Rain and being worn-out from playing catch-up at work, mowing soaking-wet grass when it WASN'T raining, has prevented me from getting pictures of what I've had in progress, and the last few weeks before I quit the "real" job there wasn't much progress due to the chaos and stress that led up to me quitting. But I'm done with working for anyone but myself, and yesterday was mostly clear, so here are pictures, finally, of what I've had going on.
This is the very last precarved, "95% inletted" stock I will ever work with. I took on the project before I'd really messed with any of these, and discounted the labor fee because of "all the work" supposedly already done. I've grumbled enough about precarves and "kit" rifles, elsewhere, so I'll spare you all another rant, but suffice to say there isn't money enough to persuade me to ever let one of these things in my shop again. It's like taking on someone else's half-finished, screwed-up project and trying to make it right.
This is an upgraded Tennessee/southern rifle -- upgraded meaning it has a nosecap, all three ramrod pipes, a buttplate, and a toeplate, items often missing on the so-called "poorboy" rifles. This one will also have a Virginia-style four-piece patchbox attached to it. Wood is curly maple, barrel is a Webertown Rifle Works 42" x 13/16" .45 caliber, and the lock is a large Siler tripped by Davis #6 set triggers.
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Pre-carved, 95% ready to go......WAY too much trouble, make 'em the way you & your customers like. Much better from a blank. I feel the same way, keep the pre-carved, I'll do it my way. Going to be a good lookin' TN. rifle. Tom
I warmed up to installing the much fancier patchbox on Kary's Bonewitz rifle, by doing this one first. It was provided pre-fabbed, and is a simple design to inlet. The original pattern was used on Virginia militia rifles and there is no reason under the sun the same basic, very practical outline wouldn't have found its way over the Blue Ridge and into Tennessee.
"Simple" on patchboxes is always a relative thing. Not only does the assembly have to be inlet neatly into the wood, it has to be bent and rounded to conform to the contours of the wrist and butt -- while still allowing the door to open and close freely. The door, by the way, is held in place with a simple flat spring that bears on a sort of cam soldered to the underside of the lid. There are really neat (and sometimes incredibly complicated) pushbutton-release assemblies that actually lock the lid closed until a button is pushed to unhook the lock from the inside, but I've done several of those (made my own on two occasions) and that's one item that falls into the category of guns and details more fancy/complicated than I'm going to fool with.
The philips-head screws will be noted and duly mocked. In the course of installing a patchbox, the various pieces of the assembly are removed and replaced multiple times. I have philips-head screws in all the same sizes as my slotted oval-head screws (I seldom use flathead screws, though I'm not prejudiced and will if I don't have the right size oval-head). They turn in and out faster than slotted screws and if one or several get their heads buggered -- not big deal, they're disposable. Have "junk" screws of various sizes for the build in progress and save a dedicated set of good screws for the final assembly.
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Strangely, clicking on your photo takes me to your photobucket account...
Par for the course with PhotoBucket.... &)
This is Laurel Mountain's "American Walnut" alcohol-based stain. The customer sent a bottle along with his stock and parts. I like it -- not too brown and not too dark. It helps that it's been applied to a very nice piece of wood.
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thmbsup NICE!
I'm always amazed at how finish will add so much depth and beauty to wood, and I admit that I'm totally biased in making this statement. I have refinished numerous pieces of furniture that someone else had painted or otherwise tried to hide the fact that it was made of wood.
Once again, thanks for providing step by step pictures of the building process, letting us see another fine firearm come to life.
Is that one a those Indiana ground hogs lurkin in the grass ? Nice work on that one for sure. As a Tn. boy I like those rifles. ....Tom
That is my "puggle" (pug/beagle mix), Oscar. Possibly the smartest and definitely the stubbornest dog I've ever owned. Also one of the few that likes cameras and will pose and ham it up instead of slinking away when one is pointed at him. Obviously he thought that last picture was all about him.
Dogs ending up in my pictures are just part of life around here. Get the rifle framed just so in the viewfinder(?), light's just right, good and steady for a nice, clear, sharp picture -- and as the button is pushed, into the view wanders one of the three dogs. I just call them a bonus for anyone checking out the pictures.
How's Oscar doing? All the health issues in the past?
He got a clean bill of health, last visit to the vet. Now he's just a turd. Good thing I like him as much as I do, or he'd be more aggravating than he's worth.
Kind of like his owner, come to think of it. ROFL
stock turned out real nice , just the right color ! and glad to hear the dog is doing well ! I tend to like dogs a bit more than most people ! if a dog bites he usually has a good reason !
Used a bluing solution the customer sent -- more of a browning, which I like -- and fire-blued everything else. I'll be delivering this one to its new home this weekend, the owner's schedule permitting.
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MY HEAVENS MIKE!!... I LOVE that rifle!! Me thinks I have found the next rifle that I will have you build fer me...
all I have to say is WOW thmbsup ,
I like it....especially the stock color ! Another fine rifle Mike. thmbsup
We'd still be in a cave somewhere's--- but for those 4 footed rascals. Bout only people I can successfully get along with usually have 4 foots & a tail.....Tom
;D Fer a scruffy lil pup ya shore do good work Mike.
Quote from: gunmaker on July 19, 2013
We'd still be in a cave somewhere's--- but for those 4 footed rascals. Bout only people I can successfully get along with usually have 4 foots & a tail.....Tom
I might as well live in a cave. I bought my house due to the 10,000 square foot fenced-in back yard and the outbuildings that make adequate shop space. The house itself? A two-story dog kennel in which I sleep and eat, using the upstairs for the very rare guests and for stock blank storage. So basically my life is regulated and worked around guns and dogs.
I could think of worse arrangements and not even have to stress my brain to do it....
;D Heck Mike we built our hous to suite me an Lady Hawken.Ceder sided one story with covered porches front and back the whole length of the house,on 134 acres and all we have is a herd of cats. ROFL All of the em have the same name........Damnit......Come here Damnit. Quit trying to trip me Damnit. &)
interesting hawken 50 , I used to have the same cats ROFL ROFL ROFL
Dammit sure sounds familiar....
Two of your guys' cats somehow ended up at my place.... Answer to (or is it ignore) the same name, anyway.
;D Could be Mike you ever try to wrangle a herd of cats...........it aint easy. ROFL