STARTING FIRST BUILD

[LURCHWV@BJS]

  I finally got a stock and a barrel.  So the first thing I guess I do is,  Get the barrel to fit into the stock, or should I do something else first?


  Prepare for a barrage of Qestions

              Rich

[Birddog6]

I guess that depends on what you are using.  If it is a Precarve with a Lock Inlet, you do the lock 85% of the way first, then put the barrel in to the correct position, then after that is successfully accomplished,  you do the tang.

In this instance, if you do the barrel first, your vent may not be in the proper position, as you can move the barrel, but the lock is going in where they inlet it.

Comprende ?

If the stock has NO Lock Inlet, you do the barrel first, tang second, then the lock.

 

[rich pierce]

Hey, welcome to the club!  Building a longrifle is a wonderful undertaking.  But like playing a song well on a guitar, you need more than online advice.  You need to understand what you are doing and, study great builds closely (like listening to great guitar picking), get some books, get some lessons, do some practicing, before you go onstage.  Building a rifle from online advice alone is going to be too challenging.  You should buy and read a couple books on building and see Mike Brooks' tutorial over on the Traditional Muzzleloading Forum http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/tutorials/brooks/Brooks1.html.   Then do a lot of drawing and layout so you have a complete plan from the get-go.  Then sharpen your tools and re-read everything and double check your drawings.  Then I'd do some practice inletting; maybe inlet the lock into a piece of hardwood.  Only after all these steps would I put a tool to the actual build.

[sz]

Here's one I did that may be helpful too,

Happy hunting and shooting.

 http://www.traditionalmuzzleloadingassociation.com/forum/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=6214

[northmn]

A little advice from the forum does not hurt.  Post your in progress work and ask for input, then try to filter the input.  I do not comment much on finished guns where they ask for constructive critisism.  If they want that they should have asked before final finish.  While I have built more than a few rifles, mostly from scratch, I ask questiojns on a type that I have not built before,  such as my current English halfstock flinter project (sort of a English flinter).  Your first gun will have some shortfalls.  People like Taylor and Acer have done this for a long time, Mike Brooks for a living, and while they may not make mistakes now they have made them.  You need to be able to compare your work to finished guns and see how they are done.  Videos and books do not quite have the worth.  Also recognize that there are sligtly varying styles even among the masters.  As of yet you have not settled on your own style, have not built up your tool collection.  This takes letting the sawdust and chips fly on a few guns.

DP

[eagle24]

Like you, I built my first from a precarve.  Asked a lot of questions on here as I went.  After a couple of early mistakes, I learned to ask before I acted.  You don't have to know everything from day 1 and can learn as you go, HOWEVER......some of the steps in building a rifle define or limit what takes place later in the building process.  It's not rocket science, but there can be surprises.  Think, read, and ask questions and you will do fine.  Most anything can be fixed if you make a mistake, but understanding up front to avoid the mistake works better.  

[smshea]

 If you can find someone in your area who has some experience with these it will be very helpfull. On my fist build I drove an hour and a half once a month to get help from kind gentlemen who gave his time very willingly to guide me through the head scratching. Sometimes just having someone  to call can make all the difference in the world.  Everyone here is more than willing to share info. and I'm sure someone who lives close to you would love to help if you get into a Jam.

 Also any of the books would be a help if you don't already have them. 

[TomK]

  I finally got a stock and a barrel.  So the first thing I guess I do is,  Get the barrel to fit into the stock, or should I do something else first?


  Read read and read some more! Remember to draw file the barrel before fitting the barrel inletting or you may have a gap.

[rdillon]

Your kinda far from me but feel free to call anytime with questions.  Be glad to help.  Chuck Dixon's book is a good idea too!