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A lil embarrassed to admit but I'm struggling to inlet a Kibler Colonial kit

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I will certainly put down my chisel and give Mr Kibler a call and get advice from him on the best way to proceed. I just hope my bullheadedness in not asking for advice sooner has not led me to damaging my stock to badly. Thanks to you good folks for the advice.
 
My Colonial kit barrel was pretty tight until I did the draw filing. Once filed it fit in perfectly. No gaps just a perfect fit. And yes, put down the chisel until you talk to Jim.
 
unless you sawed it in half there isn't much that can't be fixed. my first build is a 12 footer. looks good from 12 feet away. i love it like a momma loves an ugly baby.
my second is a 6 footer. there is a whole different skill set to producing a perfect long rifle than what is involved with modern rifles.
 
Another trick is to file the bottom corners of the side flat to make a beveled side. Even sandpaper rounding the sharp corners will sometimes work. Sometimes that makes a tight barrel drop right in. Roughly the same as draw filing the whole flat but easier and invisible. Never leave the barrel out of the wood.
 
Call Jim, keep us posted.I have never held a kibler kit in my hands but, that seems to be off quite a bit. I have seen Videos of many unboxing kibler kits and never seen one like that. But, I know nothing about his kits other than what I read here.
 
I sent a blank to the "P" place to be precarved, I had never done a precarve and thought i would give it a try. I sent my barrel with the blank and instructed them not to cut the lock inlet. They shipped the precarve back to me but without the barrel which had been misplaced, when they found the barrel the promptly sent it to me.

During the time the stock didn't have a barrel in the inlet it developed a 20 degree downward dogleg in the forestock. When I got the barrel back I used the method I mentioned in my earlier post to get everything back in line.

The difference is; as a bow maker I have made thousands of bends to bow staves, bow blanks or almost finished bows, this small correction in my stock was a minor event for me but would be understandably confusing to someone who had never bent wood with heat before.

I had posted my method before and mentioned after I zip tied the barrel to the stock I wrapped a couple of T shirts around the barrel and stock t let things "soak". A poor choice of words on my part as some questioned me about soaking the wood with water and such. What makes sense to the writer can be often confusing to the inexperienced reader.

I should have said" after I zip tie the hot barrel to the stock I wrap them both while hot with a couple of old T shirts to hold the heat and let it soak into the wood more thoroughly".
 
Jim has no control of the humidity or temperatures his stocks are subjected to during shipping.

Minor issue that is easily solved and you have already received good advice above, you will not find a better kit gun anywhere.
This is true. Wood can be evil and even internal stresses can't be seen. Jim does a great job packing them.
 
I got to the point I despise kits, no matter how well executed. Most are made back east, where humidity runs high. Once they come west to 15% or less humidity, there are going to be gaps and warps to deal with.
Consider the live standing trees here can reach a humidity of 11% in the summer!
A fowler I built from a well known maker developed about an inch and a half off cast all on it's own. I'm thankful it warped the right direction. That was not the supplier's fault at all. How could they know?
I'm retired from building now, but my preferred way of doing a stock was to buy the stock plank, and put it up to dry for a couple years before using. The finished gun would be stable. However, building a gun here, and sending it east, I found out I couldn't make the inletting as tight, or you would have lock malfunctions from the wood expanding, and even a possibility of splitting the forestock.
 
After speaking with Jim and him seeing the photo he offered to straighten the stock and fit the barrel free of charge so the kit will be heading back his way shortly for awhile. Jim seems to be a good man who stands behind his products. While it would have been nice to have gotten a kit that fit together perfectly right out of the box like it seems the vast majority of his kits do I understand that these things happen and Jim seems happy to make it more than right on the exceptions. No complaints from me.
 
Farm boy it’s not that hard to correct! Do you really want to go though that hassle sending it back? Take your time and give it a try. We here can talk you though it

anthony
 
I don't know what your time frame for finishing the kit is but I would turn the barrel end for end and put it in the channel. I would start at the lock area and fasten the barrel down firmly.
Hawkeye - He can't turn it end for end - the barrel is swamped.
Kevin
 
As mentioned, we stand behind our product and are happy to get any issues worked out. For those jumping to conclusions, consider the fact that this stock sat for 3-4 months before the barrel being fit by the customer. Also, instead of relishing the opportunity to to take shots at somebody, consider we are all human and can make mistakes. Those who are so quick to judge, often seem to have little show for themselves. Try making thousands of anything without issue.
 
As mentioned, we stand behind our product and are happy to get any issues worked out. For those jumping to conclusions, consider the fact that this stock sat for 3-4 months before the barrel being fit by the customer. Also, instead of relishing the opportunity to to take shots at somebody, consider we are all human and can make mistakes. Those who are so quick to judge, often seem to have little show for themselves. Try making thousands of anything without issue.
Thanks Jim for your Outstanding work and dedication to the art and building of the Long Rifles,I have done only one of your Colonials and waiting for your new kits, that you and your team are working on.
 
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