My first build and muzzleloader, inspired by Herb and JB

[HighUintas]

Made some progress. I took a break from cutting the profile because I wanted to get the barrel channel cut prior to making the forestock skinnier and weaker. So, I've been working on inletting the barrel over the weekend. I've got about 1/8" depth to go and I'm maybe 10-12 hours in to inletting? I don't know if that's slow or fast for just using chisels but it has greatly slowed down since I got the barrel to drop between the side flats of the channel.

I'm not entirely sure what I'd do different next time but I think I would mark out the width of the center bottom flat along the length of the top in addition to marking the width of the barrel. Stab in the sides of the barrel very close to true width. Then start cutting out the center area marked for the width of the bottom flat. Then start using inletting black to guide me in to the side flats.

What I did, was I stabbed in along the inside of my barrel width lines and then went down towards the stab line to relieve a bit along the lines. This left me with a lot of wood to remove to get the barrel flats to fit inside those lines. Next time, I'll cut them closer to width. Then I stabbed in along the barrel cross section lines at the front of the stock. Then took my 7/16" gouge and 1/4" straight chisel and started hogging out wood along the channel and got it shaped roughly like an octagon.  Then I started using inletting black to get it all flat and even.

[Frozen Run]

Yes I think it describes this technique in the recreating the American Longrifle book I have. Make a series of crosscuts close together down to the depth/profile line and then chisel out, correct?

Yes, and save all of your scraps.

[HighUintas]

Here is where I'm at now. I think I average about 2 hours a night, most nights of the week. I'm fairly certain I'm at least 35 hours in now from the point I started cutting the plank. Does it generally take people this long on a 36-in long barrel channel using only chisels? I ended up deciding to just chisel down to 0.030" from final depth on the bottom flat to speed it up, then cut more material connecting the side and bottom flat. I think I'll have to depend the side flat a good bit more though. That was a good decision. Now I'm back to using the hi spot blue. And I must say I'm not worried about being fast. I want it to be correct. I'm just concerned about being efficient. I feel like I haven't been efficient, for some reason.

Any how, I'm getting pretty close with no more than 1/16" left and I'm excited to move on to inletting the breech plug, and then cry when I have to figure out a drill solution for the 7/16" RR hole.

[DavidC]

Muzzleloader builder supply sells the drills you need for about 32$ for a 48" drill. I'm about to embark on a ramrod channel myself and my barrel is... 48".

Or you can make your own or get one from harbor freight! I look forward to your update. good luck.

[borderdogs]

I bought mine from MLBS too they are good drills.
Rob

[Daniel Coats]

It's been said before but ramrod drills generally go where they're pointed. Be as precise as you can on the ramrod groove cuz that guides everything else.

[HighUintas]

Muzzleloader builder supply sells the drills you need for about 32$ for a 48" drill. I'm about to embark on a ramrod channel myself and my barrel is... 48".

Or you can make your own or get one from harbor freight! I look forward to your update. good luck.

Thank you for the prompt in looking there again! I had looked at MBS and TOTW quite a few times but they have been out of stock on that size for awhile. I had planned to try to file a cutting edge and flute on a steel rod myself and I'm glad I don't have to do that now.

[DavidC]

I had planned to try to file a cutting edge and flute on a steel rod myself and I'm glad I don't have to do that now.

Oof, that's unlikely to work because, unless you really want to file away, your flutes won't have enough space for chip build up and the pressure could cause the tip to wander or stock to crack at the bottom of the barrel inlet.

I'm all for the "do it yourself" school of thinking but I'd rather chuck 30 bucks for a drill than spend hours to file a steel rod into a homemade drill shaped object 

[HighUintas]

I agree, David. That is why I bought one from MBS today! I had only planned to make one if there was a continual out of stock at the suppliers. I hadn't planned to file the whole flute, but cut the majority of the flute with a Dremel and/or angle grinder and then finish it and the tip with a file, then harden. It probably would have taken me 8 hours to produce something I felt confident in using, if ever.

[HighUintas]

I am almost there. Maybe a 1/64th to go?

My barrel is slightly bent downward on both ends (I started the recent bent barrel thread) and decided to just inlet and see how it shoots. I now have good contact throughout the channel.

I have a question about the breech surface of the channel. I'm not sure what I did when cutting that portion in, but it appears the grain in the upper 1/4 is all smashed looking. It seems to be too deep to by able to set the barrel channel back far enough to get it all cut out. Well, that certainly doesn't look strong so I'm wondering if I need to bed that portion. Any ideas on that?

I was hoping not to use bedding compound in the channel but I think I might end up doing so. I need to strengthen that breech area and I do have a couple of small gaps that are just barely big enough to slip a sheet of paper into. I had my color transfer too heavy on the barrel at first and it really built up on the sidewalls of the channel. I scraped it out and loosened up my tight fit.

I know I could glue in strips of wood, but I don't want to go that route. If I dont use bedding for the channel to snug up the couple of gaps, is there any period correct material I could use, like a mastic or something?

[rich pierce]

This looks normal to me. I see an imprint of the whole breech. If the side gaps are an issue, your best bets are to bed it or fix side gaps with glued in pieces of wood correctly oriented for grain. I’ve not seen period fixes that use a compound.

[borderdogs]

I have only built a few rifles but with the exception of the very first rifle I built back in 79-80 I have used bedding compound in all my builds in the breech area. I think it adds strength to a weak area the rifles I purchased from Brant Selb (who builds Hawken rifles)  all use bedding compound in the breech area. Once the stock is finished you can't see it. Using wood strips as Rich says works pretty well to take up gaps I have done that too.
Rob

[HighUintas]

Thanks! I'm glad that breech area grain looks normal and I didn't go to trying to cut it out.

I had sort of considered using bedding in the breech anyway to strengthen and maybe get a little better accuracy but wasn't sure I would. I might just get it to the point of being in the white and see how it shoots before bedding it.

The slight gaps are the biggest bummer. I spent so much time trying to make the perfect barrel channel and then I went and screwed it up! Oh well, there's bound to be some mishaps on my first one.

How big does the gap need to be to be considered in need of repair for functional reasons if it is not visually noticeable?

[borderdogs]

I am sure other with more experience will add a comment but for me if my eye is drawn to it I fix it. One I am working on now the barrel and breech were inletting on down nicely when I finally got both seated there is a slight gap at one side of the breech. I measured it with with shims and it is approximately 0.015", I will not do anything with it until I get ready to do the final prep to finish the stock but I don't think it is much to worry about.

The barrel channel of your stock looks good you did a good job of it. The end grain at the breech looks good too but the way the grain looks it looks like you need to sharpen your tool.
Rob
 

[HighUintas]

Thank you. Yes I think my chisel I used was a bit dull when I first started.

I got to doing some searching and found that some have used wetting the wood, some people adding heat, and then clamping or wrapping the stock while the barrel is in, with good success. Maybe I will try this after I get it shaped.

And I agree on needing to fix it if I can see the gaps. I guess I am just wondering if it matters if the barrel is not in their snugly as long as he can't see gaps.

[borderdogs]

From the look of where the gap on your stock is where the tang will be if that is right I wouldn't worry about it.
Rob

[HighUintas]

Oh, Maybe I have not been very clear and explaining where my Gap is. I intentionally quit cutting on the breech area once I got contact on both sides in the bottom knowing that the plug bolster and tank would go through the upper portion where there's no contact yet.

I have a couple of gaps on the side flats of the channel. One is unsightly and was a slip with a scraper and will be filled, likely with a wood sliver. There is one on one side near the muzzle that is several inches long and almost noticeable, and the other is on the side of the channel back by the breach and I'm not sure if that will be visible after I have the excess wood removed.

[taco650]

Congrats on taking on a project of this magnitude.

Before drilling your ram rod hole, I'd watch a video recently posted by Bill Raby on Rumble.  He's building a Maryland style rifle and one of his more recent videos shows how he drilled the ram rod hole.  He did use a dedicated ram rod drill to do it and he gives some good tips for keeping the hole straight.

On my last build (and first from a plank) I used a Harbor Freight drill bit and my results weren't nearly as good as his.

[HighUintas]

Congrats on taking on a project of this magnitude.

Before drilling your ram rod hole, I'd watch a video recently posted by Bill Raby on Rumble.  He's building a Maryland style rifle and one of his more recent videos shows how he drilled the ram rod hole.  He did use a dedicated ram rod drill to do it and he gives some good tips for keeping the hole straight.

On my last build (and first from a plank) I used a Harbor Freight drill bit and my results weren't nearly as good as his.

I've watched that video twice! 😄 I ended up getting my ramrod drill from MBS . My primary concern is getting the channel nice and straight and the exact depth that I want it along its whole length so that my drill bit will go where I want it to. I plan to make those wooden block guides as he did in his video. It looks like it would work really well.

Now to decide on what to do with my barrel channel gaps that I've been agonizing over. My wife says to just go ahead and bed the whole length and I'll be able to avoid the same mistakes on the next one and not use any bedding. She is smarter than me and her advice to me is generally pretty good

[flinchrocket]

After you get the forearm slimmed down,dampen the sides where you have a gap and wrap surgical tubing around it and let it dry for a week.

[HighUintas]

After you get the forearm slimmed down,dampen the sides where you have a gap and wrap surgical tubing around it and let it dry for a week.

Slimmed down as in close to finished, or slimmed down as in having the bulk cut off but still square sided?

Is there anything that can go wrong/cause damage with this method?

[flinchrocket]

Close to finished. Put the barrel in and the ramrod, don’t  go crazy tight. Let the stretch of the tubing do the work.

[HighUintas]

Close to finished. Put the barrel in and the ramrod, don’t  go crazy tight. Let the stretch of the tubing do the work.

Thank you. Will this work close to the breech on the side plate side where the top line of the stock slopes down to the top of the barrel channel? I've got some nice gaps on the sides in that first inch from the breech.

[flinchrocket]

The thicker the wood the less likely it will help, would be my guess. You could glue some patches in that area close to the breech. I would use bedding as a last resort.

[HighUintas]

I'm calling it good on the barrel inlet. After shaving off the color in the bottom of the channel and attempting to clean the side flats, it will be done and I'll start on the breech.



Tonight I got the breech plug bolster/tang corner curve cut with a hacksaw to a sharp 90 angle and filed smooth. I also then filed some draft along the length of the tang and the bolster. You can see the obvious draft on the bolster. It's a good amount, but I don't think I overdid it.

I must say I really enjoy file work. Feeling that sharp file glide across the the metal has a very satisfying quality.






Tomorrow, I will cut the tang, shape the end, and bend it to shape. Before bending, I'll have to review my drawing. There was something just not quite right looking about the lock panel wrist transition area