First Build Writeup

[Black Hand]

From the picture, your stock appears fat and can have more wood removed.

[Lobo74]

Mikey I am torn between an actual Hawken full stock kit and a Southern Mountain rifle kit. Hopefully this one will be completed in the next week or so, then its time to find out about the sights and what load it likes best.

[Lobo74]

Black Hand, I'm sure you are correct, but dropping it on the tang resulted in a 45º bend at its weakest spot - so I chickened out and tried the heat.  I also agree with the comment about not drilling the tang bolt hole until it is all inlet and properly fit, but the CVA kit had the tang bolt hole already drilled out. Sometimes having all the precut and predrilled components creates more work in modification that just doing the job once yourself would have taken.  All part of the learning process.

[Shovelbuck]

From the picture, your stock appears fat and can have more wood removed.

Yep, it looks like no wood was removed from the top of the forestock, making it sit too far up on the side flats of the barrel. It's also way to thick at the top of the forestock. That should be a max of 1/16 inch, preferably thinner. The hourglass shape at the splice should of been addressed also. Not to mention, now that you removed the spacer between the two stock pieces, your two holes for attaching the nose cap will not line up, and they will be so close to where they need to be it will be difficult to drill and tap new holes. Personally, I'd of waited until the touch hole and end cap issue was taken care of before browning.

[Lobo74]

From the picture, your stock appears fat and can have more wood removed.

"Yep, it looks like no wood was removed from the top of the forestock, making it sit too far up on the side flats of the barrel."

Hmmm.  It is a straight horizontal line from the front of the lock where it meets the lock mortise to extend along the top of the fore stock edge.  Lowering that would have created a stair step up to the lock.  Also, the vertical is up 3/16" on the vertical flat of the barrel. The flats of the barrel are ⅜", so the side is ½ way up the flat. I think making more of the flat exposed would look odd.  I could have taken more off of the ramrod channel than I did.  Another 1/16" or so on that long line would lighten up the appearance some.

"It's also way to thick at the top of the forestock. That should be a max of 1/16 inch, preferably thinner."

I did mention that in my self critique as well.  Depending on where the top of the flat is measured along the entire length, the thickness id 3/32" to just a hair under ⅛".  Yes, I could have taken another 1/32" to 3/64" off the width. As to working on that channel with less than 1/16".... maybe on my 4th or 5th build.

" The hourglass shape at the splice should of been addressed also."

Also mentioned in my self critique. The narrowest portion is 1 3/16", the widest is 1 ⅛".  The area at 1 3/16" feels too narrow.  The 1 ⅛# feels more natural.  Unfortunately I can't put back material after its off.  The narrow area came from carving down the two separate stock pieces when there were apart. The met just fine, but the result was 1/16" too much taken off at that joint.

"Not to mention, now that you removed the spacer between the two stock pieces, your two holes for attaching the nose cap will not line up, and they will be so close to where they need to be it will be difficult to drill and tap new holes. Personally, I'd of waited until the touch hole and end cap issue was taken care of before browning."

Actually I did look at all that prior to glueing the stock up. I have seen a couple of these CVA Kentucky's cobbled together and did not like the club like fore stock and absolutely hated the brass spacer.  When I got this $75 kit my goal was to see how far I could push the kit as a first build.  I was NOT going to have a brass insert mid fore grip.  As it turns out if the spacer is left off (on this particular kit anyway) and the two pieces are joined directly the nose cap pre drilled holes all match up exactly with the nose cap and the nose cap mates up to the fore stock. Exactly. No extra fitting at all. A lucky break, but one I knew was there before I made the epoxy commitment.

As to the touch hole issue.  I wanted to brown the barrel prior to drilling the touch hole.  My first time doing a browning job and I did not want another entry hole to plug and keep caustic fluid out of the bore.  Browning is complete as of today, the barrel is oiled for now per LMF application sheet. When I buff off the oil tomorrow and put everything back together for a final fit check I can very accurately mark the center point for the hole for the white lightening liner based on the flash pan actual location. 

I hope that explains my thought processes. Quite a bit of learning in a first build.

[Lobo74]

Great start Lobo74, looking forward to seeing what you come up with for the end product.  Keep posting!

Curtis

Thanks Curtis. BTW, I have enjoyed your signature line while lurking the last couple of years. Its priceless, and something every woodworker thinks . . .

[Lobo74]

The barrel and lock have been cleaned of the post browning oil application. I put everything together and pinned where needed, but left them long to pull out after marking the location for the touch hole vent liner.  The toe plate is not tightened down either, just attached to insure fit.

This was my "target":



This is how I did:

[Lobo74]

The large barrel pins were flush when I started. The amount standing proud in the pictures is how much wood was removed.  As has been pointed out, I could have taken it a bit thinner.  Lessons for the next build.





upload images url

[Lobo74]

This is the nose cap area. A dry fit of parts prior to the glue up showed it would fit, as did another post glue up.  That said, it is nice to see that my plan to leave off the mid stock brass plate did not go south on me.

[Lobo74]

Black Hand and Shovelbuck, I was not trying to argue the points, I was explaining that I had seen the flaws (especially after the finish was applied) and did not have the experience on the fixes.  Clearly if I scrape down the wood from the joint forward it will get rid of the hourglass area and thin down the vertical at the same time. Yes the grip is narrower than I like, but it is what it is. The barrel fits in the channel like a glove now.  Its a decent "pop" or tug to remove the barrel, and there is a good amount of bending in the fore stock. If I thin the sides below 1/16th I am concerned about the structure. An unwarranted concern?

As to the shorter vertical sides... How much is enough up the sides, and what is too much?  Also, as I said it is a straight line mid barrel flat from the front top of the lock at the flash pan where it meets the top of the channel edge all the way to where it meets the top of the nose cap. To remove height means it will no longer be a single straight line.  How do you incorporate something like that?

Thanks.   

[Hungry Horse]

IMO, your next build should be a SMR, instead of a Hawken. I know the Hawken looks simple, and straight forward, but it isn’t. It’s complicated, and exacting, and the right parts are expensive, and sometimes hard to get. SMR’s are simpler, and have a wide range of styles. This gives you some wiggle room if you don’t get the exact right parts. And if this isn’t complicated enough for you you can always forge your own parts. A local kid did just that, without a forge. He used mild steel, and cold forged the buttplate, and trigger guard parts, as well as the ramrod pipes. I would not have believed this possible if I hadn’t seen the results.

  Hungry Horse

[Lobo74]

Thanks Hungry Horse.  That is my leaning as well.  I think a SMR has lines that just flow from muzzle to toe.  Very handsome architecture. I knew from what I was starting with that this was going to be a "Frankenrifle", but I also thought it was an inexpensive way to see if I liked the process, and what additional tools I would need.  I do like the process, and intend to continue, and a nice SMR from Jim Kibler is high on my list. Question then (initially) is what caliber to try? .36 seems light, but I have a Colt Navy in that now. .50 seems like a good choice for hunting, but I haven't hunted since I was a kid.  Well, there is plenty of time to decide that.

[Lobo74]

Here is the completed rifle:

[rollingb]

Lobo74,... if you don't mind me asking, where did you find that rear sight?

[Lobo74]

Rollingb I got it from Stonewall Creek Outfitters.  Track of the Wolf has them as well.

[rollingb]

Rollingb I got it from Stonewall Creek Outfitters.  Track of the Wolf has them as well.

Thanks! 

[Craig Wilcox]

Lobo, it has been about 4 months since your last post, and I am a fairly new member here, so catching myself up on a lot of things.

Have you been out to the range with your beautiful long rifle?  And how did it go?

Really commend you on sticking with that project and getting it done.  Been through the moving process myself - grew up in a Navy family, then did a tour myself.  Got to be old enough to vote and drink while aboard Intrepid over in the far east.

I have built a few rifles myself, but never a long rifle, or a flint lock.  So now, I am building a Lehigh Valley H. Rupp rifle - and having a lot of fun with it.  Unfortunately, I have to go to Cleveland VA hospital for some heart modifications - if it all works out, I should have better circulation and not get tired as easily.
Trying to build this rifle with brass and silver trim, and trying to learn a bit of engraving.  Brushing up on my carving ability as well.  Done a bit of stone carving - animals and such - and hope that ability transfers to wood.
Again, great job on that rifle!

[Craig Wilcox]

Apparently forgot to turn the italics off after naming the carrier I was aboard.  Sorry!

[Neven]

Came out looking great especially for your first build. I'm curious too as to how it shoots.