Happiness is Three Kiblers in process!

[PathfinderNC]

I have three Kibler LR's in various stages of life;
One is finished and awaiting the range test, which will be on Sunday! It's a '54 with a beautiful Cherry stock and sliding wood patch box. I have posted pictures of it earlier.
The next is it's brother, another .54 which has also has a Cherry stock but with a brass patch box. It's coming along nicely with the butt area about done (pic below).
The third Kibler arrived today; a beautiful Curly Maple .36 cal. Southern Mountain Rifle kit. I have always wanted to have a .36 and may be tempted to keep this one!
I will be building a couple of commission rifles as well, so it looks like my Mountain Dulcimer building will be having a little rest for a while.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

More fun than a man should be allowed to have...

 

[PathfinderNC]

More fun than a man should be allowed to have...

No doubt! But living large here in NC

 

[GANGGREEN]

I'm curious about your star inlay above the cheekpiece. Did you curve that before inletting or was it thick enough to inlet it flat and file a bit of curve to it? Just always curious how guys do some of this stuff. Looks great, by the way.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I'm curious about your star inlay above the cheekpiece. Did you curve that before inletting or was it thick enough to inlet it flat and file a bit of curve to it? Just always curious how guys do some of this stuff. Looks great, by the way.

I curved it before I’m laying it. It needs to lay flat in order to scribe it in.

 

[Gtrubicon]

I want to sign up to be your apprentice!

 

[Major Tim]

Hard for me to give you a like when I'm waiting on mine to ship!

 

[ord sgt]

You are working on three, I'm having trouble working on one. My patience wears thin after a few minutes, I have to walk away before I make any small mistake bigger. I don't have a Kibler kit rifle. My Hawken from TOTW is more labor intensive.

 

[PathfinderNC]

You are working on three, I'm having trouble working on one. My patience wears thin after a few minutes, I have to walk away before I make any small mistake bigger. I don't have a Kibler kit rifle. My Hawken from TOTW is more labor intensive.

These are pretty easy to a point. And I have done Pecatonicas before, which are certainly more work. But you are right to walk away from the thing when getting frustrated. I dont have the patience I need a lot of the time.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Hard for me to give you a like when I'm waiting on mine to ship!

It will get there

 

[Flintandsteel]

Pathfinder,
you are doing a pretty nice job finishing these Kibler kits....... but now its time to move on to better things.
1. Design and build your own.
2. do a little research, and discover the appropriate hardware and matchboxes for the era and style you're building.
your star is ok, but that box just doesn't belong on that rifle.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Pathfinder,
you are doing a pretty nice job finishing these Kibler kits....... but now its time to move on to better things.
1. Design and build your own.
2. do a little research, and discover the appropriate hardware and matchboxes for the era and style you're building.
your star is ok, but that box just doesn't belong on that rifle.

I wish I had the time and set-up to build a rifle from scratch, but I don't. I am a luthier and invested what I can for the tools needed for that work. Not that I wouldn't love to do a build from a plank, I would, but I realize my limitations.
I have recently been building these Kibler kits because I really enjoy it, and some folks like my work enough to purchase them. I love that! Yup, I have gotten grief before about my selection of a 'wrong' patchbox but I chose it because I liked it (and so did the buyer). I enjoy using my imagination and artistic license with these guns, and if someone is happy with them I am happy. If some are not, well that's fine to

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I have three Kibler LR's in various stages of life;
One is finished and awaiting the range test, which will be on Sunday! It's a '54 with a beautiful Cherry stock and sliding wood patch box. I have posted pictures of it earlier.
The next is it's brother, another .54 which has also has a Cherry stock but with a brass patch box. It's coming along nicely with the butt area about done (pic below).
The third Kibler arrived today; a beautiful Curly Maple .36 cal. Southern Mountain Rifle kit. I have always wanted to have a .36 and may be tempted to keep this one!
I will be building a couple of commission rifles as well, so it looks like my Mountain Dulcimer building will be having a little rest for a while.

No doubt Bob they will come out just fine. I have an old .36 mould but dont own any 36ers....My concern is staying within the calibers for big game regs.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I wish I had the time and set-up to build a rifle from scratch, but I don't. I am a luthier and invested what I can for the tools needed for that work. Not that I wouldn't love to do a build from a plank, I would, but I realize my limitations.
I have recently been building these Kibler kits because I really enjoy it, and some folks like my work enough to purchase them. I love that! Yup, I have gotten grief before about my selection of a 'wrong' patchbox but I chose it because I liked it (and so did the buyer). I enjoy using my imagination and artistic license with these guns, and if someone is happy with them I am happy. If some are not, well that's fine to
[/Q
Its a matter of one telling you what they want. Hey Bob, this is what I want and the vision for it. Dont sweat it you do good work. Me next up a N.C. poor boy in steel furniture with the grease hole in the stock. Plain and simple.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

These are pretty easy to a point. And I have done Pecatonicas before, which are certainly more work. But you are right to walk away from the thing when getting frustrated. I dont have the patience I need a lot of the time.

People dont have the patience that you need sometimes....

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Pathfinder,
you are doing a pretty nice job finishing these Kibler kits....... but now its time to move on to better things.
1. Design and build your own.
2. do a little research, and discover the appropriate hardware and matchboxes for the era and style you're building.
your star is ok, but that box just doesn't belong on that rifle.

I understand Bob. I have cobbled together many things. With minimal tool investment. Mostly intuition and time spent. They have turned out to be good shooters. The great thing with kiblers is that they keep costs down. Especially those with limited means. All in all if it shoots good and you can keep them where they are supposed to be that whats counts.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

You are working on three, I'm having trouble working on one. My patience wears thin after a few minutes, I have to walk away before I make any small mistake bigger. I don't have a Kibler kit rifle. My Hawken from TOTW is more labor intensive.

Walk away re-evaluate the next day with a fresh perspective...

 

[Scoper05]

You are working on three, I'm having trouble working on one. My patience wears thin after a few minutes, I have to walk away before I make any small mistake bigger. I don't have a Kibler kit rifle. My Hawken from TOTW is more labor intensive.

I think that's your biggest problem. You don't have a kibler kit. Kibler kits are the most Builder friendly kits you'll ever buy.

 

[Jim Wag]

Pathfinder,
you are doing a pretty nice job finishing these Kibler kits....... but now its time to move on to better things.
1. Design and build your own.
2. do a little research, and discover the appropriate hardware and matchboxes for the era and style you're building.
your star is ok, but that box just doesn't belong on that rifle.

Well
There you go

Jim in La Luz

 

[ord sgt]

I think that's your biggest problem. You don't have a kibler kit. Kibler kits are the most Builder friendly kits you'll ever buy.

Kibler does not have the style rifle that I am currently building. I am doing a loose copy of the Hawken, not worrying about being exact. I took pictures of an original Hawken, purported to have been owned by "Liver Eatin' Johnson", which is being safely stored in the Museum of the West, Cody, Wyoming. MotW is a truly amazing place. The amount of firearms is awesome.