Finally have a 1st build strategy...

[saltland]

   I'm probably crazy for a 1st build this way but I have a backup plan.My original plan was going to buy a kit later this year.But as time went on over the last year I realize what I want it the whole experience of building/inletting /carving the stock.To buy a kit and have most of that done deprives me of that valuable experience.My thoughts were initially buy the kit with pre carved stock then in addition purchase a blank stock and use the pre carve as a "model" and work from the blank.After thinking it over I think the most fiscally expedient way of doing this is buy the blank and purchase all parts separately.I now many kits allow you to forgo the stock and save usually around $90 but in reality that stock with shaping/inletting is closer to $300.Makes sense to save $ putting a parts list together and save roughly $250-$300 on the build.
 Don't get me wrong as a beginner even a kit is a challenge so I may be biting off more then I can chew.I've actually talked myself out of any build a few times over the last year.But I figure worse comes to worse I can always buy pre carve or have somebody finish it.Tome isn't an issue for me as I fully expect this to take well over a year.
 I think what really made me turn the corner is my visit to Dixon's a couple weeks ago and talking about builds.Being there I realize help is only an hour away if needed.
  So for now the plan is wait until Dixons Gunmaking Fair...squirrel way my allowance my wife gives me..LOL..and purchase my blank along with at least the barrel/breechplug and lock so I can start the process/journey.I'm sure a lot of frustration awaits.
  I'd love to hear about any of you guys who jumped into the deep end like this and how it turned out.
  Scott

[rich pierce]

I built one kit then went the blank route. That first build is a well finished, great shooting gun with lots of newbie architectural mistakes. But folks who don’t know longrifle think it’s amazing. Now if the inletting was sloppy I’d have to re-do it.

Most beginners think inletting will be easy. It’s not and requires practice. I’d advise you to buy a lock, get a piece of lumber or firewood, and inlet it. Rinse and repeat.

[Chowmi]

Rich gave good advice on inletting, he is right.

A precarve stock can help prevent a lot of architectural errors.  Since you have chosen to build from a blank, I would advise you to get a good set of plans to use.  That will help get all the parts in the right place, which is not a given when starting from a slab.

Norm

[saltland]

 Good advice on practicing on a piece of wood 1st.In fact maybe the best plan is just buy the lock and do as you suggest for awhile BEFORE I buy anything else.If I grow frustrated/discouraged from that then worse case scenario I sell the lock and I'm out a couple bucks.Sometimes the best advice is the most simple and obvious and the beginners enthusiasm tends to cloud things.I'm a beginner that believes inletting along with quite a few tasks will be a nightmare..thats why its taken over a year of going back and forth with doing this at all.The whole project period would be an expensive mistake.My feeling is no beginner knows for sure until they do it.I've read so many posts on here and other forums where guys buy a kit thinking its reading directions and putting it together.

[Sawfiler]

I started from a blank for my first build. Looking back there are a lot of things I would change to the finished product, but I refuse to since it was my first rifle.

I think the biggest question is how much experience do you have with hand tools and woodworking before you start. I was pretty accomplished with hand tools and woodworking before I started, I had done  a lot of wood inlay, hand cut dovetails, shaping curved pieces, carving, etc. so I was comfortable with that aspect. My inlets are all pretty tight, because of prior experience. The main issues with my first build are that I left things to fat with extra wood, and not studying the small details as much as I should before I started things that I see now that the folks on this forum have pointed out. Handling originals/taking a class is the biggest thing that can help you with what the final product should look like.

Practice is great, but if you are like me you don't take the practice seriously enough for it to be of help. I always have to be working on the actual final thing for me to put in my best work. Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent, you have to take it seriously and I just can't do it.

If you are worried about sinking the cash into a lock to practice on you could always just take a random shaped piece of steel and inlet it into a block of wood. The skills learned would be the same.

[WadePatton]

There's a nice gunstock inside every blank,

just waiting to be let out.  Get started.   

---
additionally. I have no idea what your woodworking experience or proximity to free wood is, but if you've not done much with wood-with hand tools, properly sharp, then get some experience doing that.  And how to make chisels/gouges/planes/scrapers properly sharp. Scrapers are a slightly different bird, but one that many makers rely on.

If you're rural or not too far from sawmills or furniture makers, and somewhere with plentiful hardwoods, then there'll be some walnut, cherry, maple, and ash in the scrap/slab/firewood piles near you.  Nothing like FREE WOOD for practice.  Trouble with that, this year is that it's been a cool one and there's less seasoned wood left.  Of course a nice fat blank yields lots of small scraps for testing your cutting tools prowess on--just be sure to save some chunks for patching mistakes.  Also--practice gluing up some wood with wood glue, and filling improperly drilled holes...All great to be familiar with BEFORE the time comes to put into practice.

Never forget that well-done repairs add character but that poorly done repairs look like exactly what they are.   

[n stephenson]

When it comes to first time builders , I feel like the best thing you can do IF POSSIBLE , is to find someone who has built rifles within a hundred miles , or whatever your willing to drive. See if the person is at least willing to show you what a good gun should look like. I realize this is not possible for everyone. If you are fortunate enough to find someone that will help you , and they do the type of work you want to learn, listen to them!! Second to that would be taking gun building classes where they are offered.  This is not a hobby that you see people doing on a regular basis. If you want to learn , be prepared to put in a LOT of work . If you know exactly what your doing and have been doing it for 35 years , it`s still a TON of work. This is not a hobby for the lazy! I had a forum member contact me last year , wanting to know if I would show him how to shape a stock. He drove 7 hours to my house , and stayed for 3 days. I am very much looking forward to his return this month. He demonstrated willingness, and I was glad to help him.    This forum is a GREAT source of information . I am just thankful that I learned to build rifles years before it came out. While variety may be the spice of life , I can`t help but believe that multiple opinions could be confusing. That is the reason I say, find a person that has proven experience , listen to HIM , not whoever comes up with something that sounds easier. Once you  have completed a rifle using his methods , develop your own , by trying different things , till you find what works for you to achieve the results you are after. I am not putting down the help of forum members , not my intent. I have picked up numerous tips and tricks that I have adopted .I just think it COULD be confusing .Especially to someone with no experience. JMHO  Nate

[flehto]

Most guys don't build from a blank for their first build......I wonder why?.....Fred

[Robert Wolfe]

I'd go for a good quality kit or parts set first time around myself. That allows you to focus on basic skills and worry less about architecture since it will basically be set for you. If you want to inlet the lock many precarved stocks come with that as an option.

[flinchrocket]

I think Mike Brooks tutorial is the best you will find on building from a blank. If you get the book recreating the American long rifle and study it then follow Mikes tutorial you could build your first gun from a blank. I would buy a plain maple blank and have the barrel inlet and ramrod hole drilled.
Just make a basic no frills gun.

[Bill Raby]

I built the first one from a pre-carve. It came out great. Second one was from a blank. I went nuts and did the full carving engraving on it. It came out great. Biggest surprise that I had was that nothing about it was actually hard. But there were lots of parts that took a really long time. Go slow and don't cut anything until you are sure that it is the right thing to cut. If you have experience with tools, it is not a problem. You are probably buying tools. Go cheap where you can, but NEVER go cheap cheap on hand tools that cut anything. Especially chisels. Get the best ones that you can find. Then learn how to make them very, very sharp. Set of plans is a big help. Get a couple good books about gun building and obviously dig through this forum every day.

Great to see someone just dive right in. I love it! Some of the guys on here are building amazing guns that probably cost a fortune. But not one of them will ever be able to build a gun that you will enjoy as much as one that you build yourself. Now get to work!

[Mike Brooks]

You don't have to buy a fancy blank, but it must be HARD to produce a good end result.

[ddoyle]

yep get a blank and a good book and enjoy. Best part about a blank is that by the time you inlet the barrel you have the skills, tendon strength and understanding to do a good job on everything else.

For a blank call Joe or Suzie at the gunworks. Explain exactly what you are doing and tell them your priority is wrist grain and workability (not figure). They also make nice barrels.

One other tidbit- what ever lock you buy do not buy it from a vendor. Buy it direct from the maker. Better advice buy your lock from the Chambers Family.




Flehto most people also eat cancerous cheese burgers instead of cooking at home- buy store bought bread at 10x the cost of homemade- pay 100 dollars for bangledeshi clothes worth a nickle- drive $50K cars with recalls  and do alot of other dumb things. NEVER look to the lemmings for good ideas- just easy ideas that someone else profits from.

[Clear Spring Armory]

Having only done a handful of rifles, I usually just ask questions (bad ones😀) and post pictures of my finished products on here, no opinions. But I really think drawing rifles is a good way to get familiar with architecture. I never had a good teacher, access to well done rifles (except looking at them on the racks at Friendship), or even this site until after I finished the first gun. I used to look at rifles in magazines and, later, on the internet. Then I would sit down and draw a picture from memory. I think all the drawing helped me understand the lock side profile, at least, of the rifles I hoped to build. Cheap, convenient "practice" 😜. Have fun.