A little metal work

[pjmcdonald]

Still learning metal work. I like the iron mounted Appalachian guns. Hope to get to a class next year.

[Goo]

Still learning metal work. I like the iron mounted Appalachian guns. Hope to get to a class next year.

Looks to me like you keep working on parts
Instead of wasting money on classes. 
Your work looks good.

[Hungry Horse]

Your metal work is pretty good already. Especially the butt plate. I have an old original Southern mountain butt plate, and like yours it has no flat surfaces. Every surface has beautiful contour curves, not the flat crude work so often seen on modern SMR’s. I am interested in how the grip rail attaches to the rear stock return. It’s an unusual juncture, and I wonder how they attach.

 Hungry Horse

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  .... yep,... looks like you don't need any classes for forging,.. !!! ... well done,... butt-plate looks perfect,... if you don't have access to some originals to examine, study some  photos from all angles regarding your trigger-guard,... you have the basic forged shape,... the final touches will make or break the look,... !!! ... Very Well Done,... !!!!!! ... regards,... CCF

[pjmcdonald]

Thank you for the encouragement! I still think I have much to learn. There have to be better techniques to make some of the work quicker.

HH, I drilled a 3/32" hole in the grip rail, cut and filed a pin into the end of the return, and peened it through like a rivet. I then hit with a bit of braze. Bent the return to shape after I attached it to the rail. I don't know if this was proper. It just made sense.

For the butt plate, since I don't have a swage block, I used an old pecan stump. As the hot metal is hammered against it, the wood burns off forming the curves. Actually very quick and easy to do this way. To me, the curves seem softer when formed against the stump rather than when formed around or against metal. I like doing these a lot. I'm going to need another stump!

CCF, I spent hours pouring over Jim Parker's Bull rifle. I still can't figure out how he forged some of the beautiful curves in that TG. That is about the only original I've been able to study in detail. My little NC rifle but it is later period with a pretty simple strap TG.

My plan is to attend the NMLRA workshop at WKU next spring. I'd love to get into Herschel House's class.

Paul