Somebody is building from blanks

[flinchrocket]

Wade, are you going to use homespun hardware?

[Osprey]

I have a dozen or more barrels in blanks all lined up against the wall. If I get them all built in my lifetime it will be atremendous achievement. I also have a whole corner full of barrels that still need to go into wood which is stacked deep in the garage. I rummaged around in my shop and found a couple dozen locks I didn't know I had. I'm too slow and broken down to get much done anymore.

Does that mean that you don’t want this beautiful Getz barrel I’ve been holding for you??? 😆

Oh man, I hope that's not one I know.  Brooks will probably want to make a hawkins with it.   

[smart dog]

Hi Rich,
I've only made a couple of kits or used a couple of a precarved stocks.  I usually whack in my own barrels channels and drill my own ramrod holes but sometimes when inletting a long barrel in hard sugar maple, I wish I'd sent it off to Dave Keck.  Rough blanks give me the freedom and flexibility that I want.  Currently my queue includes finishing up my long neglected Peter Berry, a New England fowler with very long barrel, a rifled English fowler, and English sporting rifle, and a rifle and fowler inspired by John Hills of Vermont.  All are from rough blanks.

dave     

[Tom Currie]

I like Don's post also. I've built one fowler kit on contract years ago. I've been studying longrifles about 25 years and have build 10 rifles all from blanks ( horribly poor production, I know ) . I like the end to end effort, freedom to do whatever I want, and don't have to worry any of my rifles will look like someone elses. I've got a half done pistol for my daughter that I need to finish, a very nice sugar maple blank that's almost too fancy along with a C weight barrel . I like to have a story in my head for each build , something I think a bunch of us picked up from EK over the years.

[rich pierce]

Hi Rich,
I've only made a couple of kits or used a couple of a precarved stocks.  I usually whack in my own barrels channels and drill my own ramrod holes but sometimes when inletting a long barrel in hard sugar maple, I wish I'd sent it off to Dave Keck.  Rough blanks give me the freedom and flexibility that I want.  Currently my queue includes finishing up my long neglected Peter Berry, a New England fowler with very long barrel, a rifled English fowler, and English sporting rifle, and a rifle and fowler inspired by John Hills of Vermont.  All are from rough blanks.

dave   

Dave, that’s quite a list!
I’ve got to finish this trade gun then start on the early Hudson Valley fowler based on HF1 in Grinslade’s book. 54” 12 ga round barrel, Dutch TRS lock, Mike Lea thimbles and the rest will be fabricated.

In undecided order:
A double cheekpiece club butt fowler, 12 ga Dutch Colerain barrel, with a recycled original round faced lock.

The Musician’s rifle. This will be a big stretch for me. 37”, .62 caliber Charles Burton barrel 1.3” at the breech. I may have to fabricate a lock.

If I can get these 3 guns above done in one year that will be a lot.

Also on my wish list:
A rifle based on the Deschler rifle EK described. It’s an early cherry-stocked gun with a side-opening patchbox. The original had a brass barrel. I’ll use a Charles Burton 37”, .54 barrel 1.3” at the breech.

A .36 caliber late flint Deringer rifle with a fancy brass box. Based on a rifle I missed at auction.

A New England fowler/musket following the recently discovered Bezaleel Taft gun.

[Cherrybow]

I am just getting started in this but have finished my first three builds. I purchased 3 half stock blanks(one each of maple, cherry and walnut) to learn on. This is what I started with and the outcome of my labors:



I am working on my first full stock now that was purchased in about the same shape. I was told the vision for it is a Haines type. There is very little wood to work with which makes it very challenging for this beginner. I barely have 1/8” in the web and the stock is only 1 3/4” thick.



I have picked up 2 stocks from A Martin that awaits the bench. Happy to be able to learn from y’all.

[WadePatton]

Wade, are you going to use homespun hardware?

Perhaps, but not much. I'm not set up for real hot metal working right now. I have castings from John Anderson for two of them, locks and triggers from Bob Roller as well for the keepers.  Probably will make some furniture later when I get into earlier guns.

[flinchrocket]

I can appreciate your situation. I have decided I would rather rivet and braze ( with acetylene if I have to) instead of using cast.

[Tom Currie]

Geez Rich, That's quite a list for a guy still working full time !  If I remember correctly that Deschler rifle had Neihardts " snowman" engraved on an underside barrel flat. Congrats on your move to Vermont. I've only visited but thought it was spectacular.

[BarryE]

I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I am currently working on a rifle that is a mix of Schroyer highlights.  Then a Nitchman rifle, followed by a Kennedy (NC) pistol, a Jacob Altland rifle, a F. Sell rifle, a Poorman (Lancaster) rifle, and a F. Sell rifle for a descendant of his.  Most are fashioned after a particular gun with some to a bunch of modifications.  Oh, yeah, and an Eister rifle for me, if I ever get to it.  All are from blanks, but I have the barrels and ramrod holes and channels done by another.

[paulitus]

I got started with assembling a few of the Sharon Hawken kits back in the mid-70s. Then went to the gunsmith school, and built a sporter from and old Mauser 98 action and a walnut blank. Then built my first flintlock long rifle from a blank and a Douglas swamped barrel. Have not done a kit or a pre-shaped since the Sharons. It’s just a lot of fun. You are sort of like Michelangelo, staring at a block of Carrara marble, and wondering what lovely shape will emerge, once I have left most of it a heap on the shop floor. That said, I have nothing against kits or pre-carved stocks. As long as everyone has something to work on, I am happy.

[kutter]

Working on putting together a TRShop  'Queen Anne Musket' at the moment.
I have the bbl with (fitted) breech pin inletted. The bbl loops soldered on and the bbl pins installed.
The trigger plate inletted and the tang screw installed.
Currently finishing up inletting the long top tang butt plate.

The trigger plate and the top tang of the butt plate have needed some hot hammer forging to extend the metal in areas. Then reshaped. This to make up for oversize inletting on the stock.
Quite rough is how I'd describe the inlet and shapeing work on the 'pre-inlet' stock. Other people have described their pre-turned wood the same way,,or in more colorful wording.
But it's usable and will make a fine Musket I'm sure.

Right at 40hrs into the project right now.

I finished a Southern Mtn style Rifle late last summer.
I'd had the shaped stock that was inletted for a 3/4" ACTFlats straight bbl and a RR drilled for probably 8 or 10yrs.
Bought the wood at Dixons Fair. Don't know who's product it was but was ink stamped with a Frontiersman in a canoe and graded M4.
I used a GM 40cal bbl. and inletted an L&R Durs Egg flint lock for it.
I used an original, old single stage DST I had that needed a new front trigger. I made the trigger no problem .

I made the steel RR furrels, nose cap and trigger guard. The guard is 6 pieces rivited and brazed together.
Sights, toe plate I made. Butt plate is a wax cast I picked up somewhere. I modified it somewhat to make it fit the rifle better and used that.
All hardware is steel.
Attachment screws I made. I turn them on my lathe. I like to use a flat counter sink instead of a beveled counter sink. Then either a domed head or file the head flush with the part depending.
I thread the screws with a #6, 8 or 10 machine screw coarse thread instead of using a wood screw thread.
These threads have tremendous holding power in hard woods like maple and walnut.
Very accurate and a fun range toy.

Most of my work is with cartridge guns and restoration and engraving.
But I like to work a M/L project into the mix now as I only do my own projects in this thing called retirement Not taking in any more customers work allows that.

[rich pierce]

Kutter, you sure have a wide range of builds going on!  Kudos for creative solutions.

[B.Barker]

Working on a couple right now. One is a Soddy and the other is an early rifle.

[David Rase]

The rifle is a composite build influenced by several gunsmiths who were born in the mid 1700's, mostly from Lancaster or adjacent counties like Reading . Henry Leman, though from Lancaster was a late comer, as was Philadelphia gunsmith John Krider. The stock architecture is Dickert. The 1 1/16" diameter barrel was copied from a Leman Indian Trade Rifle. Even though trade gun pipes were seen on tradeguns in the mid 1700's, Henry Leman used them on several of his late trade rifles.. The patchbox design is Peter Gontner. The half serpent side plate inspiration comes from a rifle built by John Krider. The buttplate is Peter Brong and the triggerguard is in the style of Reading county. I enjoy doing these types of projects. They allow the experienced student of the longrifle to use his collective knowledge to build rifles that are not copies of any particular school or gunsmith but are still plausible when complete and are correct for the period.











Next up, patchbox.

[Stoner creek]

Working on a couple right now. One is a Soddy and the other is an early rifle.

 That gun is too nice to be a Soddy

[B.Barker]

Dave, what lock are you using? Looks like one from Larry Zorn maybe.

[David Rase]

Dave, what lock are you using? Looks like one from Larry Zorn maybe.

Good eye Brian.  It is the Larry Zorne Barker Whatley flintlock.
David

[mgbruch]

The blank and handmade hardware for my current build.  The barrel is a 44" swamped Colerain in .50 caliber; and the lock is a Jim Chambers Late Ketland.

I like to get the butt plate and trigger guard finished about 90% before I begin anything.  It helps me envision what the gun will look like.  I make the double set triggers first; then make the trigger guard to fit.  Then the butt plate.  The remaining hardware; toe plate, side plate, ramrod pipes, and sights are made when it's time to put them on the gun.

[rich pierce]

Great looking hardware there!

[mgbruch]

Thanks.  Forgot to mention... for me, this gun will be number nine from a blank.  And number three to carry my own double set triggers.

[borderdogs]

mgbhruch,
I like your hardware too nice work to be sure! I haven't made much of my own hardware so far except for a nose cap and barrel lugs. I watched a couple of videos  from The Gunsmith of Grenville County on single and double triggers and from them it looks like a lot of work.  I was wondering how much time did you spend on making them? Also, do you make your hardware for a specific build as you are building it?
Thanks,
Rob

[Cory Joe Stewart]

My list of projects




Cory Joe

[Stoner creek]

My list of projects




Cory Joe

Optimism! Great 👍

[Osprey]

I can't wait to get back to a blank build.  Working on a 'Hawken' now that was a precarve with a few parts I won in our club championship a few years ago.  Problems, issues and steel furniture, which I hate working with. 

I have to decide what's next.  Have a 16ga rifled barrel inlet into a nice blank for an early style rifle, all the parts and wood for a Jaeger, barrels and wood for three pistols, a Bill Large .54 barrel and blank that will probably be an early Beck, and enough wood, parts and barrels for 2 Maryland style rifles.  A couple of those I need to build so I can sell them and generate some $$, but I'm more excited for the couple I want for myself.  Decisions, decisions...either way at my rate it's enough to keep me busy for the next 5-6 years.