Work in progress FINITO!

[Mike Brooks]

Here's #4 for me this year, slightly bellow the number of guns I usually make....by quite a bit. This is/or will be a Rowan Co. NC. rifle ala Isaac Riblin/L.Nash with a bit of John Eagle thrown in. The pattern is a tracing off what I believe to be an L. Nash gun that Gibster was kind enough to let me trace and measure. The original gun  barrel measured .806 at the breech and was only swamped by a couple thousands and was a .32. I haven't built a gun like this in eons and the architecture was giving me fits, I kept wanting to widen the wrist and squash it down like an earlier gun, but that's not how these Ca. 1830-40 guns were. The wrist is 1 5/8" tall by just over 1 1/4" wide... hard for me to do but I think it all came together. The stock is very hard curly maple, was snatched some time ago from Freddy Harrison. Roller lock...forgot the date...'82? Super duper lock. The barrel is from a maker named Smith? in Florida. 7/8 straight taper to 13/16" and 42" long in .36 cal.
 I put sterling silver finials on the buttplate, trigger guard and ramrod pipes. The box has the proper latch for the school with the button in the upper side plate.  Fluted upper forestock molding. I'm sure the old timers had a scraper for this but I just made due with a checkering file , a small gouge and a rat tail rasp, didn't take all that long to do. Has a full length brass toe plate as well...PITA to do but wouldn't be the same with out it. This is my first grooved nose cap as well. Old dogs can learn new tricks. Got a ways to go yet, a couple more decorative treats up my sleeve yet. I don't have quite 6,000 hours in it yet, more like 55 at this point, it just feels like 6,000. Been doing a little scraping and sanding on the wood but it still has some warts to be worked out. Had most all the brass polished out except for the box but I've got that all buggered up again.....
 Any questions or comments are welcome.

[Mike Brooks]

[Stoner creek]

Wow!
Someone out there in ALR land is sure going to be satisfied with that beauty. Did I see that nifty chip carving along the boundary of the butt plate?? It’s nice for you to show us your work in progress.

[rennikselum]

Thanks for sharing Mike, always love to see your work. Very nice to include comments about architecture and aspects going into the build. I've learned tons of insightful information over the years from your posts.
Looks to be a fantastic rifle, hope you share a pic of the finished piece.

Jeff

[ltdann]

I gotta ask... How are silver finials done/made?

[WaterFowl]

Glad to hear your back in the saddle...Hope its warmer in your shop than it is here@ -14

Lots of thought put into that rifle...I like it!

can't wait to see the final results.

Your fowler build for sale in classifieds is pulling at my heartstrings .

[BOB HILL]

Really looks great, Mike. Thanks for sharing. Love those N.C. Rifles.
Bob

[n stephenson]

Mike, You may live in  corn country , but you have channeled your inner " mountain smith" with this one .I really like the silver  additions .Gotta love that toeplate , and it`s always cool to see a handmade brass box . That wood is super! Can`t wait to see it in finish. Nice Job! Nate

[David Rase]

Mike,
I knew you had it in you.  You will be chomp'n at the bit to build a plain rifle after that fancy one, just so you can see progress at a rate aster than grass grows.  At least that is how I roll.  Look'n good.
David

[Arcturus]

I dig the silver accents throughout, and look forward to seeing that nice piece of wood once finished.  Thanks for posting your progress on this cool project...I always enjoy your work.

[Joe Schell]

Very nice rifle , Mike ! Cant wait to see this one finished

[Adrie luke]

Mike
 
I visited your old topics. Your rifles look very old. You make the metal bleu/grey. Is that the right color for the metal in the past?
Which product do you use for it ?
I like the rifle, I hope you sent more pictures.

Adrie

[wattlebuster]

Gonna be beautiful

[iloco]

Mike is a master at aging his guns. This one is going to be awesome when finished.

[Mike Brooks]

Wow!
Someone out there in ALR land is sure going to be satisfied with that beauty. Did I see that nifty chip carving along the boundary of the butt plate?? It’s nice for you to show us your work in progress.

Yes, chip carved at the buttplate on both sides just like the old ones. I usually get much better pictures but it was -2* when I was taking pictures so I did it inside of my shop instead of outside. Of course the camera settings were all buggered up and I ended up having to use the flash so all the pics are kind of washed out. Then I had to figure out how to crop and resize on this new computer...took probably 2 1/2 hours to figure it all out and I doubt if I could jump right in and remember how I did it!

[Mike Brooks]

I gotta ask... How are silver finials done/made?

Well, I can't tell you for sure how the old timers did it or how guys do it now, but I just filed a slot where I wanted the silver and soldered a piece of silver in then filed it into shape. Not all that hard, just time consuming. Dave Rase probably has a far more clever way to do it.

[Mike Brooks]

Mike
 
I visited your old topics. Your rifles look very old. You make the metal bleu/grey. Is that the right color for the metal in the past?
Which product do you use for it ?
I like the rifle, I hope you sent more pictures.

Adrie

I age all of my work. It's done with browning solution in a sweat box. Let the brown go way too fay then sand it off and you have a slightly pitted surface.

[smallpatch]

Mike is dreaming of NC right now.......it's MUCH warmer there. 

[Mike Brooks]

Mike is dreaming of NC right now.......it's MUCH warmer there.

I'm planning in door jobs today. It's a balmy -9* this morning. Got to lay out a pattern for a left handed Eddy Marshal today and that is done on the dining room table.

[Mike Brooks]

I still got  to chop in a silver signature plate in the barrel, engrave the patch box which is mostly done by diving in and out a square graver. Lots of engraving on it but not hard to do. Side plate has to be engraved as well. Have a bit of silver wire to do too, ala John Eagle.
 The box and latch has been the major job on this gun. Haven't done a metallic box in years, especially a 4 piece-er.
 The gun fits and holds surprisingly well, goes right at 7lbs. I was worried about the drop but it isn't an issue.

[Daryl]

Glad to see you are back at it, Mike. Good stuff!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

That's quite a project for a guy still recovering from shoulder surgery.  But you are carrying it off in your usual form.  I really like this style of architecture...such a departure from the late 18th C we're used to.  It's refreshing!  Stellar piece of maple and great lines.  Great to see you back at the bench.

[P.W.Berkuta]

Nice rifle Mike - is the lock a modified Siler? I got an SMR that I like to put that kind of lock on after I finish a (modern) restock.

[Mike Brooks]

Nice rifle Mike - is the lock a modified Siler? I got an SMR that I like to put that kind of lock on after I finish a 1903A3 restock.

It's a Bob Roller from the early 80's.

[oldtravler61]

  Mike your flash on your camera looks like the nose cap is flat sided...Which we all know it isn't. Coming along very nice...May I ask which number this is?  How close are you to the magic 400? 😀