Gouges

[WALT53]

So I was wondering what size of gouges you builders us for the barrel channel and the ram rod channel and do you buy your long drills for the ramrod.thanks in advance.

 

[IanH]

This is probably no help, but I use a half round wood router bit and a vertical milling machine for the rammer channel, same principle for roughing the barrel channel and finish with backed sandpaper and inletting compound for perfect final fit. For the rammer hole I face off and then drill and tap a hole in the shank end of a new brad point drill with a lathe, do the same to a 4' piece of steel rod, and join them with a short piece of 10-32 threaded rod from a bolt and liquid threadlocker.

 

[rchas]

For the barrel channel I typically use 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch chisels, no gouges. for the ramrod channel a 3 or 4 millimeter #9 sweep gouge, and some home made scrapers. I made my drill by filing out a tip on a piece of cold rolled rod similar to a spade bit. It's ugly, but it works!

 

[64Springer]

Love me some 6mm radius gouge.

 

[WALT53]

For the barrel channel I typically use 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch chisels, no gouges. for the ramrod channel a 3 or 4 millimeter #9 sweep gouge, and some home made scrapers. I made my drill by filing out a tip on a piece of cold rolled rod similar to a spade bit. It's ugly, but it works!

Got a picture.

 

[Mgbruch]

I use half inch and quarter inch gouges on the barrel; but only to hog wood out of the center. For most of the work I use chisels and scrapers. For the ramrod channel I don't use gouges at all. I begin with a parting chisel and files; then I move on to a scraper I made out of an old screwdriver, and also a 3/8" rasp. The groove takes longer that way, but it allows me to make any necessary corrections and keep it nice and straight as I do down. For both operations I use scrapers a lot. And I use rails for the barrel inlet as well.

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

I use half inch and quarter inch gouges on the barrel; but only to hog wood out of the center. For most of the work I use chisels and scrapers. For the ramrod channel I don't use gouges at all. I begin with a parting chisel and files; then I move on to a scraper I made out of an old screwdriver, and also a 3/8" rasp. The groove takes longer that way, but it allows me to make any necessary corrections and keep it nice and straight as I do down. For both operations I use scrapers a lot. And I use rails for the barrel inlet as well.

Excellent pic's. I also use scrapers more that gouges. Wood grain direction and flaws are not as big and issue as with gouges. Sanding and finishing is much easier also. Semper Fi.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I use none of these. I met Fred Miller back in about 86. I did the first 14 by hand then I had Fred machine inlet a couple hundred. Then I switched to mark weader. Then I switched to David Rase. I have used pecatonica and mark wheyland too.
I would havehad my body give out years before it has if I did 400 of those by hand.

 

[IanH]

You guys know can't build truly HC guns with milling machines, stock duplicators, and metric gouges, don't you?

 

[NorthFork]

You guys know can't build truly HC guns with milling machines, stock duplicators, and metric gouges, don't you?

Let it go. I'd quit stirring the pot.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I use none of these. I met Fred Miller back in about 86. I did the first 14 by hand then I had Fred machine inlet a couple hundred. Then I switched to mark weader. Then I switched to David Rase. I have used pecatonica and mark wheyland too.
I would havehad my body give out years before it has if I did 400 of those by hand.

BUT! It's a great skill to learn. I recommend everybody think about mastering it at some point. It's a very valuable skill.
I used the "rail " method, the side flats were sawed out with a back saw and depth holes drilled for the bottom flat then everything chopped out with a "U" gouge down to the nitty gritty.

 

[rchas]

Got a picture.

Here you go... Sorry it took so long! First two are the drill, third is the scraper

 

[Rob M.]

So I was wondering what size of gouges you builders us for the barrel channel and the ram rod channel and do you buy your long drills for the ramrod.thanks in advance.

You saw my gouges .... I just bought a 3/8 bit and a piece of cold rolled 3/8' rod from the hardware and welded them together for the ramrod frill ....easy peezy

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

I use none of these. I met Fred Miller back in about 86. I did the first 14 by hand then I had Fred machine inlet a couple hundred. Then I switched to mark weader. Then I switched to David Rase. I have used pecatonica and mark wheyland too.
I would havehad my body give out years before it has if I did 400 of those by hand.

You pay for what you get. . I've built way over 200 guns from scratch and from kits. If a customer wants a 'TRULY' one-of-a-kind custom, handmade, scratch build, it will cost them, but that's what they get. A work of art. If they want a personalized gun from a kit, it's obviously less expensive, that's what they get. If they want a cookie cutter gun, they go retail for that, however that's what they get. For me, it's a buyer's choice. Semper Fi.

 

[oldwood]

I discovered custom ordered preshaped , ramrod drilled , and barrel inlet m/l gunstocks , from original exact patterns , or patterns I copied from an original , back in 1975. Not having to do all the time consuming setup , and wood removal from scratch , allowed me to concentrate on learning , and doing the art work , that many original guns display. Around 160 people , liked what I produced well enough , for me to have sent rifles as far west as Arizona. Must have been on the right track somewhere ... The only way this could be done , while holding down a 65 hr. full time job , is with preshapng. My "finished rifle costs" , were minimized as well , and those costs were not out of my pocket , but passed on to the end user. Also , the several thousand bd. ft. of curly maple stock wood , at my disposal , came from what the shaper , had stored dry , and drying , delivered directly from saw mills. I've had to hunt usable stock wood , when I first began making m/l rifles , though fun , was not my idea of doing art work. I should have written a book about this experience , but few folks would have read it. Meeting all the fellow artists over the years , has been worth the effort. Most of those great talents , are RIP. Soon , the "unknown muzzleloader builder" , will join the rest , that time has claimed. ..........oldwood

 

[mikesto44]

Do to the fact I'm cheap and stubborn. I still build my guns from a plank. Still do the barrel channel by hand and rr channel. In the past I had a couple done by a " Pro" taught me enough to not do it again. But then maybe I just had the wrong person do it.
Now I'm thinking more of Kiblers kits and going with the blank canvas idea....Whole lot less elbow grease.... LOL