Starting my American Fowler

[Lucky Buckeye]

These parts were all bought from P R. The stock has some nice curl for a CM3. I already had the TOW 20ga barrel and was pleased to find it is a match to the chanelling and quite snug. Lock is Queen Anne. Now all I need is a dump truck to empty my work bench into
Time to get started

Curl in the fore

Curl on the top


Sort of tricky getting curl to show up in a photo but I am happy with this  wood. As you can see, no inleting  other than the barrel and ram channels. The barrel already had everything installed not worth taking a chance on any of those alignments. 

[Tim Ault]

Looks like it will be a dandy cant wait to see your progress on it.

Tim

[Hanshi]

That does appear to be a very fine piece of maple.  I learned to love these early American fowlers when I got mine several years ago.  Keep us posted with pics and details.

[Lucky Buckeye]

One thing I am unsure of is the reason there is a 1/2" square platform on the heel (upper rear end) of the butt plate. Does it serve a purpose or is it where the sprue was cut off?

[Tim Ault]

It's the casting sprue be my guess

[woody]

Looks like a great project , love those smoothbores. 

[mongrel]

The extra metal on the buttplate is a casting sprue. So are the tabs used to pin the guard into the stock, but, unlike the sprue on the buttplate, they're where they are for a reason.

Pecatonica is like most suppliers (thankfully) -- if there's even the slightest doubt as to the proper grade of one of their stocks, they grade it low. This means the buyer is liable to end up with more than he expected when his wood arrives. Overall we're lucky in this pastime, so far as the integrity of our suppliers, large outfits and small alike. I'm on the same row, just down a bit, from Dick Greensides (owner of Pecatonica), at the NMLRA Shoots, and I can vouch that he's good people.

[Lucky Buckeye]

I was surprized to see what little there is left to do to the stock. I figured it would be rougher in surface and shape but it needs very little fitting except for inletting the lock and trigger set. Mr Greenwood also thought it best to not do it since the T Hole was already installed. 
  If I mount the trigger guard with screws instead of pins will it be seen as a rush job or not "PC" ? I can't tell from pics of completed guns  wheather or not screws can be used. I may be committed to pins since the ram spools use them. These few questions I have not been able to find an answer to. Most say make what you want but I prefer to remain close to "PC" if I can. "PR" sent both so maybe it is only a choice  rather than the "code".

[woody]

Either pins or screws would be correct. Lots of photos out there with screws, especially on American fowlers. My copy of "Flintlock Fowlers, the First Guns Made in America"  shows lots with screws. 

[Tim Ault]

If you do use screws on the TG pay close mind to where you put the one in front of the bow keep it far enough back to not go up into the ram rod hole .

Tim

[olflint]

 

[woody]

If you do use screws on the TG pay close mind to where you put the one in front of the bow keep it far enough back to not go up into the ram rod hole .

Tim

Tim is right and I misread your post, for some reason I thought you where talking about the top of the butt plate  , though screws were used on trigger guards, most were pinned on the front and screws were on the rear or pinned. Sorry for the confusion. 

[Lucky Buckeye]

Excellent news on that Woody and Tim. I have no picture books yet and Google pics are showing me few to no views from the bottom
side of their examples. I prefer screws to pins. The fewer holes in the sides of the stock the better for what I want in the end.  My last decision is the blue, black or brown finish. Read the other day that one method was using saltpeter (I assume that is potasium-nitrate).
No telling what all they tried on gun metals back then. More than likely the closer to the coast the more standardized the finishes were.

[Lucky Buckeye]

Dangit. I still haven't got all the junk moved off the work bench I want to use to assemble this thing. Too much company for Spring Break!

[Tim Ault]

  My last decision is the blue, black or brown thing. read the other day that one method was using saltpeter (I assume that is potasium-nitrate).
No telling what all they tried on gun metals back then. More than likely the closer to the coast the more standardized the finishes were.

Orrrrrr you could polish the steel up and leave it in the white.  I really liked the way my rifle/ barrel looked in the stock before I browned it . actually I just ordered a 24 ga smoothbore barrel tonight for my next project and plan on leaving it in the white,Sure it requires a little extra care but I dont neglect my rifles and if I grow tired of it I can always brown it later .