First build...Southern Rifle

[S.Kenton]

Well after thinking about it for a while, I've gotten up the gumption to build my first Flintlock, I have a nice curly maple stock blank, Douglas 40 cal. 13/16 barrel ( breeched that yesterday), Chambers Ketland lock, L&R set triggers and so far thats it. I'm doing a simple build, with no nose cap and no entry thimble...but I am thinking about a steel patchbox and simple sideplate. Right now I'm working on inletting the barrel, doing all this by hand so far. Any ideas on how to use power tools ( besides a bandsaw) to help with the finish work? when and IF I get there of course.
As for now, I am working on buying and making tools and seeing which ones work best for the barrel inletting...anyhow wish me luck!!

 

[Col. Batguano]

Brownells has some octagon shaped barrel channel inletting scrapers.

You could set up a router or metal working lathe to do a lot of the initial inletting, and route the groove for the ramrod from the entry thimble forward as a groove, that way you'd only have to drill RR hole for the lower third of the fore stock.

Otherwise, the only power tools that are really helpful are a drill press for most of the holes, a power hand drill for some others, a Foredom or Dremel for hogging out some of the lock internals. I use a random orbital sander for some of the butt and fore stock smoothing, but the final stuff is all done with paper and on a block. The curlier the wood, the more you have to sand, rather than using scrapers, spoke shaves, or even rasps. For sure that means more back cutting too. A buffing wheel works well on flat and curved metal, but it has a tendency to round off sharper edges too.

 

[galamb]

I work from blanks and have almost always used a router to take down the blank.

I inlet my own barrels so I cut the initial (rough) channel for the barrel just to get it down - then get at it with the chisels.

(I do this with a bench router mostly for the stability - one little slip with a hand held router and you have a very nice piece of "firewood")

There is a method to help inlet a barrel with "rails" using hand tools - I recently posted up the process for inletting a swamped barrel, but will work for a straight or taper - if interested you can have a read/look here (barrel inlet)

Once I have the barrel inlet/ramrod channel cut/drilled, with the rest patterned out of course, I use a trim router (just a small router) to take down the forestock, wrist and butt area to within 1/16" of the finished thickness - saves alot of work with rasps/files/scrapers which I use for the shaping.

As to other power tools, a drill press is super handy. I have a floor model but one of those little bench top models sold at the discount places (like Harbor Freight) would be more than adequate (and that's where I got my trim router for 30 bucks - you don't have to spend a fortune if you are only building the occasional rifle but want some "automation")

 

[kaintuck]

Can't imagine a world with out my planes, rasp, and spokeshaves...... :idunno:
But dremel a, drill press, and router can be used....seems everyone here that builds, gets a favorite way of doing the job.
Fords-Chevys ...... :grin:
Drill press is used when I want to do my 90degree holes, a jig is used to drill my barrel lugs etc. dremel used to hog out wood....planes/rasps to do long straight areas, 30" sanding block also used. Files, spokeshaves used in other areas....I am still developing my habits.....and which tools I can used properly!
Live and learn!

 

[54ball]

With the exception of a drill press...
For a first build I recommend you rely heavily on hand tools. Hand tools are more forgiving and that means you have a chance to catch a mistake.

Power tools....Zip and it's all over, especially a router or the worst offender...A Dremel. At ten zillion RPM did I mention they not only cut but can render a delicate high quality rifle stock into kindling at the fraction of a second.

I'm sure you have the usual suspects as far as books, if not get them.

Study originals or least photos and specs of originals.

Most Southern guns, even the plainest have some sort of nose cap, even if it be a simple brass, iron or copper band. A poured pewter cap is very common even on a plain gun. Most original southern rifles without a cap at all show evidence of being cut down.

A rifle with a metal patchbox or grease hole cover without a buttplate of some kind is like wearing a tie with a T shirt. Sure it may have been done but it is an odd combo. Most if not all original rifles I have seen with a "patchbox" have some type of buttplate.

 

[S.Kenton]

Thanks all!.. 54, I'm for sure going to have a steel buttplate...but no nose cap, nor entry thimble. Also, All the hardware will be steel.

 

[54ball]

Trust me...

Research and pour you a pewter nosecap.

 

[kaintuck]

Steel???
Then you will need files....lots of different shapes an sizes, a small vise to hold the parts as you spend hours smoothing them down :surrender: :youcrazy:

And measure every hole x 4 times before putting a drill to it!!!

Marc

 

[Birddog6]

One can use a router with guide for the barrel inlet to rough hog the excess out, then hand inlet the barrel. I suggest ya practice on a 2x4 tho til skills are adequate to chance the maple. That router jumps & your stock could very well be ruined.

As for finish work, I do all of mine by hand. I am building one with a 13/16" Douglas barrel right now. Just about to the sanding stage.

If you want a nose cap, on southern rifles I have seen none, small steel ones, long steel ones & some poured pewter ones. The steel one would be most prevalent I would say. I prefer the long steel ones, but that is just me. Also see one now & then with a steel nosecap that is open on the end, rather than the end capped, like it was mainly there to keep the end of the muzzle wood from splitting.

Good luck with your build.

Keith Lisle

 

[S.Kenton]

I HAVE researched..there are some examples of Southern Rifles with nose caps.. and examples of some without them. My research indicates that there seemed to be a large number of Southern Rifle's that were very plain... for my first build mine will be just that.
Thanks to all who commented! I need to get off my duff and get out and do my Barrel Channel.

 

[Birddog6]

There were probably more plain ones than anything. Basic utility rifles & no frills. Most were left in the barn or tossed when modern rifles came into existence.
If you look in Jerry Nobles southern rifle book set, you will see allot of dif. variations of southern rifles. Jerry probably knows more about southern rifles than anyone to date.

Keith Lisle

 

[S.Kenton]

That pretty much coincides with what I've read and have heard from many others.
Thanks!

 

[MSW]

as regards power tools, I would recommend (with the exception of a good drill press) that you leave them unplugged ... like a cheap floosie in a crowded bar on Saturday night, they can get you into a whole lot more trouble than they can get you out of ...

money for books is well spent.

don't buy 'sets' of files, chisels or rasps- you'll only use a few of them; the stuff you never use make the tools you do use all the more expensive.

good vices. (plural)

good lighting.

free advice, and doubtless well worth the price. Make good smoke!

 

[galamb]

I get that some/many original southern rifles didn't have nose/muzzle caps, toe plates and some didn't even have butt plates.

But some context is in order. Those parts would have to have been made by a blacksmith etc and would have added a fair bit of cost to the rifle.

Now if you were simply leaving the gun in the barn to take care of the occasional "varmint", it was simply a tool and whether it was fancy or plain it wouldn't function any different - and it may not have been any more highly regarded than the axe that split your firewood.

Having said that, butt plates, toe plates and caps serve a practical purpose. Yes, they can be done "fancy" to add decoration, but they add durability to the stock.

Back in 1843 a barrel was valued at 5 times the value (cost) of a finished stock. If you busted up your stock you had it "restocked" - and that was far more common than most of us realize.

Today a finished stock can run 2 to 3 times the cost of a barrel (things have changed) and protecting that investment with a 10 dollar muzzle cap and a 4 dollar toe plate just makes good economic sense.

If you are emulating a specific original that is one thing, if not, for under 20 bucks you can protect 200 to 300 bucks worth of rifle stock. For they don't sell for 50 cents like they did in 1843.

(and note the cost of a "blank" 4 valued at 75 cents - that's about 19 cents for the blank meaning the value added by "shaping" was about 30'ish cents)

 

[S.Kenton]

Thanks for all the replies! I will start putting pics up in a week or so.

 

[19283]

Hi Fellers,

I've been lurking this building forum for a month or so, completely fascinated by the art of making a firearm. The amount of talent here is incredible. For me, as a means of testing the waters without too much of a financial commitment, I've decided I'd endeavor to build a replacement stock for a god awful ugly CVA (beech wood stock) Stalker I have. If I mess up too bad, I'll only be out $30 :grin: The step that bamboozled me the most was inletting the barrel. I have some woodworking experience, and quickly dismissed the router as the primary tool for the job since they like to grab things and throw them if you give'em half a chance. So, in my case, I went with the table saw and a dado blade for the primary channel up to the first flat, and to my surprise it has easier than I thought it would be. It took a few passes, as the dado is only 1/2 wide, so I snuck up on the final width one micron at a time. Then for the bottom flat/ramrod channel (this CVA has the ramrod directly under the barrel, no under rib)I also used the table saw. This left the remaining two flats, and for those I went to the router table with a v-bit. Again, I used light passes to sneak up on the final profile. And again to my delight, it worked like a charm! I just need to get a box cove bit now to round out the bottom of the ramrod channel. But I realize now I got too excited and bandsawed the sides of the forearm a little too early and lost my flat reference edge. Looks like I'll scrape the channel instead :haha: I just thought I'd share my experience, it was not as daunting as I thought it would be. Here's a pic! Sorry that it's sideways (and somewhat distorted).

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I still have plenty of opportunities to screw things up, but I made it past this step at least!

 

[frogwalking]

I have not looked closely at a CVA Stalker, but the longrifles I have seen, handled and made had a thin section of wood between the bottom of the barrel channel and the ramrod channel/hole. I am not sure how you are going to make that work. I bet you can figgure out a way to do it though. Good luck.

 

[54ball]

Oh OK, I see...

It looks like you are building a halfstock and emulating the routed out ramrod channel found on many massed produced guns.

You can do that way but it is not ideal.

Since this has nothing to do with a Southern longrifle, I suggest you start your own thread with a description of just what you are building to reduce the confusion of anyone who wants to advises you.

 

[54ball]

Should have proofread better, sorry about the Anglish.

 

[19283]

My apologies. I thought there were questions on how to inlet barrels. I was just trying to show how I did it. I have no intention of starting a thread.

Thanks