hawken 58 update

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Well Davy, and Fred and all other interested parties, here are a few more pics of the Big Hawken 58. I finally got it in gear yesterday and today and started working on the Big 58 again. I guess the June shoot took a bit out of me for a bit but I am back now.

The photos are not the best but I have got the first filing done and the metal to wood fit looks really really good. Of courese I spent a hefty sum getting a real nice piece of sugar maple also, this being a rifle that I will keep and hand down to my son one day.

More pics as the work processes and I hope to have some stain on it in the next two weeks.

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rabbit03
 
Looks really right rabbit, Im still hope'n to have that 62 fullstock if health holds out. Fred :hatsoff:
 
Rabbit, before you put the finish on that rifle, you may want to bevel the top of the lock plate bolster in front of the snail. This will allow you to bring the lock paneling to a nicer thickness in that area like you have all around the rest of the lockplate. Here is an example of what I am saying:
OldSadie3.jpg


The other lock panel should look like this pic. It should be beveled all along the top edge forward of the breech of the barrel as it then rolls up to the top side of the wrist.
OldSadie2.jpg


That way both lock panels will look the same and it will look just like Sam would have done it. :)
That's the only thing I see that needs adjustment. The rest of the rifle is looking great.
I hope I have been of some help to you,
Don
 
BTW Rabbit, Don't use the wrist area on these two pics as a good example to follow. The thickness is way to high which I have since reshaped and refinished. But the panels are right. :thumbsup:
A fellow student of the Hawken,
Don :hatsoff:
 
Thanks Cooner for the information I appreciate it. Notice too, the liine of that same lock pannel is not quite right either, I am going to make sure I can get both sides as equal as I can. This has been a joy to put together and everything seems to be going along quite nicely. There is still alot of work to do yet on the metal to get all the filing marks, casting marks ect. out of it. Tweeking here and there to get the wood to looking just the way it should so that it all comes together. I told my good friend John L. HInnant that I wanted to have it look like the wood grew around the metal and that is what my goal will be. I appreciate your comments and advice and stay tuned for more photos soon. I expect to have it ready for stain in a week or two depending on how much time I can devote to it.

rabbit03
 
Very nice inletting. It looks like that barrel's already on the way to a nice finish by itself!
 
Trust Cooner rabbit he's the only guy I know that walks around for months to find the "right branch" on the "right tree" to make his stocks, :rotf: Really you cant go wrong with what he tells ya. Fred :hatsoff:
 
Hey Rabbit, here is a fun way to cheat. Get the lockside the way you want it then make a pencil rubbing of it. Cut that out and use it as a pattern for the other side. Promise not to tell? :)
 
Hey Cooner this is for you, ol FW and all the others folowing the Hawken Big 58 and its progress.

Today I did a bit more on the rifle. Had to enlist the help of ol John L. Hinnant also in the stain dept as well as the finishing dept.

Gave it another couple of coats of stain today and did a little more detail sanding prior to that around some of the harder to get right spots. I am real pleased with the outcome so far and I still have lots to do to finish it. I can at least take it hunting now and it won't get full of powder residue and all the other stuff that was getting on the raw wood. My son wants me to leave the metal in the white (sort of a French grey ) I guess it what he is thinking about. The metal color does contrast well with the wood that is for certain. Not sure just yet how it will end up although I have a slow rust blueing in mind. I have still not discounted a browning though.

I still have to bed a couple of places with some of the Accu-gel that John L. helped me pick up in SA the other day. It is stainable so it should match pretty well the color of the wood making the bedding/filler unoticeable.

rabbit03

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Hey Cooner this is for you, ol FW and all the others folowing the Hawken Big 58 and its progress.
Looking Good rabbit, Cooner sent me some pics of his , so were waiting on you to start the next Hawken Post "Hawken 4 it's back" :rotf: Fred and Gang. :hatsoff:
 
Hey Rabbit ... beauty of a gun no doubt, but ya didn't say ya had to part out and sell off your vehicle ta finish er up! :shocked2:

At least it looks like ya still got some left to buy "powder n lead" with thank goodness! :hatsoff:


Davy
 
I figured you would notice the bumper Davy! :):)

Fortunately I didn't have to part it out much but might have to for the next one. I am already thinking about the next one actually. I think it will be a 58cal and I am pretty sure it is going to be more of an offhand rifle than a Crosstick rifle. I believe the next one will be more like a 1 1/8 tapered with the length being about 33-34 or 35 neighborhood. Will most likely go the A+++ stock again since I sure like the way they finish out and since I will most likely hand it down to my son too. It is hard to shell out the money now for a real nice piece of wood but when you think about it being in the family for a long time and the cost of wood keeps going UP, it almost doesn't make sense not to use a nice figured piece.

Tomorrow I think I am going to put the thimbles on (2) and another few coates of tounge oil. Well more pics as it developes,

rabbit03
 
Hi Don thanks for the photos and the advice too. With all the help yall give it gets easier each time. Thanks to John L, yourself, Fred and everyone who commented and gave advice so far, appreciate it

rabbit03
 
Nice indeed Wabbit! But please tell me you meant "Tung" oil and not "tongue" oil! :shocked2: :hmm:

Could be hard ona mans constitution, not ta mention his taste buds!! :grin:

Davy
 
Actually Davy it is tounge oil I am afraid. It comes from the South Texas endangered Horned Toad. Had to rip about 40 tounges out to get enough (I hope) of the necessary oil. :bull:

Yes it is tung oil and sorry for the scare! You know since the indent of spell check and all that stuff my spelling in general has gone south. So you get what you get sometime! :rotf:

Ol John L. put me on to the Tung oil, actually he threatened me with my life if I used anything else on it. So for me it was an easy decision what with wanting to remain in this world for a bit longer.

I am anxious to get the rest of it done and getting it ready to shoot me a bar!

rabbit03
 
Hi Strider how is going up north? Getting cold yet? :shocked2:

Thanks for the compliment on the inletting. My son wants me to leave the barrel and the parts in the raw but even though it looks good in contrast with the wood I think it would require too much matainance to keep it looking good. I am very partial to the old rust bluing on a rifle and would really like to do that but like I said on the post I am just not sure yet. Thanks,

rabbit03
 
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