a board on ebay and it was more than I paid for the lathe new.

I'm still think about a small metal lathe, for screws and bolts.  Not sure I can justify the expense.

[James Rogers]

Craftsman lathe by chance? May be something simple.
The one advantage I have is that I知 a retired tool and die maker. I saved a lathe and mill when I sold the shop. Good to have but it is no substitute for the knowledge and patients most of you folks have. I知 certainly learning a lot from the group and hopefully I can contribute something on occasion,even though it may be somewhat unorthodox.
I built a Cnc router awhile back and I may try some inlaying with that . Any thoughts?  Just havin fun. Dan

When I was in High school I took art classes. Never took even one shop class....guess it might have been helpful now....

When I was in school I didn't take art OR shop.
I took an intensive set of machine tool classes at the community college this year and last and that had helped me bigly(big league).
I would love to get a big manual lathe with DROS and a mill with some mild conversational abilities for my shop!

[Eric Krewson]

I tried to follow a Beck cheat sheet to the letter on my first build, had I not have left an 1 1/2" of extra wood on the butt I would have had a 12" length of pull.

Like Mike says; nothing is the same and nothing lines up but it does give a newbie a general idea of how the wood should be shaped and some other basic layout information.

For someone like myself who had never seen an actual longrifle in person before I decided to make one, the plans came in mighty handy.

I used a TN rifle cheat sheet one this one as well, it came out OK.

[ddoyle]

I'm still think about a small metal lathe, for screws and bolts.  Not sure I can justify the expense.

Stop thinking and just drag home a cheap sieg 7x lathe for a couple hundred. Don't buy alot of aftermarket $#@* for it- use it to build the tooling you need. You wont run out of uses for it in this lifetime. Seldom will you want to single point #6 or #8 bolts but you sure will like forming them and having a way to keep the die straight. If you like the smaller bore stuff a 15/16 or 7/8ths tube fits thru the headstock for breeching, muzzles etc. 

Want to work on bigger stuff then your little lathe will handle? Make bushings/guides and fixtures and you can work on 1 inch bore wall guns.

Used lathes are cheaper than borsch and you usually get more then you pay for.  Life is simply too short to live with out a lathe.

Is that controller you need for a DC motor? If so 20 bucks gets you a PWM controller with AC/DC in DC out.

[Eric Krewson]

As to fit from a cheat sheet;  make a try stock and alter the plans to make your finished gun fit you perfectly, no biggie.

There are alway naysayers around, I find this trend rampant over at the primitive archer site. When questioned about their actual experience in doing what they say is a bad idea or impossible it turns out they they have never actually tried it but just "think" it is a bad idea.

I only give advice for things I have actually done, at which I have either succeeded or failed miserably.

My try stock; pretty crude but it works perfectly.

[ltdann]

I'm still think about a small metal lathe, for screws and bolts.  Not sure I can justify the expense.

Stop thinking and just drag home a cheap sieg 7x lathe for a couple hundred. Don't buy alot of aftermarket $#@* for it- use it to build the tooling you need. You wont run out of uses for it in this lifetime. Seldom will you want to single point #6 or #8 bolts but you sure will like forming them and having a way to keep the die straight. If you like the smaller bore stuff a 15/16 or 7/8ths tube fits thru the headstock for breeching, muzzles etc. 

Want to work on bigger stuff then your little lathe will handle? Make bushings/guides and fixtures and you can work on 1 inch bore wall guns.

Used lathes are cheaper than borsch and you usually get more then you pay for.  Life is simply too short to live with out a lathe.

Is that controller you need for a DC motor? If so 20 bucks gets you a PWM controller with AC/DC in DC out.

hmmm,  I looked on ebay and found a few locally for under $200 buck.   Thanks for that!

[Old Ford2]

As to fit from a cheat sheet;  make a try stock and alter the plans to make your finished gun fit you perfectly, no biggie.

There are alway naysayers around, I find this trend rampant over at the primitive archer site. When questioned about their actual experience in doing what they say is a bad idea or impossible it turns out they they have never actually tried it but just "think" it is a bad idea.

I only give advice for things I have actually done, at which I have either succeeded or failed miserably.

My try stock; pretty crude but it works perfectly.

Hello Eric,
That try stock is a great and simple idea for layout, drop, trigger pull and general overall shape.
I realize that it is plywood and does not represent the finished piece, but it is great to keep you honest in the above mentioned dimensions and shape.
Thank you!
Fred
PS:  I would be lost without my lathe and milling machine.
Do you realize that I could save $1.48 on a piece that will only take me five hours and $80 in materials and cutters that would have to buy to make it!

[Leroyvdh]

I was thinking about getting a cheat sheet for a gun rebuild. I thought it would be nice to have a reference. I'm the kinda guy that has to see something, then think about to answer questions in my mind  (worries the wife too)..
Eric - Your try stock is absolutely brilliant.. Length of pull has been one of my concerns.. Like my Dad says  'Careful son you might learn something'
Thanks Leroy

[Eric Krewson]

My contraption has a trigger and sights. When I can close my eyes, shoulder my el-cheapo try stock, open my eyes and be perfectly aligned with the sights, I know the measurements I need to build a gun that fits me.

I like to hand one of my guns to someone my size that who has never shouldered a correctly fitting gun, I tell them to close their eyes, shoulder the gun and tell me what they are seeing when they open their eyes. They always say "WOW, the sights are in perfect alignment".

Anyway, my try stocks fancy trigger.

[TommyG]

Eric, x2 on the try-stock.  I recently took your example one step further.  I used a piece of worm holed scrap poplar - 1.5" thick and half lapped a few joints to articulate the wrist for drop, comb height and LOP.    Works really well.  I have been scaling my drawings from photos with known dimensions like in RCA 1 & 2, then tweak them with the try-stock to fit.  As you said, close your eyes and shoulder, sights should be right there.

[mark esterly]

dan

     the important thing i caught from your original post is that your sweetheart IS A SWEETHEART.  do all you can to KEEP her.

[Maineshops]

Mark you have no idea what a joy she is. 55 years of mostly fun. Trials too you bet but we worked them out. She is still recovering from 3 major surgeries but progressing nicely. PTL. Dan