First Build Finished!

[19283]

Well....let's say 98% finished :grin: I still have a few nick-nacks to attend to, but she'll hunt!

Everyone...I am pleased to present my .36 cal squirrel rifle. It started out as a TOW Classic Golden Age kit, but I used a blank instead of a pre-carved stock.

The gun is not a reproduction of any specific rifle, rather a collection of things I liked from various sources. I stained it with Homer Danglers dye, which turned out darker than I wanted, but then again, the color on the bottle is "Dark Brown" :rotf: However, with the hardware and brass on, it actually looks quite nice! I put 6 coats of TOWs finish on, which is a linseed oil finish of sorts, and I'm not so sure I'd use it again, it just takes too long to dry. Many, many thanks those on this forum who helped me along the way :bow: I especially enjoyed Duelist's TOW Buck's County videos on U-Tube! I've learned a lot, but there is still a loooong way to go!

I told the wife to get her camera and take me some pictures of the finished rig in some sort of authentic setting. So, without any further delay, here she is!

And....finally got the clutter of the bench!!
:rotf:

Now...on to the next one!!!!

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Very very nice work!! :applause: :thumbsup: :hatsoff: :bow:
So that's what the top of a bench looks like :shocked2:

 

[Dean2]

For your first gun build and starting from a complete blank, my congratulations on a very good result. You will get better as you do more and learn but for a first gun that worked out real well as to wood metal fit, shape and architecture. Even the carving is pretty good for a first crack. Keep up the good work and keep posting your progress.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Nice looking rifle! :thumbsup:

Mountain Dewd, he isn't playing fair. He has casters on his work bench too. :rotf:

 

[Stringbean]

Very nice work! I'd be proud to own a gun like that. Keep up the great work!
string

 

[gunmaker43]

Man what a great start. One thing----Get a book or DVD and engrave that beautiful patchbox. You said on to next one, whats will it be ????....Way to go....Tom

 

[Ken Cormier]

Nice work. :hatsoff:

 

[Col. Batguano]

Nice work.

When you next disassemble the gun, you might want to think about putting those big `ol square headed lock bolts in your drill press and turning the edges down to make them oval headed. Then, deepen out the slot, and re-brown or gray them to your own tastes.

 

[19283]

Thanks fellers. I'd like to engrave the patch box eventually, but I need to practice more. My attempts look like I just drug a nail across the brass....pathetic.

Colonel, I'll keep that in mind about the screws!

Thanks!!

 

[wattlebuster]

I think ya did big :thumbsup: thats redneck for you did a great first build :hatsoff:

 

[Col. Batguano]

That's a really easy retro fix to do. If you're like me, when you finish a gun you want to say it's finished, and don't want to touch it any more (and that goes particularly for the wood and barrel, or anything that has gotten a "finish coat"). Same thing with retro-engraving the brass. But little things like screws and bolts that come off and on all the time are easy to go back to, and really easy to re-blue or brown.

 

[Spikebuck]

That's a really fine rifle. Very nice work overall. Anyone would be proud to carry that one into the squirrel woods! :hatsoff:

The only "critique" I would make is that the back of the lock panels appear to be more of a carved line than a true transition of lock panel into the wrist.

That first picture of your bench is cleaner than mine ever gets!

 

[jackpine54]

Sweet gun, Can't wait to see pictures of it with the first squirrels! :thumbsup:

 

[MSW]

nice looking rifle!

by the way - too bad about your bench ... if you need some emergency clutter, just to tide you over until you can get some proper clutter back on, i'll be glad to lend you some ... my clutter comes complete with dust, and the little parts which connect to nothing and reproduce readily in captivity have a very short gestation time...

:rotf:

 

[Billnpatti]

Your FIRST build????? :shocked2: Oh my word, there are a lot of people who have built several rifles who would be proud of that beauty. Myself included. Well done! :thumbsup: Well done, indeed!! :hatsoff:

BTW, for future reference, you can usually buff a dark stained rifle with 0000 steel wool and lighten it if you wish. I used a leather dye on one of my rifles and it was darker than I wanted so I started buffing it with 0000 steel wool and lo and behold she lightened right up and I ended up with just the color depth that I wanted.

 

[ZUG]

Nice first rifle -- my first was one ugly thing that shot - that's all I can say about it (built in 1969). I took it apart and built another one with the parts and that one came out better. They were all built from planks of wood I got from the local saw mill a Numeric Arms barrel and a CVA lock, made most of the other parts. I do like your bench it is very nice also :hatsoff: .

 

[19283]

Thanks for the kind words everybody. I will keep all the advice in mind. I do know that my next build will be a reproduction of a large caliber (.54 or above) with a swamped barrel. If anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears!!!

 

[Birddog6]

Not bad for a first rifle...... I would say about 50% of them never get finished, so you did good to get it completed... :thumbsup:

You need to forget about carving & engraving & learn to build a correct rifle.... After 4-5 Good ones, then do some carving
on scraps & learn to apply it correctly, rather than do it wrong on a halfway good build.

Were it me, I would rework those lock panels & get them correct, as you have ALLOT of wood needs to come off there.

Go back & looks at some of Fred's rifles & the lock panels, he does them really nice.

Keith Lisle

 

[Col. Batguano]

Interesting statistic. I've often wondered how many started projects or parts sets actually ever get done. (The number is less than 100% that's for sure.) You never seem to see the partial projects offered for sale though (other than the sand and stain stuff). In the home made cedar strip canoe game, the number is right around 60%.

For what purpose are you contemplating your next build? That ought to help you decide on caliber and barrel and then stock style. You don't want a cheek slapper or a skinny butt in a heavy kicker!

 

[19283]

I intentionally did not make this rifle perfect. That way I have some things to improve on :rotf:

As far as the next gun, I have no specific use for it, I just enjoy building things, and I look forward to the challenge of inletting a swamped barrel. I just want to be sure I have a large caliber weapon on hand, just in case brown bears, buffalos, etc. start making their way towards San Antonio. Got's to defend the homestead.....