Hey Hutch, thank you for the post. As a matter of fact the tolerances of Jim Kibler's kits are so tight and exacting I could do it with a single edge razor. Yes I'm exaggerating but not by as much as you might imagine. I am glad I bought the kit if only to allay my fears from a first time build. I was totally new to this hobby. It wasn't as tough as I had imagined, as the work has been well planned out and the design is close to flawless. I've built buildings and homes from scratch, maintained skyscrapers and huge buildings, but Black Powder Muzzle Loading Flintlocks were a brand new game for me. I have a healthy respect for new projects. I could have begun my venture here with a " How difficult could this be?" attitude. I would not have made many new friends at all and could have been branded a blowhard.
So I waited on the exact chisel from the supplier and have begun. Yep I waited since May 8th for a 6mm chisel and although the 12 mm is still on back-order I have a 10mm. Like you I won a bid on some Pfeils from Ebay. Nice stuff and brand new, for a significant discount. In any event I find the moment the stock is set in the vise and a chisel is in my hand I'm gone. All sense of family duties, chores, and stresses of daily living flee back to wherever they came from. I'm free.
In jest I add, the art of stock making is simple. You take an eight pound piece of wood and remove all extraneous pieces until you have three pounds of wood. " There, I am done."
