Build Time

[Bushfire]

I'm an idiot who never knows where and when to stop, fortunately for the time being I don't have the funds to buy anything for some time. It's really more a matter of wanting the challenge of making one myself that I'm after more than the rifle itself.
I recently ordered a french made hunting laguiole pocket knife in mammoth ivory which hit my hip pocket fairly hard.

Anyhow, I'm thinking in the next 12 months if I can save up the money I'd order one. Seeing as I don't have a use for anything below a 50, and have multiple 54's and multiple smoothbores a rifled .62 would be the logical step. This lands me at a Chambers Mark Silver in .62.

For the most part I can shape things with wood to some degree but I've never tried making a gun before. How many hours would one expect it to take a first timer with a chambers kit?

 

[TDM]

Kind of a loaded question as everyone works at different speeds. I’d probably spend 6 months on that build working on it 14-18 hours a week. Probably some that would knock it out in a month, maybe less. Depends on skill set, how fast you can move, and attention to detail. But I’d plan for 100 hours.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

The first thing I'd suggest is to forget all about how long it takes unless you're making a business out of it. I've built quite a few over the years and I have no idea how much time I took on any of them, even though I tried. To me it's an enjoyable pastime and if I concentrate on getting it right then time doesn't matter.

 

[Bushfire]

Kind of a loaded question as everyone works at different speeds. I’d probably spend 6 months on that build working on it 14-18 hours a week. Probably some that would knock it out in a month, maybe less. Depends on skill set, how fast you can move, and attention to detail. But I’d plan for 100 hours.

As I was typing it I knew someone would say that, and I know you're right. 100 hours is roughly where I was thinking it would be. I know though that I work slow when I'm trying to get some things Mickey Mouse. I'm sure I could add 50% on to that!

 

[TDM]

As I was typing it I knew someone would say that, and I know you're right. 100 hours is roughly where I was thinking it would be. I know though that I work slow when I'm trying to get some things Mickey Mouse. I'm sure I could add 50% on to that!

Like @The Crisco Kid said, best to just take it a step at a time and enjoy the process. That’s what I do.

 

[Flintandsteel]

You will have a minimum of 150 hrs on a Chambers build. This is NOT to discourage you, but to give some perspective. These are great kits, and will make a fine gun, if you do your part.

 

[Valkyrie]

So far I can say with a good amount of certainty that it takes forever.

 

[tgfrench]

Really you can bang it out pretty quickly. Then the first time you get around a kit someone who spent some time on, you slink away thinking about what you should have done. But unless you have butchered the inletting. You can always add your own touches later.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I did 4-5 hours a week and it took me 5 months.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

The first thing I'd suggest is to forget all about how long it takes unless you're making a business out of it. I've built quite a few over the years and I have no idea how much time I took on any of them, even though I tried. To me it's an enjoyable pastime and if I concentrate on getting it right then time doesn't matter.

I could not have said your reply any better!
Larry

 

[rafterob]

3-6 months. This is something you do not want to hurry.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I can put together a chambers kit in the white in 11-12 hours. Finished without decoration probably 30-35 hours. But , I have made nearly 400 guns so I don't waste much time.
I recommend the Chambers Mark Silver kit. Makes into a fine rifle.

 

[Flintandsteel]

I guess I work slower than others. I’ve built way over 100 guns from a plank, and a well finished, carved gun takes me well over 150 hrs.
RCA 26.

 

[Sean E Bug]

building from a plank takes me about 5 months. a chambers kit will be a bit faster than that. I would guess at least 100 hours but probably more.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I built my first gun from a plank with a precut barrel channel and ramrod hole, it took me two years of off and on work, screwing things up and taking breaks so I could figure out how to correct my errors. My next was from the same start as the first one, I spent year on it mainly because I over inletted the fowler butt plate to have the wood a mirror image of the inside of the butt plate, this took me more than a month. My next gun was from a pre-carve without the lock inlet and took me 6 months. I found that my attention span was about 2-3 hours, when I lost focus, I found it was better to quit and come back another day, because of this my flaws on gun #3 were few and far between. My latest gun was from a pre-carve so flawed (I should have trashed it) that fixing the flaws took twice as much time as building from a plank, this build took me a year, with more time pulling my hair out and cussing than building.

I think I could do a plank build in 6 months now working only 10-12 hours a week to accommodate my lapses of attention span.

 

[TDM]

I built my first gun from a plank with a precut barrel channel and ramrod hole, it took me two years of off and on work, screwing things up and taking breaks so I could figure out how to correct my errors. My next was from the same start as the first one, I spent year on it mainly because I over inletted the fowler butt plate to have the wood a mirror image of the inside of the butt plate, this took me more than a month. My next gun was from a pre-carve without the lock inlet and took me 6 months. I found that my attention span was about 2-3 hours, when I lost focus, I found it was better to quit and come back another day, because of this my flaws on gun #3 were few and far between. My latest gun was from a pre-carve so flawed (I should have trashed it) that fixing the flaws took twice as much time as building from a plank, this build took me a year, with more time pulling my hair out and cussing than building.

I think I could do a plank build in 6 months now working only 10-12 hours a week to accommodate my lapses of attention span.

Glad I’m not the only one with a limited attention span. If I try to go more than 3 hours at a time my work definitely suffers. Have to walk away every now and then, then hit it again.

 

[LongWalker]

I've helped a couple of first-timers through Chambers builds. They both took about 150-160 hours.