# TVM Late Lancaster Kit



## leoparddog (Jan 16, 2018)

is getting delivered tomorrow!  It is sitting in the UPS warehouse here in Atlanta tonight.  I probably won't sleep well tonight thinking about it.  I've been "nesting" in my workshop for the last 2 weeks, organizing, cleaning and finishing up my wife's honeydo list.  I've put her on notice that all non-essential honeydo's are on hold for a while. 

I'll post up my photos here.  I don't know what I'm really going to get, so I'm pretty excited.


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## GeorgiaBob (Jan 16, 2018)

Be sure and post pictures as you build!  I have been debating getting them to build one for me.  I simply do not have the skill to build one right.


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## leoparddog (Jan 16, 2018)

Bob,
I'm not sure I have the skill either to tell the truth.  TVM will do the metal work that would be the most expensive to mess up.  I'll just need to finish the inletting, drilling, assembly and finishing.  I've heard that the Jim Kibler kits are the easiest to assemble with the least work and I would have gone that route but I wanted a caliber and barrel length that Jim Kibler didn't offer at the time.  

Worst case scenario, is that I booger up the wood and send the metal parts to someone to re-stock for me.

I have refinished a few old rifles and have done some practice inletting.  I'm telling myself to go slow, practice on scrap maple first if needed. 

If you want a longrifle, check out Jim Kibler and for Hawkens style rifles there are always the Lyman Plains rifle kits that are very affordable and would be hard to mess up.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jan 17, 2018)

Cant wait to see your build pics !!!!!

I built 2 CVA Hawken kit guns about 30 yrs ago and they still look
great today....I had the barrels professionally hot blued, and
finger rubbed 10-12 coats of tru oil after inletting the hardware...

I let each coat of tru oil dry a min of 24 hrs to make sure it was
dry and then lightly buffed each coat with 0000 steel wool to 
make sure the wood grain was glass smooth....

Good luck !!


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## Throwback (Jan 17, 2018)

in for pics!


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## leoparddog (Jan 17, 2018)

I'll keep this thread updated with pics as I go.  UPS says its on the truck today and since my office closed due to the snow, I'm working from home waiting for the doorbell.  I hope the snow doesn't prevent delivery today.  Weird to be a 52 yr old man and be this excited, but I have been working towards this since Nov 2016.


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## leoparddog (Jan 17, 2018)

Woot Woot. Showed up today.  Much more 'done' than I expected. All I may have to do is some fine tuning of the inlets and thin down the buttstock to the width of the buttplate.  I can't tell from looking at the wood if I got the Premium + wood upgrade or not.  I hope so since that was extra $$.  Looking forward to getting started.


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## fourwinds (Jan 17, 2018)

Good luck! The only advice I have to offer is don't work on it if you are frustrated or in a hurry. That's the only time I did bonehead things to my kit.


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## leoparddog (Jan 17, 2018)

Lesson #1 has been learned.  Pony up the money if you want the pretty curly stock. This one is a one level upgrade ~30% curl from TVM which seems to be "not much curl".  An extra $25 would have gotten me a ++ upgrade to 50-60% curl, while and extra $75 over upgrade #1 gets the premium.  

I didn't want the premium grade as I've heard it can be hard to work with.  I should have gotten the ++ upgrade and spent the extra $25.

I've been told that I can send it back and TVM will work it out with me, but then I'm likely paying $75 shipping both ways and that $150 shipping +the upgrade costs, I can get a whole second stock to work on later.


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## Darkhorse (Jan 19, 2018)

You need to be real careful inletting your lock. The touchhole should be centered in your pan and level with the top of the pan. Since they have already installed the TH for you then you must deal with the preinlet lock mortise plus the preplaced TH liner.
That stock is more closely inlet than any I've seen. I've never seen one where the barrel actually dropped into place like that one. Usually it takes a good bit of work to get one to do like that.
Before you do anything to that stock I would take the lock and place it over the inlet, line  the TH with the center of the pan and see what it looks like.
Once you cut a stock you can't send it back.


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## leoparddog (Jan 19, 2018)

Darkhorse, 

Yes, the stock was much more completely inletted than I expected.  They even bedded the barrel tang with Acra-glass.  I was in there so tight I had to take a brass drift and beat the barrel tang out of the stock.  That might be great for accuracy but since it will need to come in and out a bunch while I'm working on it, I loosened it up just a bit on the sides.  It is still tight in the stock though but not "brass drift and 16oz hammer tight".

I checked the TH and pan last night.  It might not be level with the top of the pan but it will be close to the top I think.  If you look close at the photo, the lock bolt hole is already drilled as well and the lock is drilled and tapped.  The locations are basically fixed for me now.  

I'll be working on dropping the stripped lock into the mortise later today.

The lock isn't all the way in but I think this will be ok.  As I'm working on the inlet, I'll try to work on the bottom side more as to not encourage the lock to end up higher than absolutely required.


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## Darkhorse (Jan 19, 2018)

To remove a tight fitting barrel grasp the barrel with one hand about a 1/3 of the way from the end of the stock. Grasp the stock and barrel just in front of the lock.
Turn it over and tap the top of the butt on a piece of carpet on the floor.
This will jar the tang from the stock where you can work the rest of it free.
But I always open mine a little as I too, want to remove my barrel with ease.
BTW The tang should have a draft filed in it, meaning it's tapered from full size at the top to smaller as you go towards the bottom. This not only makes it easier to inlet but easier to remove also.


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## leoparddog (Jan 19, 2018)

I updated the post above with the photo of the TH.  Yes, the tang is drafted and I worked on it just a bit more.

Question: should I draft around the edges of the lock too?  

I worked on filing the tang down some more today but since I had a general anesthesia procedure this morning, I fell out after about an hour or so.  I'll be back on it tomorrow after some solid food and sleep.


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## Darkhorse (Jan 20, 2018)

I always file a draft on the bottom of the lockplate. Yes, I would work on inletting the plate down as much as possible but it doesn't look like they left you much wood to work with.
Just a thought but the predrilled lockbolt hole could be drilled out a little larger to allow the lock to drop down a little more. The lock mortice will hold the lock in the proper position even if there is play in that hole.


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## leoparddog (Jan 20, 2018)

Working on the lock today and fussing about where the TouchHole would end up.  I messed around and cut some brass sheet shims and figured out I could raise the end of the barrel tang about .030 and get the TH where I thought was about perfect, but then the tang was about .050+ proud of the wood, so yuck that is a lot of metal to take off the tang and would probably result in a divot between the tang and the barrel breach. So no go.

During this I figured out the end of the tang wasn't sitting in the bottom of the inlet TVM cut (and had put bedding compound in there) and the end of the tang was still a bit proud of the wood.  So I bent the tang some and it dropped into its slot and below the level of the wood.  

This actually lifted the tang of the barrel about .015 which in turn raised the TH just a hair.  I dug out an old chainsaw file 5/32" which just happened to be the size of the hole drilled in the tang and filed the bottom of the hole some into an oval so I could get the lock plate bolt back through the hole.

Then back to inletting the lock and got that done today.  Tomorrow I'll need to take a little wood off behind the hammer cock so it won't hit the stock at full cock.  Then I can start function testing the lock before starting on the trigger.  I may do the trigger later - haven't decided yet.

So here is where the TH is now.  The tang is abit proud of the wood but I don't think I can really file it down enough and still have it look good, so I may need to live with it.  I will need to put some Acraglass into the bottom of the tang since I lifted it just slightly but I was probably going to do that anyway.


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## Darkhorse (Jan 21, 2018)

Looking good leoparddog. The touch hole now looks to be only about .030  low. Consider this...When you start shooting the rifle you will most likely need to drill out the TH using number drills, one or two drill sizes until you get no hangfires and fast ignition. Those liners with the small hole are intended to be done that way. After the hole is drilled out then it might be too low. You want your fire to jump into the hole, you don't want it to burn into it like a fuse. The flame from the pan travels up and out.
I use Accra Gel for small gaps and to bed behind the barrel and anywhere else it might be needed. It stays where you put it instead of running down like regular accraglass. Plus the gel comes with brown and black coloring tubes to color the gel.
Your inletting looks good and tight.
Notice in this photo where the fouling from the prime has deposited a gray film high above the pan. You can also just see where my TH is located.


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## leoparddog (Jan 21, 2018)

Thanks Darkhorse,  I can still raise it more at this stage but it will be by adjusting the rear of the barrel at the tang up, then filing the tang back down to the wood.  I can pretty easily raise it another .015 and have already ordered the Acraglass Gel.  I've used both the regular and gel versions bedding rifles over the years, so yeah, I learned about the runny regular Acraglass when I bedded my first rifle.


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## leoparddog (Jan 28, 2018)

Ram rod channel - how much further can I go here?  

The factory drilled hole stops where you see it.  Where the ram rod stops, if cut to that length, would result in a ram rod that is flush with an unloaded barrel.  I would prefer the ram rod to have about 1 inch sticking out of the barrel if the gun is unloaded.  Mainly for running a cleaning patch down the barrel in the field.  

On my Hawken rifle, I cut my ram rod long so it sticks out about 1.25" inch, not historically correct I'm sure.  I don't really want to do that with this rifle.

So I'm considering extending the ram rod channel here some more.  I think I'd be fine with just that bit extra.  I don't think I should go as far as the bottom of the breach plug, but how far is too far?  

I did Acrasglass it last night and this was the result.  I found a spot under the barrel tang that needs some more bedding.  I may also put a spot or two of bedding down the barrel channel later after I inlet the tenons


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## GeorgiaBob (Jan 28, 2018)

Leoparddog, you probably know this, but I'll put it out there anyway.  You need to remember to leave room between the fore stock and the barrel for the barrel to flex as it is fired.  That gets a little tricky when you have three anchor points along the barrel!

Also for the ramrod, you could change the "other" end fitting to a female screw fitting and buy or make a 2" or 3" long jag to get you a couple of extra inches without making a longer ramrod.

Looks like you are doing far better than I could.


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## leoparddog (Jan 28, 2018)

You're spot on Bob.  I can get a cleaning jag that would give me an extra 2" or so. I may chisel out that last .5" and call that part done.
Tonight I put a touch of extra bedding under the tang where I had a pretty good sized air gap from the first bedding.  I think I'm done playing with the Acraglass. I'm always worried I'm going to epoxy the barrel in place.

I spent the rest of my waiting time this weekend working planning a drill press jig table and went to Rockler for some T-Track.  I also quickly made this little chisel holder to keep them orderly on my work bench while I'm inletting


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## Darkhorse (Jan 28, 2018)

My ramrods are drilled about where yours are. I would go with a longer Jag.
The barrel channel doesn't need to be inlet oversize to compensate for barrel movement, and it will move, mostly from heat and cold. The proper way of handling this is to slot the hole in the barrel key so the barrel can move when it needs to. Serves about the same purpose as a floated CF barrel. Try not to increase the size vertically but elongate them horizontally.
When you are done inletting the barrel you may find the wood has warped a little due to stress. Sit your barrel into the stock then squeeze them both together in several spots along the length. If find any spots where the barrel is not touching the stock mark those spots. Remove the barrel and spread a little accraglass gel on the bottom flat between all those marks. Put a pencil in the bore to help you hold the barrel and ease the barrel straight down until it sits flat. Then pin the barrel. This should remove those gaps and give full support.


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## leoparddog (Feb 8, 2018)

I've gotten some more done, the trigger is inletted and with everything C Clamped together it fires and seems to have a pretty decent Trigger pull. I may inlet the trigger just a fraction deeper before declaring done.  I also started on the tenons and have one in and another one started.  This made me very nervous.  I think I'm going to try to solder the middle tenon on as the barrel is more narrow there.

I've made some inletting mistakes. One at the trigger plate, and I just don't know how it happened and another around the lock plate. The trigger plate mistake will be hidden by the trigger guard and I may be able to disguise the one around the lock.  That was the real bone head move on my part and I may just have to live with it.  I don't even want to share the details.  I'm sure I'll eventually post photos but they'll be long distance shots. LOL.

I'm really glad I have a magnifying lighted mirror on a hinged arm.  Even with my glasses detail stuff is blurry.  I spent plenty of time looking through it https://www.amazon.com/V-LIGHT-Magnifying-Lamp-Black-VS103B5/dp/B0713ZLFDM/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1518148415&sr=1-1&keywords=VS103B5

Anyway, the tenons stressed me out but the first one came out ok and the second is going to get finished tomorrow


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## leoparddog (Feb 12, 2018)

Last night I drilled the forward lock bolt and had to file a small groove on the bottom of the barrel (about .025). It came out a little bit closer to the tip of the lock plate than I'd like by about 1/32" to 1/16" but it will be fine.  Tonight I tackled the tang bolt.  Scariest one so far I think.  I had bought a David Rase bolt hole jig for center to center drilling and started the bottom hole with it to get it on the right angle, then took that jig apart and made a fixture for my drill press using the pointed bolt to drill from the tang down.  I was shocked when both holes lined up perfectly. I only did the pilot hole tonight and tomorrow will drill the through hole and tap the trigger plate.  Then I'll have it all buttoned up.  So far so good on the metal work.  Still not sure what I'm going to do about the wood around the lock plate where I went crazy for about 20 minutes with a gouge and rasp.  Oh well, its a first one.

I do know now that I could not have done this project without the drill press I bought for Christmas.  I have used an old Stanley Brace drill some but the press has been vital.


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## Darkhorse (Feb 13, 2018)

If they included any extra pieces of wood you can glue a sliver in the mortise then reinlet that spot and the mistake will hardly show if it shows at all.  The only glue I use on longrifle repairs is good old Elmer's white wood glue.


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## leoparddog (Feb 16, 2018)

Another "tense" hole to drill but it turned out fine.  I don't think I could do this without a drill press but I've seen video of a guy doing this hole free hand with a power drill.  I tried to do this with my brace and bit but that just wasn't going to work out.

What did I learn?  Probably to mark and drill the hole on the trigger guard first, but getting the angle right is the challenge, so drill a small hole 1/8 or smaller hole first and aim at the lines you drew on the stock for the angle.  This is actually what is recommended in some books.  I went from the top down and was planning on letting the drill bit mark the backside of the trigger plate, then remove and drill it.  My first hole went all the way through but ended up a bit off center on the trigger plate so I fluxed it, melted some solder in the divot, filed it flat.  After some through hole angle adjusting I was able to get it close enough to center  

I do wish i could find a tap about 1/4" longer for this 8-32 screw which would make things just a bit easier.  A 10-32 tap would probably be a little longer but this kit came with the 8-32.

I do need a better countersink drill bit.  Mine left chatter marks on the tang but I may leave them in since they don't show.

All in all, happy with the way this step turned out.  Next time I won't try this alone and will get some extra hands to steady the rifle on the jig or figure out a way to use a vise on it.

I think I'm going to work on the ramrod channel and the pipes next along with the muzzlecap.


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## leoparddog (Feb 25, 2018)

Time for the buttplate.  I wish I had taken a before photo but up near the top of the thread you can get an idea of how rough the sand cast plate was. I made a buttplate holder from a piece of 2x4 so I could put the plate in the vise and have a good way of holding it. (Credit to Mike Beliveau for the idea). The outside of the plate needed a lot more work than the inside since that doesn't show.  I got tired of files and sandpaper and pulled out the belt sander with a 120 grit belt.  That took out all the pits and did the major work, then I went back to sanding by hand.  Still a little more work to be done on the flats but I'll wait until I get it mounted to the rifle for the final work.

Making the jig and polishing this out took about 4 hours today.  Much more than I thought it would.


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## wedgebolt (Feb 26, 2018)

Keep the updates coming. I get on here daily just to check out your progress. I find rifle builds very fascinating. One day I plan on building one, but for now I just watch and learn.


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## leoparddog (Feb 26, 2018)

Thanks Wedgebolt,
For your update enjoyment here was tonight's work - Inletting the buttplate. The curve of the plate and the notch in the wood was done as part of the kit, so my challenge is to get the metal to fit that cut out. The first photo with the Dykem on the plate is where I started and the last two are where I finished.

I'm pretty sure now that the buttplate isn't square at the inside corner - left to right side. One side sits better than the other.  This may be due to my filing skills or may be a casting issue.  I'm betting it is the casting since the side with the biggest gap at the inside corner is the side that I didn't file (the side with the blue Dykem in the first photo, I barely touched with the file on the underside).

Now I had read that this was something to check - for squareness, but how in the heck do you square something with all those curves?  Going back to my reference books one of them mentions using a clear plastic "Triangle" square and drawing lines on it to help figure it out.  The main back of the plate, its easy to find the middle at each point and get a mid-line, so now I think I understand what it was talking about.  

So what to do now?  Do I file off metal on the Left side that fits pretty well to get the gap on the Right side to close or keep inletting wood on the left side and dropping it down to close the gap?

I've stopped for the night and will think on it.  Maybe Darkhorse or Bert will stop by and tell me which way to go here.


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## Darkhorse (Feb 27, 2018)

Personally, I hate fitting buttplates. The plate is almost always warped and twisted and needs to be somewhat tweaked for proper fit.
It looks like you have the front fitted to the notch pretty good. Notice the top corner of the end of the butt stock, the wood has a sharp corner where the mating surface of the buttplate has a slight radius. This can keep the buttplate from sitting flush on the top of the stock. I file a matching radius on the wood so the plate can drop down flat on the top of the stock.
Once the plate is tight against both the notch and top surface of the stock either hold or clamp it in place and step back and look at the bottom tip of the buttplate. You should be able to see where any warp is.
Look at it this way, buttplates are fairly cheap so if you break one you can always order another. That said, I always straighten out that warp as much as possible. Be careful with brass as it work hardens and gets brittle. But it can also be annealed and softened up again.
I determine exactly where the warp is. Then holding the top of the plate in a fixture or vice I take a padded wrench that fits across the entire width and twist it just enough to get  most of the warp out. Then I file the inside of the plate until the gaps on each side at the bottom are as close to the same as possible.
Now I work the plate towards the lock by removing wood from the notch and butt until the plate fits the stock fairly close. I use inletting black for this. I remove material from the inside of the butt plate and stock, whichever is neccessary. If you can get it fitting good  halfway down then the lower wood screw will pull the bottom down against the wood. Now you can see any gaps that need attention.
To me this is tedious work and I do it all with chisels and files.
I was shooting my .40 today and had it out so I took a photo of the fit of the iron (steel) plate to the stock. You will find a point where it's good enough, the only person you have to please is yourself.
Speaking of spare parts, I keep at least one, sometimes more, of every internal part of a Siler lock. So if I mess up a buttplate or trigger guard I have no problem ordering a replacement.
The photo and angle could be better but this will have to do.
Don't drill the mounting hole in the top of the buttplate until you are certain it will not need to move forward even a little as the screw will lock it in position. If it needs moving the hole will have to be plugged and redrilled.
All this is hard to really explain. Most of my working career involved making and fitting complex assemblies so this stuff just comes naturally and I find it hard to explain my methods.


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## snuffy (Feb 27, 2018)

Darkhorse said:


> Personally, I hate fitting buttplates. The plate is almost always warped and twisted and needs to be somewhat tweaked for proper fit.
> It looks like you have the front fitted to the notch pretty good. Notice the top corner of the end of the butt stock, the wood has a sharp corner where the mating surface of the buttplate has a slight radius. This can keep the buttplate from sitting flush on the top of the stock. I file a matching radius on the wood so the plate can drop down flat on the top of the stock.
> Once the plate is tight against both the notch and top surface of the stock either hold or clamp it in place and step back and look at the bottom tip of the buttplate. You should be able to see where any warp is.
> Look at it this way, buttplates are fairly cheap so if you break one you can always order another. That said, I always straighten out that warp as much as possible. Be careful with brass as it work hardens and gets brittle. But it can also be annealed and softened up again.
> ...



You might hate fitting them but you do a dang fine job of it. Beautiful work!


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## leoparddog (Mar 1, 2018)

I got some good work done tonight I think.  It fits really pretty well except for one tiny spot that will fill in when I finish the rifle and it may come out in the sanding.
I still have more wood to rasp off, sand and scrape but I'm done for the night

Thanks for the encouragement and help.


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## leoparddog (Mar 7, 2018)

Not my best few days working on this, but it is what it is...my first rifle.  I got the toe plate put on and that was harder than it should have been IMO. Getting the screws at the right angle worked well for one and for the one closed to the toe, I think the angle is off a bit.  At the very end I also cracked the toe of the stock.  I'm pretty sure when I take it apart to finish it, I'll be gluing the toe back on.  At least it is captured by the toe and buttplates.

The sideplate was not my best inletting job.  I wasn't in a hurry, but I'm out of practice.  I should have inlet it onto some scrap maple first and warmed up.  A few loose spots around the edges but I"m told that stain and finish coats will close up some of those.  

Oh well, moving on.  I may do the thimbles and nose cap next and then circle back around to working on the wood around the butt, lock and hold off on thinning down the forearm until last.  Once that get done, it will be delicate I'm sure.


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## wedgebolt (Mar 8, 2018)

I think you will be surprised at how good this will look when finished. I just got back from Alabama where I purchased a custom made .54 flintlock. The gentleman had one that he had built from a kit. He showed me all of the mistakes and flaws that he had done. He also said he would never attempt another. The rifle was not as refined as the professional made rifle that I was purchasing. I thought his rifle looked better than the custom made one. I offered to buy it for the same price that I was paying for the other rifle. He wouldn't part with it and I don't blame him. I also just finished making a range rod for the .54. Its baby steps for me.


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## Darkhorse (Mar 8, 2018)

Part of the definition of a good gunmaker is one who can fix his mistakes. Mistakes happen. I make them, Mike Brooks makes them, anybody who builds rifles from wood and metal makes mistakes.
Fix it as good as possible and move on.


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## GeorgiaBob (Mar 8, 2018)

When your great grandson inherits this beautiful rifle made by his ancestor, every one of your "mistakes" will be treasured evidence of the attention to detail and the care you put into that creation.

As Darkhorse said, "Fix it as good as possible and move on."


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## leoparddog (Mar 8, 2018)

Moving on to the muzzle cap (MC)...

I've been nervous about this since I got started, but basically all "thin wood" work.  I got it rasped down (I like my rasps better than my chisels) and started.  Nervous about how much it seems I'm going to have to take off the top of the channel.  In theory I think it should end up about 1/2 way on the side flat but with the way it started, not so sure about that.  The taper from the original channel down to where this MC starts to fit is making me think that I may have to plane down the top of the channel once this is done and I start working on the forearm.  I'll need to go review some photos, videos and do some "re-reading" before I go much farther here.

I think this step is going ok so far - just need to be careful and not break anything.


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## leoparddog (Mar 9, 2018)

*Things they don't tell you about inletting the MC*

So tonight was the muzzle cap and I figured out what they don't tell you in the expensive books and DVDs you buy about this part of the job.

I was focused mostly on the width, curvature and sidewall height as I got started and was working the bottom thickness down.  I got the MC all the way on and it was tilted down from the muzzle back.  Ok, it is thicker at the rear than the front and I got after it with the rasp and chisel.  I got pretty close (see photo), but it had a gap at the front.

What they should have said in the books is:
"Measure the inside front bottom lip of the MC.  This one is about 0.110. That is your target thickness of the wood all the way back"

I got pretty close at the front but the bottom web grew thicker as it went.

Not a huge deal, but I removed more wood from the side wall height than I really needed to because the thickness of the bottom web was pulling down the muzzle cap as it went on.  It really wasn't obvious at all until I put the barrel back in and tried putting the cap on.

Once I figured it out that the front edge was about 0.020 too thick and to thin the whole bottom web down, it closed up the gap on the muzzle.

I knew it needed to be thin there but should have measured instead of just fitting and chiseling.  Probably would have gone quicker too.  Next time, I'll measure the target thickness on the bottom and do the bottom thickness first to get it pretty uniform and close, then start working on the sides and curves.

I may not permanently attach it until I figure out the transition from the MC to the stock this weekend.


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## Darkhorse (Mar 10, 2018)

I'm not too proud to admit that nosecaps give me a lot of trouble. They never seem to end up straight. I much prefer casting a pewter nosecap.
I have read on Don Bruton's website, Boone Guns,  http://www.booneguns.com/Blank.html
That he considers both an entry pipe and nosecap as unnecessary as evidenced by the number of southern rifles without nosecaps that have survived down through the years.


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## leoparddog (Mar 10, 2018)

That rifle really is beautiful Darkhorse.  It looks like the ramrod is about 80% exposed. It also looks like the barrel is browned.  What/how did you finish the barrel?  As I've been working my way through I haven't decided yet whether to brown, blue or apply a patina to the barrel.

I've seen browned barrels that I didn't find very attractive, they look rough and more rusted than browned.  Yours looks nice and smooth with a good color.

I may have to go find a tutorial on casting pewter nose caps. That turned out very nice


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## Darkhorse (Mar 10, 2018)

I used LMF's barrel brown and degreaser.
http://www.laurelmountainforge.com/
As with anything preparation and technique are the keys to good results.
I'm making a new hickory ramrod right now, that one is made from Ramin.
I don't have time right now to get into details but later I can share some, and lessons learned also, including that pewter nosecap.
The best tutorial is a video by Hershel House "Building a Kentucky Longrifle."


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## Darkhorse (Mar 12, 2018)

As for browning the barrel and other steel parts, heat and humidity are key factors in how it turns out. Some make a box to place the parts in with a source of moisture and a heat lamp. But I think the best results may come from simply using our Georgia heat and humidity.
Wait until the rifle is finished and don't be in a hurry, you can shoot it before it's browned. Around May or June when the daily temps are high and the high summer humidity sets in is the time to brown that metal.
I simply wipe the agent on then sit the parts under my barn on 5 gallon buckets overnight. Card them off and reapply the solution and put the parts back outside. It will only take a few coats to get a deep rich brown.


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## leoparddog (Mar 13, 2018)

Thanks Darkhorse, I ordered some LMF Browning solution from Brownell's this week.  I'll probably be done with this in the spring so will wait for warm weather for the browning.

The last few days has been filing and sanding the trigger guard.  I've been putting this off but its time.  I did get the nose cap done and it turned out pretty nice.  I'll get a photo of that in another update.  It has taken longer than I thought to clean up this trigger guard.  I'm going to declare victory and move on to the inletting.  I can finish polish it once it is mounted I think.


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## leoparddog (Mar 16, 2018)

Another part I've been putting off, shaping the lock panel When I was first inletting the lock, I went a little crazy and messed the panel up. After trying to rasp down to remove the gouge I put into it, I realized that I was taking too much wood off and just stopped, sick to my stomach that I had fudged this up big time.

Today I decided that I had to address it and the only way was to thin down the border to remove what I had done.  It looks passable.  Not great, not right but passable and better than leaving a 4" long gouge down the middle.  Looking at it in the photo I can see some rough spots so a bit more work to do.  Now I'm considering do I need to take more wood off the bottom of the stock?  Can I take more wood off the bottom at this point or just try to aggressively curve from the trigger guard to the bottom of the lock panel.  Measuring under the trigger guard, I have 0.425 before I hit the ramrod channel, so it is plenty beefy there but only have 0.20 where the ram rod enters the forestock.  Not sure it worth it and maybe mess it all up again.


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## Darkhorse (Mar 17, 2018)

I think I would go ahead and inlet the triggers to the proper depth so they work as they should. In fact I would have done this right after inletting the lock.
When the trigger plate is inletted and fastened down it may be proud of the wood in which case it can be filed flush, it just can't stand out so much you get into any pins when fileing. It may also end up below the surface, here you'll just remove wood til flush.  What controls the position of the trigger plate is always the relationship of the trigger bar(s) to the sear.
I would not remove any more wood from the bottom until the triggers are in the right position.


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## leoparddog (Mar 18, 2018)

Thanks Darkhorse.  The triggers were done right after I put in the lock but I pulled them out for this part of the work.  They are at the right depth now and it has a good trigger pull without too much free play in the trigger.  

Yes, I should have done this right after I put in the lock but I had in my  mind that I wanted a thinner border on the lock and pulled out chisel and got started, then I panicked and stopped.  That was the first week I think, and I decided to come back to the lock border later when I had settled in some.  

I think I'm going to leave the bottom thickness about where it is and just ease the transition from the bottom of the stock to the bottom of the lock panel and round it over.  

I was reading over on the ALR forum and someone used the term "a 3 to 5 foot rifle" which is where this one will hopefully end up. and not be a "5 to 10 foot" rifle.


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## Darkhorse (Mar 24, 2018)

I think the way you trimmed the lock panel looks pretty good. You can go back and deepen it into the stock a little so the border shows up better. Then blend that into the stock.
I should have thinned mine more but I didn't notice it at the time.
I will be redoing my .54 either this summer or the next, time permitting. Thinning the lock panel, rounding the forearm better, adding incised lines and maybe a cast pewter nosecap. Also redoing the browning as I browned this rifle in late winter when it was still cold and no humidity, and did not get a good deep finish.


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## HughW2 (Apr 8, 2018)

Leoparddog,
Congratulations!  Your work looks great!  Impressive wood and metal work.  Way beyond my ability!
Enjoy.


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## leoparddog (Apr 9, 2018)

Thanks Hugh,
This hasn't been that difficult and I think anyone with some study, care and attention to detail could pull this off.  I spent about a year saving the funds, reading, buying tools and books, and doing some practicing for inletting - I still need a lot of practice on that. 

I haven't posted an update in a while but will soon. Progress has gone from major components to sanding and smaller details, so the visuals don't really jump out.  When I get the RR thimbles installed I'll come back to post some photos.

Thanks again.
LD


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## leoparddog (Apr 11, 2018)

Here's an update, ram rod thimbles.  The front thimble went pretty well, but the entry thimble go so far and I've stopped to think. Get up and walk away has been the best advice.  
This entry thimble should go in straight down, so far so good until I look at the rear view.  It may be hard to tell but this TVM Late Lancaster kit has an almost flat forearm bottom.  I can continue to inlet down and get that curve buried into the wood, sand and scrape around the sides and curve the handguard bottom some more. BUT...

My concern is that I'll either bury the front of the thimble too deeply into the RR channel or will have to tilt the tail of the thimble down and thus won't have a good straight entry into the RR hole.    

I've done a good bit around the lock and sideplate to make that look better than in the photo above, but didn't get pics tonight.  I'll wait until I pin the trigger guard for that photo. 

I also posted this over on the ALR forum but since I've been here at Woody's Campfire for 14 years, this is sorta my Outdoor Forum home.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 12, 2018)

There looks to be a lot of wood on that stock to work with. I would go ahead and do some rounding on the forearm to get it closer to the end product, and to better fit the bend in the tail of the entry pipe. Don't over do it as you will still need material to finish it.
Inlet the first 2 pipes first. The top surface of the hole should be flush with the top of the RR groove and the RR should pass through them both. Now take the center one and inlet "It" in the position the entry pipe hole will be. Go straight down and when a ramrod will pass through it you're done.
Keep in mind many ramrods are to large to pass through the pipes and must be scraped or sanded to fit the pipes before fitting.
Now find the center of your fore arm and draw a line down it. Use this to ensure the tail of the entry pipe is going in straight. File a draft on the tail.
Coat the underside of the tail in inletting black and place it in position pushing down on the pipe. Now just take your time and keep inletting a little at a time until the surface of  the tail is just below the surface of the wood and the ram rod will pass through all 3 pipes. Keep in mind these pipes may need opening up a little until the rr goes all the way in.
Now when you finish the forend with rasps and sandpaper keep going until the brass and wood are flush and you are taking off a little of each. That ring on the tail will make it harder to do this and if it was mine I'd file it off.
Entry pipes are not really that difficult just tedious.


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## leoparddog (Apr 13, 2018)

Thanks Darkhorse.
I inlet the middle pipe into that location last night and started back on the entry pipe, but didn't do much more.

On thing I can't emphasize enough is finding good detail photos of similar styles, which is some research I did last night. Finding good photos of entry pipes on Lancaster style rifles with a similar flare on the pipe tail.  It really helps get your head around shaping of the wood and options.  

So while I "knew" the forearm was still pretty beefy and flat, I think I now see how to round and taper this portion and then hopefully blend the wood shapes back to the front of the trigger guard.  All in all, its going to end up a much more svelte and shapely rifle than if I had just kept all that wood as it came from TVM.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 13, 2018)

FWIW I've just inletted the entry pipe whole and straight down. Next time I'll do like I suggested and inlet a plain pipe first and get it level and to where the rr passes through easily. The problem with inletting it whole is getting the pipe straight and level.
As for drawing a line down the center of your stock let me add, draw 3 lines, one for the center and a line for both sides of the tab. Find the center of the tab and make a small mark. By using these reference points you can get it straight. It's easy to end up with that tab a little crooked.
I'll try and get a few photos and post them later.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 14, 2018)

I don't know if these photo's will help much. On most of them the rifles are canted a little, I thought that might help show some perspective but to me it makes the rifles look warped.
The brass rifle was built 20 years ago and is my main deer rifle. It has a C profile barrel whereas the steel mounted rifle has a B profile barrel so it is the slimmer of the two.
On both of them I inlet the entry pipe and tail down until it was at the right depth, this put the tail well below the surface of the wood. When I finished the stock I filed and sanded the wood maintaining the same radius of the tail until they were flush. One of the photos shows the bottom of the brass rifle and how the flat in front of the trigger guard was blended into the radius of the stock.
The stock in this area runs in a straight line to the barrel where a curve is filed to a knife edge contacting the barrel. This continues to just ahead of the entry pipe where I begin to round the stock and blend it into the round or heart shape of the forend which continues to the end of the barrel.
Looking at the bottom of the steel mounted gun this rounding has began and notice where the stock has faded from sight where it contacts the barrel. The side view shows it a little better, the light reflection line shows where the actual rounding peaks as you go down the stock.
Look at your rifle for a while and plan how you plan to proceed. Make pencil marks where you intend to round the stock. Burn a mental picture in your mind of how you want it to look then make it happen. Remember the forend must have a good round shape if not it will look flat and slabsided.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 14, 2018)

Here is a link to a Isacc Haines build, there may be a couple of pictures that will help you visualize how it all fits together.

http://www.hootalrifleshop.org/Isaac Haines Rifle 2.htm


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## leoparddog (Apr 14, 2018)

Thank you Darkhorse. That last photo of yours is really helpful.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 14, 2018)

That rifle is starting to show it's age. A lot of little marks on  the wood from climbing in and out of deerstands. A lot of the browning has worn off. But the rifle is very fast and very accurate.
I think next year I'm going to go ahead and do some work on the stock and metal.


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## TarponStalker (Apr 15, 2018)

You’re doing great Leoparddog. I’m enjoying watching your progress. However, if you and Darkhorse don’t stop this I’ll be forced to order a box of parts and build another gun. It’s been8-10 years since I built my last flintlock. I love them. Id really like to try a FL pistol. 
 Cant wait to see the finished product.


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## leoparddog (Apr 16, 2018)

Almost there.  I think I've worked on this entry thimble about 6 hours or more.  Next time will be faster I'm sure.  Just a hair more to go. The ram rod goes in and out easily now and I think I may need to sink it just a few hundred thou more to get it flush with the current bottom of the handguard.

I drew some lines but they are getting faint and I'll refresh them before going back to shaping the hand guard.  I think this was harder than the buttplate.

Thanks Darkhorse for all the advice and help.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 16, 2018)

Looks a whole lot better with some of that wood removed. Your getting there Leoparddog, you are right, the next one will be easier.


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## leoparddog (Apr 16, 2018)

Next time I'll put this thimble in earlier rather than later. I removed about .15" from the bottom of the forearm to shallow up the RR channel and then that led to forearm shaping before the thimbles went in.  Its obvious now that the forearm is thinner on one side of this thimble than on the other.  I'll get it worked out I'm sure, but another lesson learned.

Get the ramrod channel the way you want it and then get this and the other thimbles inletted so they can serve as a visual balance point for thinning down the sides.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 17, 2018)

Here is a photo of a finished forearm from the muzzle. This is a good example, if you do it just like this your rifle will look fine. If it is flattened instead of being well rounded it will look slabsided.
I would have filed it straight from the ramrod rails to the curve, cutting out that little bit of sorta round material on the bottom sides. Then blend it with the top radius with blocked sandpaper. I think that would make the shape of the forearm more prominent.
JMHO


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## leoparddog (Apr 22, 2018)

All 3 Thimbles are done.  I might massage some more wood off the bottom of the handguard after looking at Darkhorse's photo again.  Turned out acceptable. with a slight gap on the transition from the tail to the pipe on the entry thimble.  I don't know when I'm going to pin them in.  Seems like I inlet the parts and put off the drilling and pinning.

after a little more work around the lock and side plate transitions, I need to go back to the buttstock and finish that and deal with the crack in the toe.  Ugh


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## Darkhorse (Apr 23, 2018)

I do mine a little different than you do. Not to say it's any better, just different, your looking pretty good right now.
I inlet the majority of my parts first doing little shaping to the wood. Then I go back to the butt and starting there finish the butt, wrist, lock panels, and on down with rasps, chisels, whatever it takes. When all the shaping is done I go back to the butt and start sanding.
When I do the cheekpiece area I super glue the sights on the barrel. I concentrate on a spot on the wall, mount the rifle then check to see where my sights are. By rasping and rough sanding the cheekpiece I keep working it until when I mount the rifle the sights are on target. 
Somehow I've managed to get mine real close this way to  the sights being on target at my natural point of aim.


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## leoparddog (Apr 24, 2018)

Last night I drilled and pinned the trigger guard and thimbles.  I now have a functional rifle.  Very excited.  I took it out side today, put some powder in the pan and dropped the hammer on it just to make it spark and light the powder.  Yes I flinched. LOL


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## Darkhorse (Apr 24, 2018)

Now that's a fine looking rifle Leoparddog. You did real well for a first rifle. You did a lot better than most. It's not easy building one of these the first time is it?
Are you planning on doing any molding lines?

I can help you cure that flinch if you want.


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## leoparddog (Apr 24, 2018)

Thank you Darkhorse, I'd love to shoot with you anytime and work out my flinch. 

Molding lines:  Yes I'd like to run one down each side of the forearm and end in a "squiggle".  I think I can cut a guide block out of maple and embed a sharpened screw into it to cut a straight line.  I'd also like a line up the bottom of the buttstock to the trigger guard.  Also think I can make a wood jig that I saw in one of my reference books for that.  I'd like a few grooves in the cheek piece as well.  I think I'll need some practice on scrap before I go carving there. 

I have a patch box and I think it needs one. The maple isn't that fancy on that side and would give it some visual appeal.  I also have a hunter's star that I'd like to put above the cheek piece.  

I'd dearly like some simple incise molding at the rear of the cheek piece but I need a lot of practice before I go past "straight lines".  I'm thinking of finishing it and then maybe spend this summer practicing my carving and doing it on the next rifle.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 25, 2018)

When you get that rifle up and going we'll try and do some shooting. In the meantime you can actually work on this at home now, in the condition the rifle is at present. There is a lot of neat stuff going on with a flintlock. Big hammer with a flint hitting a frizzen, making sparks, setting off the prime, which sets off the main charge. We can't help but look at it, even if we don't know we are doing it. After a few shots it's fixed in our subconcious. And each time we shift  our eyes to look at it our sights move.
So I put together a little something that will cure this if applied right and with patience. I taught martial arts for years and this training is the same basic concept as we used to teach our students. Repetition, concentration, repeated until it becomes muscle memory and instinctive.


How to cure the flintlock flinch
Don’t rush the process. The point is to drill this into your subconscious and create muscle memory that will last, and improve over time.
Replace flint with a whittled down piece of wood. You can dryfire inside your house at this step if you wish. Cock your rifle and aim at a defined point. Try to drive the front sight into that point. Now while concentrating on the front sight pull the trigger. Is the front sight still on your mark or close? Or is it a few inches away? If it has wandered off target this is because of the flinch, and you are trying to watch the hammer and flint strike the frizzen.
Now do it again and concentrate harder on ignoring the hammer fall and more on your front sight. Keep trying to drive that front sight into the target.
After a day or two you will start to notice you’re paying more attention to that front sight and less to that distracting flintlock. What ever you do don’t rush to the next step because you’re not ready. You will just relapse. Continue to practice this step for one to two weeks. 2 weeks are much better as it takes time to teach  your mind and develop muscle memory. Just keep doing this over and over until that front sight remains stuck on the target every time you pull the trigger.
When you are satisfied that you have mastered this step put the real flint back in the lock and plug the touchhole with a toothpick, you can push it on through into the barrel later. Now go outside and pick you out a new target. Prime the pan. We are now introducing a distraction to the process. Cock your rifle, aim hard at the target and pull the trigger. Don’t be surprised if you flinch. Just keep doing it over and over until you ignore the flash and that front sight remains pasted on the target. If you continue to flinch go back to step one and repeat at least one week because you didn’t do it long enough the first time.
Again I want to stress that you not rush the process. Continue a minimum of 7 days and 2 weeks is not too long.
 You should not be flinching at all before moving to the next step which is a rifle loaded with a light charge. If you practiced step one and two long enough then you won’t flinch with a light charge. If you find yourself flinching just go back to step one and start over.
The keys to success are learning to concentrate on that front sight and ignoring the flash in the pan. The longer you practice both steps the greater the success at conquering the flinch. If you keep at it you will begin to notice that the front sight is really pasted on the target, and then the rifle goes off and when the smoke clears that front sight is still pasted on the target.


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## SASS249 (Apr 28, 2018)

Went by today to pick up powder from a group buy.  I got to see the progress on this rifle in person.  I was impressed.  For a first build (or any build) this rifle looks great.  I liked the look and balance of the gun and the trigger pull is just right.  This gun should be a great shooter as well as a great looker. The inlets were good an tight, and the forearm mostly where it should be.  People do not really believe how thin the forearm on these guns needs to be.  Good Job Leoparddog, looking forward to see some shooting results.


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## leoparddog (Apr 28, 2018)

Thanks Bert!  I appreciate you bringing your Issac Haines rifle by and giving me some input.  Much better to get the visual image in my head by holding a good example - much better than photos. If I can shoot it next weekend, I'll post a target.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 28, 2018)

Fine praise from SASS249, most first rifles don't turn out so good. It was obvious to me early on that Leaporddog possess'es some fine skills in woodworking, and metal working also.
But don't get cocky, your not finished yet. I split a forend of a stock when pinning the front pipe. Split in 2 pieces 8 inches long with just a thin web holding the 2 together. It could have been a real disaster but it all worked out, and now the repair is hard to find.
Just got to be careful.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 29, 2018)

Molding lines.....While I have some skills in working and making things with simple hand tools, I have not the slightest bit of artistic talent. The best way for me to ruin a good rifle is to try and decorate it. So it was with some trepidation that I decided to cut simple incised molding lines.
I thought about using a scratch block with a sharpened screw to try and cut a good line but decided against it.
What I did was find some aluminum angle with a long leg that would fit across the top rails and the short leg fell close to the penciled in molding line location. I used wooden shims to raise the metal angle off the rails until the short side fell right on my line. Then I taped angle, shims, and all tight against the stock.
Then using a Flex-Cut 70 degree "V" tool, I held one side against the guide and pushed the tool cutting a thin line right down the pencil mark. I went back over it several times cutting deeper each time. Then I reversed the angle piece and repeated the same process on the opposite side.
Then using a triangular file with the tip cut to the file cuts and angled back towards me, I worked the file in the line to smooth the cut and straighten any wobbly spots.
For the buttstock I made a similar guide from wood to cut the butt molding.
These guides made cutting straight incised lines as simple as possible.
The Flex-cut tools are made with a palm handle to push and they are razor sharp! Really. I've heard that some people just replace a tool when it gets dull and throw away the dull one. The cost is low enough to do this.
The next time I cut moldings I'm going to try using a 60 degree "V" tool and a triangular file.
A 3 sided file is a Equilateral Triangle and the angles are each 60 degrees. By cutting in with a 60 degree V tool and by finishing with a 60 degree file I expect to get better incised lines.
For the squiggly lines I think I'll use the Flex-Cut.

http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/PALM-TOOL-V-70-6mm-FR307/productinfo/993736/

http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/41-10mm-MASTERCARVER-TOOL/productinfo/401413/

I did something similar for the cheekpiece. Both as a guide for cutting and as a guide to keep separate incised lines pointing towards the lock area.


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## leoparddog (Apr 30, 2018)

Well, now I've gone and done it.  I went to carving on the rifle last night.  Lesson #1: Stop while you're ahead.  The straight lines on the forearm went OK actually. It was the curls at the end where I went too deep on one side.  The 60 degree V chisel got tilted just a bit and opened it up a bit too much.  Seems that when the surface starts to tilt, keeping that V perpendicular to the wood is key.  Carving curls on a flat block is much easier than on a curved surface.

So she now has a pretty side and a less pretty side. LOL.  Since I'm now knee deep I will see if I can figure out a modest incised pattern on the buttstock.  

I think it will still look fine once I get it finished with Aqua Fortis and sealed with Tried & True Varnish Oil.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 30, 2018)

I hear you. From what little practice I've done with the curves and squiggly lines I think it is a learned technique. And for me will require more practice.
Could you blend your straight line into the now larger squiggly line with a triangular file? A gradual blend may not catch the eye.


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## leoparddog (Apr 30, 2018)

Nope no hiding it. This is the pretty side.  I'll just have to ugly those deer to death with it.


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## Darkhorse (Apr 30, 2018)

Once the rifle is stained and the finish is applied you might be pleasantly surprised. Those fine lines don't show up nearly as well with darker stock wood.
Keep this is mind. Most of us can only see one side of the rifle at a time.


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## leoparddog (May 13, 2018)

*sure is slow around here...*

I have been working on it though.  Inlays take me a long time.  I've got the star done and the patchbox is well underway.  I've also been doodling on what to carve on the buttstock.  I think this is pretty close to what I'm going to do.  Someone suggested using a wood burner to lay down the initial design.  So I taped a copy of my doodle onto a piece of scrap maple and burned through the paper onto the wood.  Then took the paper off and burned it a bit more.  Not sure if this will be the path I'll take on the gun with the woodburner.  I may just redraw this in pencil.


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## pdsniper (May 16, 2018)

thats going to be a beautiful rifle when you get done with it


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## leoparddog (May 31, 2018)

Still been working on this.  I think I've decided to skip the carving until I can practice it a bunch.  Still working on the patch box though.  I have the finial done and filed almost flush with the wood and now have the lid done and the buttplate recessed for it. Starting on the sideplates.  This should be engraved but I can do that next winter.


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## leoparddog (Jun 5, 2018)

AND we're back!  I got the patch box done during the down cycle.  Not really happy with the inletting job. I practiced inletting this patch box about 3 times and this wasn't the best attempt. The finial turned out ok but the side plates have some gaps around the curves.  The curves give me fits.   I tried to fill the gaps with some sawdust + glue. Meh.  We'll see when I finish it how it turns out.
I'm going to go back and do some filing on the star to get it closer to flush to the wood and then I think I'm calling it done and will start prepping for the aqua fortis, stain and sealing


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## Darkhorse (Jun 5, 2018)

I've seen a lot worse inletting from more experienced people. Not bad for the first time at all. It should look better when the stock is stained and finished.
I wouldn't worry about the carving as it doesn't affect the function of the rifle. I would rather see a rifle with the correct lines and shape, with a few incised lines, than one with poor carving any day.


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## leoparddog (Jun 5, 2018)

I won't post this photo on ALR Forum, I might get banned or cursed to Flintlock purgatory.  I wanted this patch box lid to stay closed and didn't want to pay $30 for a complicated PB release mechanism but I got these small strong magnets that are coned for screw heads and this holds with about 3# of force.  Enough to stay closed until I want it to open.  So I cut a 3/8" diameter piece of rod to match the 3/8" diameter magnet and it went in just slick.  I'm pretty tickled with it.  No one will know but me (and you) unless I open the BP lid and show them.


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## Darkhorse (Jun 8, 2018)

If you are happy with it then that's what counts. I would definitely not post that on the ALR Forum, some of those guys just lie in wait for something not exactly PC.
The main thing I see is a stiff limb could grab it just right and open it, where a latch would hold it secure.
It can happen. I've replaced the stopper on my powder horn several times because a limb yanked it out, broke the leather and launched it out into the wilderness.


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## leoparddog (Jun 8, 2018)

One thing I like about this solution is that it can be temporary.  Nothing stops me from removing it and using the hole for a spring release and putting the catch on the inside of the lid.

I've started browning the barrel and the stock finishing began this afternoon.  I put a coat of Tannin on the stock and will apply the AQF probably before bed. 
As humid as it was today, I got 3 coats of the LMF Browning done between last night and dinner time.  I scaled it back after the 3rd coat with some steel wool where it was getting a bit hairy and have put it back outside for coat #4.  I might have to do a 5th coat to cover a weird spot that was uneven and then scaled back to bare metal very easily.


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## leoparddog (Jun 8, 2018)




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## leoparddog (Jun 9, 2018)

Huzzah!  I got the color where I wanted it. Now just for the final buffing and finish coats.  The barrel also got browned.  I'll be shooting it next weekend!


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## Darkhorse (Jun 9, 2018)

I  like it. What was your process for staining the stock? The last time I stained a maple stock I did not have a good source for AQF, also I was concerned about reports that it sometimes turned green after a few years.
So I used LMF stains and Jim Chambers original oil finish. That finish is some good stuff.


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## leoparddog (Jun 9, 2018)

I gave it a tannin wash + Jim Kibler's Iron Nitrate on that first coat that turned black.  It turned into a very dark brown. Nice but not what I wanted.  I buffed it almost all out and then did a second run of the Iron Nitrate and after blushing with the heat gun, put on a a coat of LMF Maple stain.  This is just how it turned out when I ran some Linseed Oil over it using a very fine Scotchbrite pad and a wipe with on old T-shirt.


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## bloodiarrow68 (Jun 15, 2018)

Its looking good.


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## leoparddog (Jun 25, 2018)

And it is done.  I've shot it some and have it on paper but need to adjust the sights some more.  I'll take it out for some woodsy photos soon so these will have to do.  Thank you to Darkhorse and SASS249 for your advice and everyone for your encouragement.  I'm sure I'll build another one starting in the fall


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## Darkhorse (Jun 26, 2018)

Excellent work. Truly superb for a first rifle.   Are you going to give that lock a tune now?


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## leoparddog (Jun 26, 2018)

Thank you Darkhorse.  Not sure what's involved in lock tuning. I'll go do some searching over on ALR.  So far I have about 30 shots through it with just a couple of misfires that were most likely related to keeping the TH clear.


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## SASS249 (Jun 26, 2018)

What a great first build.


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## Darkhorse (Jun 26, 2018)

Don't expect much from AL on lock tuning. Several reasons, a lot of builders don't really know that much about it. Those that do either are not comfortable giving that info on the net because done wrong it can be dangerous, or they just don't want to give out the secrets.
Mr. LC Rice was sorta my mentor on lock tuning, but it took several sessions of him asking questions and me answering before he would help me.
Give me a few days and I'll sent you a PM.


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## pdsniper (Jun 28, 2018)

Wow what a beautiful Rifle nice job


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## wedgebolt (Jul 16, 2018)

Your rifle really looks good. Thanks for the inspiration. This winter I will be asking you for advice when I start my build.


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## leoparddog (Jul 16, 2018)

Thanks Wedgebolt.  I'll be happy to help if I can.  I tried to post "my lessons learned" on this thread so I can come back and read them all again and not have to learn that lesson twice.  Lots of good resources over on the ALR forum too.  Personally, I found the books I bought to be very helpful as well as suggestions and examples here from SASS and Darkhorse.

I look forward to seeing your build thread this winter.


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## pdsniper (Jul 19, 2018)

If you ever need a nice possible bag to go with that beautiful rifle you built let me know


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## Darkhorse (Jul 19, 2018)

That is a nice bag. I like the bear and animal tracks on the front flap. Just out of curiosity, how much would a bag like that cost?


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## leoparddog (Jul 20, 2018)

Thanks PDSniper.  I just bought a double shoulder of leather from Tandys and thought I'd try to make one.  It won't be nearly as nice as that though.


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