You got it ,into the edge so it doesn’t split is exactly what i wanted to know.I knew one way or the other but wasn‘t sure which one would cause it to split.And as of today I know have a Hershel House depth
Awesome !!! If the nail ever gets so loose that it slips or falls out , it HAS to have tension for marking depths , then take the nail out and peen it all over then try it in block again .. Keep it straight but peening it all over helps a bunch if it ever gets loose . Hershel and John showed me this great little tool at one of their classes in S. Ohio . The class was on break and I was looking around their work benches checking out their rifles . Nice and ofly helpful fellasYou got it ,into the edge so it doesn’t split is exactly what i wanted to know.I knew one way or the other but wasn‘t sure which one would cause it to split.And as of today I know have a Hershel House depth
finder /marker for the barrel and ram rod channel.
Thats about the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me bud .....thank you . I really look up to Hershel . I hope someone gets some help from my ramblings ...
Mike you hit the nail on head .
Most the time , being trade guns , the customer will just say " build me a NW trade gun , 42" barrel and 13.5" pull , walnut stock ..." and thats about it since trade guns were all built to certain pattern but .... At times a customer may want a deviation from the norm and request , much like this Carolina gun , iron mounting where the original was all brass mountings or something like that ....not a problem . Or an early , pre 1780 style N.W gun compared to a late Mountain man period N.W. gun .... I dont keep maple on and have no local source for it so I only offer walnut and cherry for stock wood . I like to stay as true to the originals as possible but a little deviation is not a problem . I once had a guy wanting a trade gun , in curly maple with a rifled barrel ...I sent him a phone number for a custom builder I know , LOL . Dont get me wrong , To each their own but I dont really want to build anything but authentic trade guns nowadays . Ive seen some really beautiful curly maple Fusil de chasse before but I'm not into building that . A hand made , scratch build trade gun made as authentic as possible , even the log was drug out of the woods by a horse ! , and I'm building like I want to .
Thanks for the reply. Makes sense. I was just wondering if you make the side plate, or the engraving and such how the mood suits you or if people ask for a specific pattern. Your guns are amazing and considering it’s all by hand with basic hand tools blows my mind.My only attitude is ..." I hope I dont screw this gun up and I hope he likes it !! ".
Why thank you , thats very kind of ya. I'm no star builder just try to build an authentic and good reliable gun . Yeah , I make the side plate , on Carolina Guns , thumb plate , trigger , ramrod , ramrod pipes , trigger guard , butt plate , stock , do the engraving , etc. etc. and I use pics of the originals as patterns . See if I have that " start and finish pic " I posted on FB couple days ago . Most folks are shocked by how it he guns look like a 2x4 at the beginning , LOL ! and in the he pic there is already 30 hours of work in it but it still looks like a 2x4 ! LOL ....let's see now ....here four good ones but not the one I was lookin fur .....hmmm.m.... Hope dont end up deleting all this by accident .....hmmmm....Here it is !!! This might work !
Man ! That gun is gorgeous !
Rob, what's the longest barrel gun you've built? Do you still make any like that?
