First build complete with more photos added

[John Cotterall]

I just finished my first build. It started out as a preformed stock from Knob Mountain. The barrel is 44” Rice. Caliber.54. The profile is a Nathan Claus but I the carvings are Leonard Reedy. I know of some mistakes in my build. I would like some constructive criticism so I can do better on the next build.

[Gtrubicon]

I’m hopeful my first build looks 1/2 as good as your beautiful rifle!

[steven baker]

Hi John , a big pat on your back for effort !!!.Maybe you could add more pic of your build to get the feed back going ,I am impressed at your build ,take care Steven.

[dadybear1]

NICE JOB JOHN, WHAT I LEARNED YEARS AGO, A TRUE CRAFTSMAN IS MORE CRITICAL OF MISTAKES, CAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE TO LOOK!!!!   BEAUTIFUL RIFLE--YOU GET BETTER WITH PRACTICE...

[Ats5331]

John, great job! The first one is the hardest, mine took years to complete. I’m well over 20 builds now, and I still consider myself a novice.

That being said, if you want to chat about some tips I’ve picked up, feel free to PM me. I always like swapping ideas, stories and methods with other novices!

Best of luck with your next build! The itch never stops

[Eric Krewson]

I am not familiar with the rifle you copied, that said, your lock panels and carvings are very heavy handed. I was very heavy handed on my first rifle's moldings and lock panels, I didn't carve the rifle and haven't carved any of my later ones either because I haven't put in the work and practice to do it right, my tool sharpening ability is subpar as well.

I don't think your tools were as sharp as they needed to be to execute your carvings correctly.

There is a scroll template kit that was mentioned in another carving post that is up right now, it looks like just what I need to balance my carving designs. Free hand drawing scrolls that are even, not doglegged and well balanced is my main carving weak point and I used to be a passable artist when I was younger, much younger.

[JTR]

Nice start, but you could likely improve by studying some pics of the original you're trying to copy.
Click this link, https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=72.0 and it'll take you to the Library here and a couple original Reedy rifles. Study the stock profile, contours, and carving to yours's, and I think you'll see some areas where you can improve.
John

[Mike Brooks]

Lehigh gun with Reedy carving. Unusual.

[rich pierce]

Your build demonstrates you have good skills in inletting, finishing and so on. The architecture has some features not found on American longrifles, which can be hard to learn from pictures.

Let’s start with the whole breech area including lock panels and forward to the forearm.

Around the lock you have a reasonably sized flat plane. It’s ok. But from there, below the lock, the wood should arc smoothly to the trigger plate and guard area. No sine wave. A simple arc. Yours dives in from the flat beside the lock plate, then has an oblong shape.




Next, the bottom of the fore end on yours is flat with a square transition to the side of the fore end. This whole area is supposed to be egg shaped with no hint of a rectangle within.

[John Cotterall]

As you guys have said my carving skills are what need the most improvement. I struggle with the drawing of the designs. Also I am using some very cheap chisels and gouges. After practicing with the cutting in method I felt more comfortable with a V gouge to do the outlines of the carving. I was not willing to buy expensive chisels/gouges before I knew I really liked building flintlocks.
As for the shaping I got/still am confused about from the lock panels to the trigger guard and up toward the entry pipe. In Recreating the American Longrifle it describes Lehigh guns as having a V-shaped forestock in cross section but the muzzle cap is rounded.
Knob Mountain did not specifically say which Nathan Claus profile this stock followed but I bought it because I liked the Roman nose of the Lehigh school. I found very little information about him. Only found a couple of guns attributed to him and they had no carvings. Leonard Reedy worked in the Berks County area if I remember correctly. I like his style and I wasn’t trying to copy any specific gun. I hope that isn’t frowned upon.
I appreciate all the time you guys have spent analyzing the gun. The advice is truly appreciated. Thank you and feel free to point out anything else you think of 😁

[A.Merrill]

 Be proud of your first build it looks good. I'm sure you have looked at pictures of other guns, but your not seeing them. Compare your lock panels with others and you will see your breach and lock, side plate panels looks like a square block. If you want you still have enough wood left to correct them and the stain being fresh should match back up. Good job and good luck.    Al

[Nordnecker]

I have only had the privilege of studying one Leonard Reedy rifle in person. He is a tough act to follow. There are some real subtleties to his work.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Good job on setting up that patchbox. 

Cory Joe

[Not English]

John, that's a very good first build. Others have pointed out some of the spots that need work. The largest factor when I first started building was having a very good gunsmith teaching and critiquing people's builds in the class. He was never a fan of precarved stocks because he felt they were too limiting and you ended up doing the same amount of work as if building from a slab. Nowadays, I don't inlet my own barrels unless they are straight. I have Pecatonica inlet every thing else barrel wise because they are nearby  and I can avoid shipping.

Dave

[TDM]

It’s your first build and I think it looks great. You’ll get better with each build. Congratulations!

[John Cotterall]

Good job on setting up that patchbox. 

Cory Joe

Thank you. Maybe some day I will engrave it but I have to do a lot of practicing first.

[John Cotterall]

It’s your first build and I think it looks great. You’ll get better with each build. Congratulations!

Thank you. I know it’s not a masterpiece but I am pleased with the way it turned out for my first time.

[John Cotterall]

I have only had the privilege of studying one Leonard Reedy rifle in person. He is a tough act to follow. There are some real subtleties to his work.

I liked his style. I know my rendition doesn’t compare to Reedy but I had to try anyway. I think there are 3 Reedy rifles in the library of this site.

[John Cotterall]

Be proud of your first build it looks good. I'm sure you have looked at pictures of other guns, but your not seeing them. Compare your lock panels with others and you will see your breach and lock, side plate panels looks like a square block. If you want you still have enough wood left to correct them and the stain being fresh should match back up. Good job and good luck.    Al

Thank you for this advice. I didn’t think I could change it once it was finished but maybe I will try that. I just don’t want to make it worse🤞

[A.Merrill]

   Go for it, it's all part of learning to build guns. One of the biggest parts of building guns is learning how to correct your mistakes.  If you try learning on each gun you build you may build several guns before your really happy with one. Rebuild this rifle and don't worry about anything if worse comes to worse you still have good parts and you only have to replace the stock. Once your skills improve rebuilding this rifle your next rifle will look far better. Good luck.   Al