Author Topic: New England Connecticut River Valley Fowler FINISHED (scroll to bottom) (Read 12238 times)

smart dog · « **Reply #25 on:** April 24, 2019, 12:04:31 AM »

Hi,
I've been so distracted with finishing Tony' rifle and putting siding on my house that I've not spent much time posting photos. Here are some more. The first shows the cherry stock profile after cutting away some extra wood.

The barrel and tang are inlet. Note the width of the straight tang is a tiny bit less than the barrel flat as it is on the original.

I cut the ramrod groove with a 5/16" round bottomed router bit. I had to make a new ramrod drill for a 19/64" hole. Things are packed pretty tight in the forestock. The groove and hole are roughly parallel with the profile of the barrel, not the bore. The web of wood is fairly constant at 0.14"

I used TOW's Tulle lock, which needed modifications for this gun. A trick that Richard Colton showed me was to replace the flintcock with one from a Chambers early Ketland lock. The shape and curl at the top is very close to the original and it fits the tumbler very well. Next, I had to add 1/4" to the tail of the lock to allow for a third lock bolt. I ground the sear bar narrower to help make some room for the bolt and then welded on the metal. I also welded over the Tulle name. I cleaned it up and filed in a step and decorative groove.

I'll load up more photos soon.

dave

smart dog · « **Reply #26 on:** May 13, 2019, 06:28:25 PM »

Hi,
A few more photos. I had to figure out a way to make a butt plate similar to the original Hawk fowler. I did not necessarily want an exact copy but something close. I took an old large early Northampton, PA style sand cast butt plate, annealed it, and then beat the snot out of it until I had the shape I wanted. Then I carved a finial out of maple, cut it out of the wood block and used it as my model for casting. I created a mold in Delft clay and cast the finial. After some cleaning up and chiseling, I fitted it to the butt plate. Eventually the 2 parts will be riveted and silver soldered. The rivet will also anchor a lug on the underside for a cross pin in the stock. The joint will be invisible and hidden within engraving. This method also made inletting the plate easy because I could first install the butt plate and then the finial.

dave

smart dog · « **Reply #27 on:** May 16, 2019, 03:44:51 PM »

Hi,
Here is the butt plate assembled and inlet. The first photo shows the 2 pieces soldered and riveted with the rivet forming the lug for the cross pin. It was a very simple but strong solution for tying the parts together. I will do more clean up, shaping, and polishing of the finial later. The base of the finial will also have a chiseled and engraved border. Inleting the two pieces separately made the job pretty easy although it took some time to bring the base in really tight against the finial after the finial was inlet. I like the result and it looks right for the gun.

dave

Telgan · « **Reply #28 on:** May 16, 2019, 03:57:08 PM »

Very Nice . . . Impressed by your resourcefulness

smylee grouch · « **Reply #29 on:** May 16, 2019, 05:59:37 PM »

Hi Dave: thanks for the run down on your work so far. There are a lot of folks here, me included who will never do that type of work but it is still very interesting to follow along and see it done and done so well. Thanks again. Smylee

smart dog · « **Reply #30 on:** May 17, 2019, 01:22:10 AM »

Hi,
Here is the roughed out stock with lock inlet. It is going to be very well balanced and have very nice handling. The maker of Jonathan Hawk's fowler is teaching me some things. We don't know the maker but IMO there are many features of the gun that suggest Seth Pomeroy of Northampton, MA.

dave

TommyG · « **Reply #31 on:** May 17, 2019, 04:03:52 AM »

Hi Dave, I am really enjoying the progress on your Hawke Fowler. Your recent work on the buttplate, besides taking it to another level to achieve authenticity, is a great problem solving example to all the challenges we face when trying to recreate this art form. Not to mention your approach and craftsmanship is always inspiring. Thanks for sharing this with us. Looking forward to seeing the finished gun. Oh and in that last pic - is that green I see in VT???

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #32 on:** May 17, 2019, 03:01:55 PM »

Really neat Dave, I especially like the mold/casting thread. I have always been fascinated with mold making and casting.

Tim

Mick C · « **Reply #33 on:** May 20, 2019, 10:19:10 PM »

Please keep the pictures coming. Very fun to watch your process.

BOB HILL · « **Reply #34 on:** May 21, 2019, 01:48:32 PM »

As usual, beautiful work, Dave. Thanks for sharing your progress.
Bob

smart dog · « **Reply #35 on:** June 07, 2019, 04:55:50 PM »

Hi,
Its been slow and the weather has been lousy but the sun has been trying:

I've been so focused on getting the new siding and front door done on my house that work on the fowler was really slow. The door finally came on May 30, so in it went.

I modified a French trade gun trigger guard to be more of the style used on the original Hawk fowler. First, I designed the final to be inspired by the original but not a copy, then carved it in maple, and cast in brass using the Delft clay method.

I cast it with a tab that slides under the trigger guard to create a strong solder joint

Cleaned it up a bit and it came out really well.

I then inlet it and continued to shape the butt stock.

Here is where I am at. Shaping will go fast now but I still have to cast the sideplate. That will be this weekend.

rich pierce · « **Reply #36 on:** June 07, 2019, 05:13:04 PM »

Coming along great. Superb guard!

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #37 on:** June 07, 2019, 07:01:08 PM »

Dave, with that inter-connect on the two finials, we are going to have to change your name to "Smart Old Codger". And yeah, I'm teasing - you don't want to give up on your old pal.

Marvelous job on the whole firearm - I love the swooping shape of the butt, and the long slimness of the fore end. You are giving the rest of us subjects for our imaginations to run rampant.

I do not know if you are going to decorate the stock more, or paint it, whatever - but you have a very lovely piece of work. Thanks for updating us, keep it going.

smart dog · « **Reply #38 on:** June 16, 2019, 05:43:20 PM »

Hi Folks,
Man, I am having to figure a lot of stuff out that I've not before. This is fun but challenging to say the least. I carved a sideplate from wood and cast it using Delft clay but the model was just a hair small given the small amount of shrinkage during casting. So I cast it again but this time I pushed the edges out a little in the mold to make it bigger, hence the rather rough edges. It came out well and fits just right.

Many New England fowlers have beaded molding lines along the top edge of the barrel channel.

The Hawk fowler has it but also another along the ramrod channel. These are actually raised above the level of the background wood and not just incised.

Soooo I had to figure this one out. I consulted with some of my colleagues and decided to adapt my great-great grandfather's wooden marking gauge to also be a beading tool or scratchstock. I slit one end for a blade and a tightening screw and then filed a blade from spring steel. I hardened and tempered the blade and then tried it. After some practice on an old stock I found I could confidently scrape a double bead along the barrel channel and on the angled surface along the ramrod channel.

Then I cut away background with a dog leg chisel.

The result was pretty good.

Next on to cutting the lock panels and carving.

dave

msellers · « **Reply #39 on:** June 16, 2019, 06:27:24 PM »

Dave,
Magnificent work as usual, really enjoying your progress. I really like the look, as well as the purchase that the moulding will afford.
Mike

James Rogers · « **Reply #40 on:** June 16, 2019, 06:32:16 PM »

Excellent as always Dave. Much appreciate the extra work to make it right.

bob in the woods · « **Reply #41 on:** June 16, 2019, 09:48:50 PM »

I'm pretty certain that your method of doing that molding is exactly how it was done back in the day. Great job .

Ed Wenger · « **Reply #42 on:** June 17, 2019, 02:05:31 AM »

Nice, Dave! Looking good.....

Ed

David Rase · « **Reply #43 on:** June 17, 2019, 03:17:23 AM »

Great idea for the beading tool. You needed to post it a couple of weeks earlier. I just make a wood frame and a molding blade for an upper forestock bead and cove. Repurposing a marking gauge that has been collecting dust hanging on my wall would of been a wee bit quicker to make and much more versatile. Making note to self for next time.
David

smart dog · « **Reply #44 on:** June 17, 2019, 03:46:16 AM »

Dear Dave,
I would love to be able to read your mind but I simply cannot. I hope my solution helps.

dave

rich pierce · « **Reply #45 on:** June 17, 2019, 04:26:47 AM »

You really got your groove on there!

smart dog · « **Reply #46 on:** June 17, 2019, 01:08:50 PM »

Yes Rich, I am definitely in the groove and pretty soon I am going to be suffering from "nick and dot" disease again.

dave

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #47 on:** June 17, 2019, 04:29:28 PM »

Look Great, you didn't waste any time.

Tim

smart dog · « **Reply #48 on:** June 22, 2019, 05:16:00 AM »

Hi,
OMG the stock is all black! Whatever will I do? I sent this photo to the owner, heh, heh, heh.

dave

smart dog · « **Reply #49 on:** July 09, 2019, 03:13:47 AM »

Hi Folks,
I've just been too busy to post photos of my progress. The gun is almost done and I should post final photos next week. Anyway, here is the side plate. It is closely modeled on the original fowler but is not an absolute copy. It is very French and of the quality seen on higher end trade and civilian guns sent to America. I love the funky bugle horns. They look so tinny and battered.

dave

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Author Topic: New England Connecticut River Valley Fowler FINISHED (scroll to bottom) (Read 12238 times)