midland man
Member
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=799928 tell me what you think about my work on my rifle?? thanks guys!! 
pics posted of my flintlock rifle!!
- Thread starter midland man
- Start date
- Status
sandy4570
Member
Nice rifle
OP
OP
midland man
Member
thanks guys, and you can click on the link or go to where I posted the heading about just bought my first flintlock rifle kit that's posted here on the high road and see the rifle I put together!
bannockburn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 26,304
midland man
Looks great! Really like the stain you used on the stock.
Looks great! Really like the stain you used on the stock.
Steel Horse Rider
Member
Nice job, especially for a first timer. How would you rate your experience?
Can't wait to do it again.
Wouldn't try again.
Fun once but no repeat performance.
Can't wait to do it again.
Wouldn't try again.
Fun once but no repeat performance.
BCRider
Member
Looks great! Now we just need a range report.
OP
OP
midland man
Member
Can't wait to do it again I want to build a 32c flintlock squirrel rifle!! plus it shoots very well with 50gr of goex 3f powder with a 15 thousandths patch lubed right then on one side and the lubed side put to the bore side of the barrel! it shoots better than I can.
OP
OP
midland man
Member
I have and I wished I had the tools to do those if I had them I would build some!
BCRider
Member
No time like the present to start.
You don't need a whole shop worth of power tools. With a small work area and a fairly basic assortment of hand tools you can do everything you need with very little noise or scattered dust.
If you take up the challenge I'd strongly suggest that you set aside the stock from the kit for a while and using some lumberyard "white mystery wood" used for house and fence building make your own stock. The lessons you learn on how to work with the tools and the tricks used for shaping the mortises for the barrel and action will serve you VERY well when you attack the kit's maple stock.
If you feel this is something you want to try then buy some basic tools and start out learning to use them by building a good sturdy work bench and vise for the bench. Yep, I said BUILD a vise. For wood working there's a number of ways to do it easily and at whatever cost level from dirt cheap to super fancy that you can live with.
I'm only 8 years into firearms but I've got a good chunk of my lifetime in the wood working hobby and made a few of my own benches and home made vises. I can't tell you how rewarding it is to make projects with tools you made yourself.
If this is something you would like to try and you have a room somewhere you can set up as a shop I'd be happy to help out with a list of tools to start out with and suggest a video or two on You Tube on basic but solid wood working benches. It'll cost you roughly the price of a medium priced gun to dive into a great hobby.
You don't need a whole shop worth of power tools. With a small work area and a fairly basic assortment of hand tools you can do everything you need with very little noise or scattered dust.
If you take up the challenge I'd strongly suggest that you set aside the stock from the kit for a while and using some lumberyard "white mystery wood" used for house and fence building make your own stock. The lessons you learn on how to work with the tools and the tricks used for shaping the mortises for the barrel and action will serve you VERY well when you attack the kit's maple stock.
If you feel this is something you want to try then buy some basic tools and start out learning to use them by building a good sturdy work bench and vise for the bench. Yep, I said BUILD a vise. For wood working there's a number of ways to do it easily and at whatever cost level from dirt cheap to super fancy that you can live with.
I'm only 8 years into firearms but I've got a good chunk of my lifetime in the wood working hobby and made a few of my own benches and home made vises. I can't tell you how rewarding it is to make projects with tools you made yourself.
If this is something you would like to try and you have a room somewhere you can set up as a shop I'd be happy to help out with a list of tools to start out with and suggest a video or two on You Tube on basic but solid wood working benches. It'll cost you roughly the price of a medium priced gun to dive into a great hobby.
OP
OP
midland man
Member
thanks guys and yes all the ideas on getting into building stocks and such would be appreciated
doubleh
Member
Nice work. I built one of the CVA 45 cal. percussion kits back in the dark ages when they first came on the market. I was amazed at the accuracy it was capable of.
I got a few crows with it as they were still legal to shoot back then. Crows seemed to be fooled by the full length stock and didn't fly away like they would with an ordinary rifle.
I got a few crows with it as they were still legal to shoot back then. Crows seemed to be fooled by the full length stock and didn't fly away like they would with an ordinary rifle.
BCRider
Member
OK, you asked for it! ! ! !
A few saws. I'd suggest the pull style saws which are also commonly called Japanese saws. One of the larger size Ryoba combination rip and cross cut saws is one to have to start. You'll be surprised at what you can do with such a saw used with very little effort. And these saws are common at the lumber yards these days. I suggest the Ryobi because it's all but impossible to buy a western style push saw with rip teeth any more. And you'll need to have some ripping capability.
Next up are the edge tools. Odd as it sounds I strongly suggest a small hatchet for chopping the worst of the waste wood away. Keep it razor sharp and an edge scabbard on it.
Next are a few good quality chisels. The smaller sizes are the more useful sizes. So get a set or buy then so you have 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4. The larger sizes for stock work and smaller wood working don't get used that often but it's nice for flattening a larger area to have a 1 inch as well. But most of your work will be with the smaller sizes.
Spokeshave. A small 7 to 9 inch overall length spokeshave is one of the most commonly used tools I've got for shaping things like rifle stocks. And the style with the rounded sole comes in pretty darn handy as well. Try to get this size spokeshave with a nice smaller clean head as it gets into tighter spots than some that are larger and rather clunky with fancy adjustments. The ones I've got are made by Kunz, a German company.
A few fixed blade knives are handy as well. The boxcutter style are OK but for carving the shape and way the blades are sharpened does not let them cut out curved hollows easily. So some fixed blade hand sharpened knives is good to have. And actually they are easy to make from steel you get from old non-carbide tooth circular saw blades.
Sharpening stones. You can't have edge tools without the need to sharpen them. So a good set of stones is critical. But the stones can require a lot more skill to use well. This is one spot where I'd suggest a power tool might be a faster and easier to use option. I've got a Tormeck which I LOVE. But for casual use and a starting out soul I'll grudgingly suggest that the cheaper version of this wet grinder and leather wheel machine from Grizzly is the way to go.
Notice I didn't mention wood planes? For making rifle stocks you really don't need them much. But for any other sort of wood working you very seriously do need a set. So figure out how you want to go on that for yourself. If it's strictly stocks then maybe just a small block plane. But if you wish to do much else you'll need a wider variety.
You'll obviously need a way to drill holes. You likely have a hand drill and bits. But for rifle stocks you are likely to find that a set of forstner bits is something to get. The clean sided and flat bottom holes work exceptionally well for the initial wasting out work on lock mortising jobs.
You also need that all important "third hand" known as a work bench and vise. For the hand tool wood worker (HTWW) this does not entail a simple table and machinist's vise bolted to it. The HTWW's bench needs to be solid, heavy and most of all rigid so that when you hit something the bench doesn't bounce. And when you cut sideways with a saw or chisel the bench doesn't flex or lean. This calls for a thick top and a sturdy connection to legs that don't want to flex.
What you make it from depends on what you have for tools. A bench done from two or three layers of 3/4 fir plywood is superb. But a great work bench can also be made from heavy dimensioned building lumber. It all depends on what you're more comfortable with using. But as long as it's strong and heavy and uses good solid connections that won't wrack you'll have a good bench.
That bench is no good if it can't hold the work pieces in a variety of positions. So things like vises and hold downs are built into the bench to give you that important "third helping hand".
Notice that I haven't said much about some other accessories such as hammers or mallets. That's because much of this is stuff you can make from wood along the way with your tools. And making these tools as you go gives you more skills and confidence along the way. And there's something nice about using the tools you made to make the projects you enjoy. Even to the point of your set squares being shop made from wood so when cluttered on the side table with the edge tools they don't ding the cutting edges like metal tools would do.
I'm going to stop now. But here's a few random video links to whet your appetite and hopefully give you a peek into the hobby of HTWW. Some of them are simple things. Others look like I'm expecting you to perform brain surgery. But they all show how possible it is to attack even a big job in small bites. None of them are intended to get you started but some of them you might find applicable to your beginner's status. The key is that they all have one thing in common, namely very little electric power tool use. I hope you enjoy them. Don't see them as what I'm directly suggesting to you. Instead look at then as how broad the possibilities are and don't be afraid to adapt the techniques into your own present tools and preferences. For example, all those nice laminated lumber bench tops you are going to see are easily replaced with two or three layers of 3/4 ply glued and screwed together. Just remove the screws afterwards as you go so when you drill for bench dogs and other accessories you don't hit the screws.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4LohjmskEk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u31Ixu6mSHY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvhn-PAfEW4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmg1gvqZ2mQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE_FGdrX0K4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQWY7Pi4v-M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5tMPhHQYbA
EDITED TO ADD ONE MORE- A nice pragmatic down to earth discussion on the English or "Nicholson" style of bench. This style gains strength, stiffness and more than most other options SIMPLICITY and LOW COST from the use of deep supporting aprons. Some 2x4's for the lower framing and cross members between the aprons and two or three 2x10's or 2x8's for the top and you're off to the races.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8nQpYXT8V4
A few saws. I'd suggest the pull style saws which are also commonly called Japanese saws. One of the larger size Ryoba combination rip and cross cut saws is one to have to start. You'll be surprised at what you can do with such a saw used with very little effort. And these saws are common at the lumber yards these days. I suggest the Ryobi because it's all but impossible to buy a western style push saw with rip teeth any more. And you'll need to have some ripping capability.
Next up are the edge tools. Odd as it sounds I strongly suggest a small hatchet for chopping the worst of the waste wood away. Keep it razor sharp and an edge scabbard on it.
Next are a few good quality chisels. The smaller sizes are the more useful sizes. So get a set or buy then so you have 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4. The larger sizes for stock work and smaller wood working don't get used that often but it's nice for flattening a larger area to have a 1 inch as well. But most of your work will be with the smaller sizes.
Spokeshave. A small 7 to 9 inch overall length spokeshave is one of the most commonly used tools I've got for shaping things like rifle stocks. And the style with the rounded sole comes in pretty darn handy as well. Try to get this size spokeshave with a nice smaller clean head as it gets into tighter spots than some that are larger and rather clunky with fancy adjustments. The ones I've got are made by Kunz, a German company.
A few fixed blade knives are handy as well. The boxcutter style are OK but for carving the shape and way the blades are sharpened does not let them cut out curved hollows easily. So some fixed blade hand sharpened knives is good to have. And actually they are easy to make from steel you get from old non-carbide tooth circular saw blades.
Sharpening stones. You can't have edge tools without the need to sharpen them. So a good set of stones is critical. But the stones can require a lot more skill to use well. This is one spot where I'd suggest a power tool might be a faster and easier to use option. I've got a Tormeck which I LOVE. But for casual use and a starting out soul I'll grudgingly suggest that the cheaper version of this wet grinder and leather wheel machine from Grizzly is the way to go.
Notice I didn't mention wood planes? For making rifle stocks you really don't need them much. But for any other sort of wood working you very seriously do need a set. So figure out how you want to go on that for yourself. If it's strictly stocks then maybe just a small block plane. But if you wish to do much else you'll need a wider variety.
You'll obviously need a way to drill holes. You likely have a hand drill and bits. But for rifle stocks you are likely to find that a set of forstner bits is something to get. The clean sided and flat bottom holes work exceptionally well for the initial wasting out work on lock mortising jobs.
You also need that all important "third hand" known as a work bench and vise. For the hand tool wood worker (HTWW) this does not entail a simple table and machinist's vise bolted to it. The HTWW's bench needs to be solid, heavy and most of all rigid so that when you hit something the bench doesn't bounce. And when you cut sideways with a saw or chisel the bench doesn't flex or lean. This calls for a thick top and a sturdy connection to legs that don't want to flex.
What you make it from depends on what you have for tools. A bench done from two or three layers of 3/4 fir plywood is superb. But a great work bench can also be made from heavy dimensioned building lumber. It all depends on what you're more comfortable with using. But as long as it's strong and heavy and uses good solid connections that won't wrack you'll have a good bench.
That bench is no good if it can't hold the work pieces in a variety of positions. So things like vises and hold downs are built into the bench to give you that important "third helping hand".
Notice that I haven't said much about some other accessories such as hammers or mallets. That's because much of this is stuff you can make from wood along the way with your tools. And making these tools as you go gives you more skills and confidence along the way. And there's something nice about using the tools you made to make the projects you enjoy. Even to the point of your set squares being shop made from wood so when cluttered on the side table with the edge tools they don't ding the cutting edges like metal tools would do.
I'm going to stop now. But here's a few random video links to whet your appetite and hopefully give you a peek into the hobby of HTWW. Some of them are simple things. Others look like I'm expecting you to perform brain surgery. But they all show how possible it is to attack even a big job in small bites. None of them are intended to get you started but some of them you might find applicable to your beginner's status. The key is that they all have one thing in common, namely very little electric power tool use. I hope you enjoy them. Don't see them as what I'm directly suggesting to you. Instead look at then as how broad the possibilities are and don't be afraid to adapt the techniques into your own present tools and preferences. For example, all those nice laminated lumber bench tops you are going to see are easily replaced with two or three layers of 3/4 ply glued and screwed together. Just remove the screws afterwards as you go so when you drill for bench dogs and other accessories you don't hit the screws.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4LohjmskEk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u31Ixu6mSHY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvhn-PAfEW4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmg1gvqZ2mQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE_FGdrX0K4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQWY7Pi4v-M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5tMPhHQYbA
EDITED TO ADD ONE MORE- A nice pragmatic down to earth discussion on the English or "Nicholson" style of bench. This style gains strength, stiffness and more than most other options SIMPLICITY and LOW COST from the use of deep supporting aprons. Some 2x4's for the lower framing and cross members between the aprons and two or three 2x10's or 2x8's for the top and you're off to the races.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8nQpYXT8V4
Last edited:
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