Building a Chambers Little Fella's Rifle

[dave_person]

Hi,
I shaped the fore stock to almost final form. More wood will come off but I wanted to cut in the fore stock molding before final shaping because they have a unique shape on early Reading guns that is easier to do before final shaping. Normally, I bring the stock to its final shape before cutting any moldings. On most long rifles, I bring the stock almost to final finish, then scribe a line along the ramrod channel using a marking gauge that was my great grandfathers and probably made in the 1870s. I then use a long checkering saw to cut down that line. I do this freehand and do not need any guide, jig, or straight edge. Then I use a dog-leg flat chisel to remove background on the upper side of the line to create a raised edge for the molding. After that I might just smooth the cuts or cut a cove shape into the molding, or add parallel lines. Whatever, the style requires. Reading guns require a bit more wood removal so I do them before final shaping.

I start with a scribed line, then use the checkering saw to cut it. Next, I use the dog-leg chisel to cut away background but I cut more deeply than on other moldings and I tip the chisel such that the side catches in the line and I am almost cutting the wood perpendicular to the edge of the molding. I freshen the line using the checkering saw again, and then cut the back ground away with the dog-leg chisel as before. I smooth out the back ground with a bottoming file that is tilted like the dog leg so the side edge of the file catches in the line, using it as a guide.

Next I use a scraper knife I created from a #6 chip carving knife from WoodCraft. I catch the tip of the skew edge in the line and scrape the raised edge of the molding. I round that edge over slightly so that the molding line becomes more of a "V" channel and the molding bulges out a little from the edge and then is rounded over (or flattened on some guns) to the ramrod groove.

The step at the rear ramrod pipe also is a bit different. It bulges a little about the step with the bulge usually merging into the simple carving around the rear pipe tang.

I will leave cleaning up and finishing the molding until later after I carve around the rear ramrod pipe. Early Reading rifles are deceivingly simple looking but they have many sophisticated details and you have to look closely to see them. I love these rifles for just that reason. Mitch Yates is my "go to" guy when I need help with building early Reading rifles. He is very knowledgeable and made several excellent Reading inspired guns. There is so much interest in building early Lancaster and Christians Spring guns but much less in these wonderful Reading and Berks County rifles. It is ironic because the gun shop at Christians Spring was a tiny affair and it has much more influence on us today simply because the Moravians kept very good records of its operation. Gun making in Reading was almost as large a trade as it was in Lancaster, yet we know so little about it because of few early records. With Jim Kibler's new colonial rifle kit, which looks very much like the work of Andreas Albrecht, another CS and Lancaster maker, I suspect those two places will have even more representation among re-enactors and Reading will be further neglected. This despite the fact that we know Dan Morgan purchased rifles in Reading during the Rev War.

Next up, the wrist and lock area.

dave

 

[Elnathan]

Reading rifles are certainly under represented these days.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Reading rifles are certainly under represented these days.

Once that rifle is in my hands the style will be well represented here. :grin:

 

[dave_person]

Hi Folks,
Thanks for looking and your comments. The wrist and lock areas usually give new gun makers fits, which is why I demonstrated how I do it at Dixons for several years. What often happens is the beginner starts digging away at the panels with gouges and rat-tailed files long before he should even consider those tools, which are only really useful for one specific area of the panels. Lock panels form naturally as you shape the stock at the breech and wrist and the most important tool is a half-round pattern makers rasp not gouges and round files. Fortunately, this kit and most pre-carved stocks do most of the basic work for you and make it harder to screw it up. The first step is to trace the lock outline on the side plate panel. Siler locks make this easy. Simply remove the pan, turn the plate over, place it on the side plate panel and put nails into the bolt holes. Then trace around it with a pencil.

Next, sketch in the edge of the flat border surrounding the lock outline and the lock plate on the lock side of the stock. At this point, don't try to draw beaver tails on the rear portions of the panels, just bring the tails to a point. On colonial and Rev War period guns those flats are very narrow, less than 1/8". I can always tell a modern creation if it purports to be an "early" long rifle and has wide lock panels.

The next step is to shape the top and bottom of the lock area. The top should blend into the barrel flats. That is not universal on originals but the better made ones usually show it. The barrel tang should sit up on top of angled flats or slightly concave facets that compose the top of the stock.

The bottom is usually rounded but sometimes it is slightly concave near the edges. You must preserve gentle curve or flat wide enough for the trigger guard. I use my pattern maker's rasp, half round coarse file, and French curve scraper to remove the excess wood (no gouges or rat-tailed files allowed). After the top and bottom are shaped down to the molding outline, I work on the front of the panels. This is the only place where I use gouges and round files. I use a very shallow sweep to cut the top of the nose, then a deeper gouge to cut around the nose. The radius of my gouge is not really small because I don't want a tight radius molding. Save those for 19th century guns. I use a rounded file to smooth out the cuts, which only extend around the front of the nose. All of the rest of the panels are shaped without gouges of any sort.

After shaping the nose (front) of the panel, I shape the rear using my pattern maker's rasp, half-round file, and curved scrapers. My Fisher round scrapers are very useful both here and for the top of the molding in the front. I do not want a tight radius for the edge of the panel and I just bring the panels back to either sharp points or rounded tips (ignore beaver tails at this point).

The following photos show the mostly finished lock panels and illustrate the proper contours for the stock.

I will carve the actual moldings later when I carve around the barrel tang but there is much more to be done before then. The last photo is meant to scare Frank. Don't worry buddy, I only had one jigger of scotch before I started cutting with that saw.

dave

 

[MSW]

Thanks for the post ”¦ my first crack at a blank built stock was similar- I was a good boy and didn't use any heavy duty rasps or (gasp) power tools ”¦ instead, just hunks of sandpaper wrapped around round bits of scraps.


obviously, since I don't have nearly your level of skill, by result wasn't as nice as yours, but I avoided compleat disaster.

 

[Rifleman1776]

:shocked2:

I only had one jigger of scotch before I started cutting with that saw.

Be still my heart.

Actually, valuable lessons in this entire thread. Could/should be printed and preserved. Which I intend to do.The amazement factor is off the charts.

 

[Scota4570]

I am surprised at how much needed to be done. I was under the impression that Chambers kits were close to Kibler with regards how much was already done. This one appears to me similar to ordinary precarves.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
It is not even close to the precision of Kibler's kits. However, that is a blessing in one respect because you have room to really modify the gun architecture, whereas you have no option with Jim' K's kits.

dave

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Going back to the lock area, I wanted to highlight how I deal with the clearance for the flint cock. Although you see it on some originals, I hate filing a notch in the lock molding to clear the flintcock. IMO no matter how you do it, it is a blemish. I avoid it by tapering the lock panel inward toward the pan and keeping the flat very thin behind the pan fence. Also, if you blend the top of the stock at the breech with the barrel flats, that can eliminate the need for a notch.

I added a wooden patch box. I have some highly figured maple that will grace Frank's stock very nicely. I make the lid by band sawing out the basic outline, then marking lines for the outer edges of the dove tails on the bottom of the lid. The edges of the dovetails and the lid usually taper slightly toward the lock on most early rifles. I then mark the vertical depth of the dovetails on the sides of the lid and horizontal depth of the bottom (widest part) of the dovetails on the bottom of the lid. Using a flat chisel I simply cut in along my horizontal line and down along my bottom line, which removes the wood forming the shoulders of the lid. I square the shoulder up with my bottoming file and then cut the dove tails. To do that, I simply cut vertically down with a flat chisel along my lines on the sides of the lid and at about a 60 degree angle along the bottom lines. Then I clear the chips, do it again if necessary, and clean up the dovetails with a triangular file. Then I cut and file a shoulder on the front of the dovetails for the tip of the lid to ride over the stock. It takes me about 30 minutes to do the job.
Next, I make sure the area on the stock over which the lid will slide is flat from the butt plate to the end of the lid. I remove the butt plate and position the lid on the stock and trace the outer edges of the dovetails with a pencil. Next I scribe pencil lines inside and parallel to the lines for the outside edges of the dovetails. I scribe those inner lines with a knife and straight edge and the end of the dovetailed portion of the lid. I back cut those scribed lines. Using a shallow sweep, I cut away in the middle of the mortice and then cut the edges deeper until I have a flat bottomed mortice ready for dovetails.

With a flat chisel, I cut down at a 60 degree angle just below the top edge of the mortice sides and then straight in from the bottom of the mortice. That cuts out a triangular chip of wood forming the dovetail. I clean out those chips and clean up the dovetails with a triangular file.

Using the file and scraping the dovetails with my flat chisels, I fit the lid until it slides nicely in place. Then I trace the butt plate profile on the end of the lid and cut it off. Finally, I remove the lid, install the butt plate and file the dove tailed mortice until it is flush with the wood dovetails. Then using a small block plane and files, I roughly shape the top of the lid.

Some folks use jigs and special planes for all this. I do it mostly free hand and it takes me about 2 hours to make a lid and install it to this point. The final photos show the fit of the lid and I wet it so Frank can see the figure. I also include a longer view of the butt stock. Note that I oriented the figure in the lid to match the lighter figure in the stock so it would not be at an odd angle.

Well, I will have to leave this for a few days. I have to work on another gun and I have some emergency repairs to do for some local muzzleloader shooters.

dave

 

[ZUG]

Very nice description of the build and great pictures :bow: :wink: . I like the way you do the wood patch box and how much control you have with the hand tools - power tools scare me when doing tight tolerance work :shocked2: .

 

[Rifleman1776]

Again, the attention to detail has me speechless. I really like the way the cock is cleared without that notch usually seen on flint rifles. I agree with Dave, those notches are blemishes but are usually seen, even on high grade rifles. Dave used the word "simply" several times to describe his process. "simply"? Gimmee a break, Dave. If I tried those "simple" techniques I would have, blood, splinters and a previously nice piece of wood that has become kindling worthy.

 

[Artificer]

Hi Dave,

Sorry I missed this thread earlier as I'm REALLY enjoying it !! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

"The other secret is the ball pen hammer. When you have the butt plate fitted pretty close, fit the screws and then beat the snot out of the edges of the plate to close any tiny gaps."

I laughed out loud when I read that part. The old joke about "If it doesn't work or fit, then get a bigger hammer ”¦" came to mind. This is one of the few, if only times it is correct on guns, though. :haha:

Gus

 

[dave_person]

Hi,

It has been a while since I posted. I've just been too busy working and also buttoning up for winter to take and post photos. The gun is almost ready for stain. I just need to cut details into the carving. All the hardware is installed and adjusted. I want to post these photos because of a recent thread on the finish of original guns. Rifleman1776 told me he likes the color of the stocks to be lighter rather than dark so I dyed his entire gun bright orange.

Frank, you still with us? Frank? Frank?? Just kidding but it is orange. Actually, as part of my whiskering process, I stain the stock with a light color aniline dye. Then as I sand and scrape the final finish, the dye shows me where I still need to scrape and where there are still scratches. This is one of those procedures that I use that makes it quick and easy to do crisp, clean work without much extra effort. One of my favorite scraping tools is an old 3-edged skew chip carving knife that I inherited from my Dad. All 3 edges are razor sharp so you have to be careful using it but it scrapes really well around details and in corners.

The cheek piece carving is right from several early Reading rifles and after whiskering, I will cut in the details and the incised carving that goes with it.

I also wanted to show how I cut the decorative molding lines along the bottoms of butt stocks. On this gun it is just a simple incised line. Some folks describe using edge markers and other layout tools. I simply hold a pencil and then use my middle finger as a guide to draw a straight line down the stock allowing the molding to narrow gradually as it nears the triggers.

Then I cut it in freehand with checkering tools.

After one side is done, I measure the width of the molding at various locations and mark the other side with those measurements. Then I repeat the drawing process on the other side with my line going through all of the marks making the lines on either side pretty even. Then cut again with checkering tools. It takes me about 20 minutes to draw and cut each line. These photos are a little over a week old and I will post current photos soon.

dave

 

[Rifleman1776]

" I dyed his entire gun bright orange."

Where are the smelling salts?

 

[dave_person]

" I dyed his entire gun bright orange."

Where are the smelling salts?

Well Frank, you know what they say about making sausage.

dave

 

[Rifleman1776]

Well Frank, you know what they say about making sausage.

dave

Dave
Actually, again, I am awed and overwhelmed with the exacting techniques and precision you put into the various of elements of building a (my) rifle.
Cheers, Frank

 

[dave_person]

Hi Folks and Frank,
Thanks Frank and I am happy to be building this gun for you. The staining during whiskering serves several purposes, which I will share. First, it wets and whiskers the wood. Second, it begins the process of building a deep subtle undertone of color in the softer more absorbent wood that will enhance the ferric nitrate (aqua fortis) stain that I will apply later. Because of your desire for a lighter color, I had a choice between yellow and orange. Because deer hunting season was about to open in Vermont, I thought bright orange would be nice. Third, I stab in the edges of the carving such that shallow incisions border all of the carving. These fill with stain, wood dust, and eventually finish, creating a darker line that accentuates the low relief carving. With respect to the dyes, if I am working with sugar maple, I tend to use orange, yellow, or scarlet. If working on walnut and cherry, I tend to use black, dark scarlet, or dark brown. There really is a method to my madness. One other point I want to make. None of this takes more time. It saves time and effort and produces better work.

dave

 

[Artificer]

FWIW,

I know from studying 18th century furniture finishes, that orange dye was used quite often as a highlight or way to get some colour in the wood.

Gosh, this is fun to keep up with this thread!

Gus

 

[dave_person]

Hi,

I got more carving done on the butt stock and thought I would post photos. I still have to do the final details and scraping before stain but it is mostly done. I wanted the fish inlay to be simple, rustic, and effective. I think I succeeded. Tomorrow, I finish the carving and hopefully all the finishing required before stain.

dave

 

[Cowboy]

Absolutely magnificent!

I’m speechless for a change.

I can imagine that it must be like a thousand Christmas’s rolled into one for Rifleman!

Love your detailed work and explanations Dave.

Respectfully, Cowboy