If the goal is to build guns, then build from a blank. Its a whole lot more work but you will be a gun builder. The first couple guns might not be all that great, or maybe they will. In the end you will enjoy a gun that you built entirely yourself more than anything else, even if it is a bit rough.
As an avid woodworker you likely have the skills and probably most of the tools to go with either of these options. First step is to start off with reference books. There are several great books about gun building. Get all of them. Also get reference books specific to the type of gun that you are interested in building. This forum is a great resource. Ask a lot of questions.
Bill, thanks so much for all the wonderful advice you included in your reply, I greatly appreciate it, I have bookmarked the video links, and started watching a couple episodes at bedtime on my lil notepad.
I did just lastnight purchase this book from NMLRA "Flintlocks – a Practical Guide for their Use and Appreciation" hoping this will give me a better peek into the craft and use.
I do hope that my woodworking skills I have will help in my journey, I love building chairs so I am praying that some of my skills will come in handy for this craft. My chairs I make are nothing compared to the artistic forms the rifles undertake, the carving, the detail, the shaping, I just hope by knowing something about the direction of grain, I can adapt a tad quicker than someone who may never had any woodworking experience.
I love building my shaker chairs and rockers, this one below is a No. 7 Transitional Shaker Rocker in Curly Maple I built a few months ago almost entirely by hand tools but for the turnings of the spindles on my lathe.
And my sculpted rockers I used to build, but no longer, I have downsized my shop considerably in my attempt to focus on building by hand tools mostly, if not entirely, these sculpted rockers required machinery with some good power, and I sold all my machines two summers ago in my quest to force myself to build by hand and on bench.
Rocker below in American Black Walnut, I did love making these sculpted rockers like the one below, but they really do require power and machinery, it's just not my thing anymore, I love my quiet shop I have now with the sound of hand made shavings and the tap tap tap of chisel on wood.
I hope I have not broken rules here by posting my images of chairs, instead of rifles, but at this point, I have nothing to contribute in the rifle category. And perhaps with my chairs in mind, folks can better help me determine what I'll need to start with for this wonderful craft of building rifles.
My ultimate goal is to build entirely by hand as our forefathers did, perhaps inline with what those fine gents are doing at Colonial Williamsburg Gunsmith Shop. I was watching their videos with great interest a few nights ago.
I not only have an interest in the final outcome itself, but I love the processes, and as I mentioned, hand tooling is a great interest in my life, I hope someday I'll be splitting out of log a plank, to drying, to shaping the stock. The barrel and locks I'll have to purchase, as I can't see myself getting into blacksmithing, but I can see creating the brass furniture and engraving! But that would be long off I feel, for now I'll have to start with a roughed stock by purchase, and buy all the metal parts just to understand what the heck is going on with these rifles.
So much to do, and see, I'm a kid in a candy store right now, I just need to settle my mind down, and with the help from you all here, I can focus and start from the beginning, and breath deeply.
Thanks sir Bill.
