Diving into a plank. My Chisels and files

[poker]

I was wondering about stones and what I would really need. I have the small flex cut stopping block that came with the rouge but I also have some leather to make a larger strop. Could I get by with just a larger strop if I'm using it really frequently? Or should I also get hard very fine whetstone or a diamond stone in the several thousand grit neighborhood?

Diamond stones are nice but its tough getting by with just the super fine grit. I use my coarse stones as often or maybe more than the fine.
To save a few bucks, sandpaper on a glass or granite slab works just as well.

 

[oldwood]

HighU. , If you haven't got one yet, the best $20 bucks you'll spend is for the book, The art of Building the Pa. Ky. Rifle ,by Chuck Dixon.
Chuck goes step by step , using simple tools from beginning to end , and expounds as he goes sharing lifelong experience from selecting the parts , to how to load the finished rifle. Great "how to do it" book. .. The book can be bought from Dixon's Muzzleloader Shop, Kempton , Pa..................oldwood

 

[HighUintas]

HighU. , If you haven't got one yet, the best $20 bucks you'll spend is for the book, The art of Building the Pa. Ky. Rifle ,by Chuck Dixon.
Chuck goes step by step , using simple tools from beginning to end , and expounds as he goes sharing lifelong experience from selecting the parts , to how to load the finished rifle. Great "how to do it" book. .. The book can be bought from Dixon's Muzzleloader Shop, Kempton , Pa..................oldwood

I haven't gotten one yet.... There are just so many recommendations I haven't decided on one yet.

Do they have a working website? It says under construction...

 

[oldwood]

The author , Greg Dixon , has passed away , but the shop is still going. The book can be ordered from popular M/L catalogs , Log Cabin Shop,in n.w. Ohio. , Track , Muzzleloader Builder Supply , etc......... Dixons might be redoing their website since Greg's passing........oldwood

 

[sdilts]

I highly recommend the Shinto rasp shown in Larry (Omaha) post. It's my go to rasp now for working flat surfaces. It takes off wood faster than any rasp I've ever used. You can work it any direction. Woodcraft sells them.

 

[oldwood]

If you can't find any other file/rasp for circular hogging of wood , I've used Stanley Surform tools .too. The palm rasp , pulled towards you , according to the grain is very fast. The narrow rasp is vicious and quick to remove wood. Use the Surform tools first , then drop down to cabinet rasp , then files. Have used these tools for 50 yrs. , 150 + guns , w/good success. ( Note , the shavings with a little candle wax mixed in make easy , powerful fire starter. Put shavings in paper egg carton , add melted wax. Just rip off a hunk , and light. Sit back and put the sand paper to the stock.) ........oldwood

 

[ronaldrothb49]

I have a good size collection of tools most of which I never use. One type of file I use more than any other is my surform files. Have several different ones. Just so many things you can do with them from quickly hogging of excess wood to making nice smooth flat surfaces.

 

[45man]

Now you are talking, but what about the back sight? No more difficult than the front, just more labor!
Hack saw, files, and Dremel for dish out at slot.
Larry

View attachment 116085View attachment 116086

A man after my own heart, very good work. Seems as if many today are afraid of a hacksaw.

 

[oldwood]

45man..............I have painful old shoulders. My wife got me one of those hand held portable battery hack saws. Totally love this tool. It's so easy , I actually look forward to using it. I might even try some under lug mortises , on the under side of the oct. rifle barrel , next on my list . ........oldwood

 

[Col. Batguano]

On the cheaper end, some leather glued to a board (rough side out) will work great as a sharpening strop. Just rub some polishing rouge in to it. Using a strop regularly keeps you from having to use the stones as much.

 

[HighUintas]

On the cheaper end, some leather glued to a board (rough side out) will work great as a sharpening strop. Just rub some polishing rouge in to it. Using a strop regularly keeps you from having to use the stones as much.

That's what I've been doing on the bolt action stock I've been working on, but it's my first one and I'm not very far in so didn't know if I could just strip frequently and decrease the need for a stone

 

[deerstalkert]

excessive stropping will lead to mor frequent need for stoning. the strop rolls up, rounding the finest edge. all stropping needs to do is remove the wire and polish slightly.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I agree. A thicker piece of leather will let the tool sink in to it deeper, and, in effect, round your fine point. A thinner piece of leather (like 4 pound buckskin) will keep the cutting edge finer.

It's just one of those things you have to play around with. You might look in to some of the power sharpening systems, like diamond hones. Very very handy when it comes to sharpening gravers. Gravers tend to be fussier tools than wood carving tools.

Those are expensive systems though.like $300+, and that's if you get a deal. I personally wouldn't recommend investing in something like that unless you really think you're seriously committed to this gun building thing, and going to build at least 3 guns.

The way I look at this stuff is from an economic perspective;
If the cost of materials + the cost of tools =< the value of the finished product then it makes economic sense to build just one. If the materials + the tools cost is greater than the value of the finished product, then how many iterations of the finished product do I have to build to break even (and amortize the cost of the tools)? That calculation determines how serious of a commitment I am thinking about.

If the number (and time to create them) is greater than the number of years I likely have left on Earth then I look at it as poetic justice for my kids to have to deal with, for shortening my lifespan in the first place! ----And just do it anyway!

Just like Grandpa Simpson

 

[deerstalkert]

GRAVERS? please don't tempt me in my old age. one of the things i would like to do before crossing over.

 

[HighUintas]

Haha that is also on my list if things to learn. Not on my first one though! I did think about getting a single graver to practice on some scrap metal though

 

[HighUintas]

My barrel and breech plug should be here in the next week.

After reading a couple (the only threads I could find) on fitting a breech plug, I'm wondering if I have the tools to fit it.

My brwech plug is coming from TOTW and barrel from elsewhere, so didn't have the option of having them fit it, but I wanted to do it myself anyway.

I have a mill file and a coarser bastard cut file. I thought that all I had to do was file the breech plug face and breech of barrel until I get full contact on the breech plug and it's timed with the flats.

I'm now wondering if there is usually an unthreaded portion of the plug and inside the barrel that would be located nearest the breech plug face. Is this true and would this already be on my totw breech plug? It didn't look like it had one in the pictures. It is their standard long tang flint style plug.

 

[HighUintas]

I think I found my answer in the link below. Easy peasy I don't know what the nonsense was I was reading in the other thread....

Workshop Fitting Breechplug

 

[jtkerk]

GRAVERS? please don't tempt me in my old age. one of the things i would like to do before crossing over.

Amen to that been thinking that as well

 

[oldwood]

Guys........Don't forget to get one of those funky little chasing hammers. Only one needed. Trying to chase a graver with a ball peen is just hard to do.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I spent my entire career using a bandsaw, a drill press, a 1/4 straight chisel and a #49 rasp. That's about all you really need.