The title of your post makes it sound like you have the main thing needed in a build, that is the "I want to". You can do it with that attitude.
I want to build a fowler
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S.Kenton
58 Cal.
That’s true! Parts have went sky high!
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SO true !! I try to get folks to buy one part at a time , over an amount of time .....lock one month , barrel one month , T.G. and buttplate another ...spread it out ....its so expensive !
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It cut that slab of walnut very easily . My buddy gave me that saw and made me a frame saw . Those blades are sharp ! I couldn't believe how well they were cutting ! Went very fast ! I was amazed !
I have only built 3 MLs from pre-inlet stocks. That said, inletting the barrel and drilling for ramrod would seem challenging. Especially if the barrel is swamped.
Drilling the ramrod hole is not hard at all. Swamped barrel is no harder to inlet than a straight one. All you need to do is take your time and pay attention to what you are doing.
Bill, I agree, but it’s kind of like saying that Stairway to Heaven is not a hard song to play on guitar. It’s not, if you’re a guitarist, own a guitar, know how to tune it, know how to play, and have heard the song. For the person with no guitar and no training, it’s not going to go well on the first try. Here, we have folks with zero books, no tools, unknown aptitude and skills, asking how to do stuff. Certainly video series like yours help a great deal, but I’m biased toward books because there’s how I learned.
Mgbruch
40 Cal
Budget aside. If you use anything other than a well tuned lock, your ignition will be unreliable, and your lock time slow. If your barrel is 40" or longer (which it should be for a proper fowler) and is NOT swamped, your gun will be muzzle heavy... and will not carry, hold, or point well.
All the guns I see, that are made with a pre-carve, have way to much wood in the web between the barrel and ramrod hole. Using a pre-carve will not allow the forearm of your gun to be as slender as it should be.
Good parts, good tools, good planning, and good execution, result in a good gun. Anything less won't be worth the time and effort put into it. having said that, It can be a good learning experience. And if you want to, you can always do it over.
All the guns I see, that are made with a pre-carve, have way to much wood in the web between the barrel and ramrod hole. Using a pre-carve will not allow the forearm of your gun to be as slender as it should be.
Good parts, good tools, good planning, and good execution, result in a good gun. Anything less won't be worth the time and effort put into it. having said that, It can be a good learning experience. And if you want to, you can always do it over.
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5.5 pound N.W. trade gun ...40" barrel . You can hold it out and shoot it one handed with no effort ... Most modern barrels are WAY too heavy ! Esp. Colerain barrels , and the flats way too long . A custom barrel , like from Ken Netting can make all the difference ... Original fowlers and trade guns were nice and light ...
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I pretty much have what was said in post #10 and it was my very first build from a plank .chisels rasps a vice and a mallet along with some inlet black and a few homemade tools and lots of long distance help from Rob M.And a few small boo boos and one friend had a band saw another had a drill press and I’ve got a 26” barreled smoothbore that shoots as good as a 36 “barrel and I made it .It weighs around 5 lbs great in the bush and I’ve learned more about flintlocks and smoothbores by building this little gun and shooting than any book could have.My 58 cal smoothbore I call slim ,it likes smaller shot and .562 rbs thins cards and even hornets nest and is fun to shoot and easy to clean .
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And did one " Helluva !" Good job !!
^^^THIS^^^
Watch the YouTube videos called Golden Mean something or other. He uses ALL hand tools and starts from a blank!
He also has a FB account.
naterflint
32 Cal
I definitely can’t do all hand tools at the moment cause I got school. But I’ll probably watch it
how interesting where do you get parts from?
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Some parts I make , some I buy ...the stock wood I get from local folks ... If you want a good building manual , PM me your email and I'll send you a copy of the great book on building a N.W. trade gun . Great book and patterns too . Never skimp on the lock though !
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