Most Difficult Part?

[mikee51848]

For you, who have built kit guns, what was the most difficult or taxing part of your build? For me, so far, it was the touch hole drilling and tapping. If that doesn't come out right, it basically becomes a wall decoration.
:m2c:

 

[CrackStock]

Patch box latches are a pain.

I also find that the under rib of a half stock is a lot of trouble.

CS

 

[Birddog6]

For me it is the inletting & fitting of the Acanthus Leaf buttplate on a German Jaeger. Very time consuming for me as of all the lil curly Q's and the way it is shaped. Maybe I am just too picky, but I want it to fit like a glove. So I just keep a working at it every evening til it hits me it is right....
I recently had a guy tell me he could inlet any buttplate in 15 minutes. So can I, but of course it don't fit !! aawww ha ha ha ha !!

:results:

 

[Dave K]

Well next time get some wood that isn't so screwed up! I can see that is your problem. Sheezzzz, get rid of that stuff and get some wood you can work with. Send it to me for proper disposal. Wood like that may have a hazzardous warning attached to it so send it quick!

 

[Leonredbeard]

birddog6,
that is some right proper burl walnut! It will tickle you pink every time you look at it. Just be careful while sitting in the hill waiting for a buck. He might walk right past you while you are admiring that stock!
God bless.
volatpluvia

 

[AeroE]

I agree, that is one awesome piece of wood. Please post photos when the gun is finished.

The inletting looks pretty tight, too.

 

I had trouble with the same butt plate on a curly maple jaeger stock. I have to admit to using a dab of dark stained two part epoxy(acra gard I think) but only in a couple of small places. Now you can't tell unless you look for it. The other two big challenges for me was drilling and tapping the tang bolt and lock plate screws and getting them all in perfect alignment. Final stock shaping and finishing was the most time consuming aspect for me.

 

[musketman]

For you, who have built kit guns, what was the most difficult or taxing part of your build?

Getting the parts out of the box... :crackup:

Actually, it was the tools that gave me the most trouble, I drilled a 1/8 inch diameter hole through my knuckle when the bit went through the material I was drilling... (and holding)

I had no vise at the time...

Missed the bone completely, took out the cartilage though...

 

[scott k]

[quote

Actually, it was the tools that gave me the most trouble, I drilled a 1/8 inch diameter hole through my knuckle when the bit went through the material I was drilling... (and holding)[/quote]
Ouch! That's going to leave a mark! :shocking:
Lehigh..

 

[mikee51848]

Actually, it was the tools that gave me the most trouble, I drilled a 1/8 inch diameter hole through my knuckle when the bit went through the material I was drilling... (and holding)

You know, I wasn't going to admit to it but while I was drilling holes for the ramrod guides, the drill slipped and I ended up putting the dang 1/16 bit into my hand between the thumb and forefinger. Buried to about 1/4 inch... :shocking: :redface:

Had to go to Dr. next day as I couldn't remember my last Tetanus shot. Added that bill to total cost of gun. :crackup:

 

[Slowpoke]

Sanding, oh and did I mention sanding. And lastly, I guess I would say sanding.

SP

 

[MikeChapin]

I have always hated fitting the buttplate. Getting the angle right and keeping it through inletting. Haven't tried anything near as nasty as birddog6's project. I just put a Lancaster buttplate on the new rifle and suprisingly it went on rather easily. That's something that doesn't happen very often.

This is the first rifle I have built in 20 years and it shows. So far I have managed to screw up the trigger inlet, lock bolt and barrel channel. The barrel channel I did 20 years ago so I can't blame the ineptness on this spate of things.

I put the lock screw in the wrong spot on this one. I just thought, well I'll just patch or hide the hole and weld up the hole in the plate. I then managed to break a tap in the new hole. I just said to heck with it and ordered a new lock plate.

I still have a few more places to screw up. I still have the ramrod thimble, trigger guard and nose cap to do. The nose cap will be a treat in itself. The stock is about an inch and a half short. Don't know if I want to put on a slin cap and only have a half inch of bearing surface or do a poured nosecap - another first.

::

 

[Birddog6]

Mike2005: I suggest you make a lil tiny dovetail fit on a new piece of wood on the end of the forestock at the nosecap & fit/glue it on to lengthen it, then cover that with a nosecap that will go past the dovetail & support it by the forestock wood. Also you coud add some Acruglas or Microbed in the barrel channel to strengthen it there.

:thumbsup:

 

[Finnwolf]

BD,
May be a tough task for you but sure look like you've got it nailed. That buttplate looks like it was poured into that stock - and what a stock. Guess Haines rifles are not your only specialty. Nice work. Somebody's getting one gorgeous jaeger.
Finnwolf

 

[MikeChapin]

Birddog: Thanks for the tip. It does seem like the best option. Hadn't even thought of doing something like that. I have plenty of scrap to do it. I fully second what Finnwolf said about the buttplate you did. A beautiful job on a great piece of wood.

 

[Birddog6]

Thank you, I hope I don't screw it up ! ha ha ! I think this Jaeger rifle will stay with me, for at least a while anyway. It is quite a exceptional piece of wood & I have never had a walnut stock quite as colorful. The photos doesn't do it justice as it has yellow & orange marbled streaks in it also. The rifle is in an undecided stage at the moment, as I am not sure how I want to do a part on it, thus it is in the safe until I decide. Sometimes these things hit me in a day, sometimes it takes a month, when I decide I go on.

Anyway, on your short nosecap wood........ Depending on how thick the forestock is at this area, sometimes there is enough wood that you can make lil wooden pegs & put them in also, which of course would be parallel with the barrel, drill a oposing hole in the wood end & the added piece & inserted a tiny hand made dowel pin on each side or SS 1/16" rods & then you would make file marks across the rods or bead blast it so it is roughened & the epoxy will adhere to it better. I prefer to use the SS as it will not have a reaction to the glue.

Another consideration is a horn nosecap, however this is only if you want such, if such is appropriate for the style of rifle, and if you can acquire one fitting for the purpose. But a metal nosecap that overlays the joined piece about 1/4" or so is adequate IMHO and it will be fine, and if yours is not long enough, just make one a lil longer. Also if you make the RR tip a lil longer than usual the length of the nosecap is not as obvious.

Also keep in mind there is not much stress on the muzzlecap area where you are talking about adding a piece, so I don't think you have to worry about it breaking except in the building process. The only thing you need to consern yourself with is when taking the barrel in & out of the stock, as special attention should always be given at this area anyway, and especially swamped barrels, as the taper makes them wedge on the very tip & possibly break there if you are not cautious. When fitting the nosecap & barrel never force it into the barrel, as you can get it so tight you way crack or break it getting it off on very slom forestocks.

:results:

 

[MikeChapin]

Thanks for the tips. Right now I have a brass shallow crescent nosecap so there is not a lot of room for dowling. It is a tapered barrel so I have a bit to filing to do on it to have it fit the barrel before I even have to inlet anything.

I have thought of a horn cap. I have a good solid chunck of black cowhorn that would be a good candidate. I still have some time before I get to the point where I have to decide which way to go. Right now I'm shaping the butt and wrist area.

 

[Birddog6]

Depending on the style of rifle again......... the cow horn nosecaps I have seen were on Jaeger rifles and the end of it is usually open, rather than closed off like a metal one is. Thus it must be a perfect fit when doing a open end cap as it is Real obvious if there is any screwups or gaps. On a metal one you are covering up any gaps & can also fill them with epoxy or Microbed under the cap & never see it.
On some of the long rifles & once in a while on a Jaeger you may see a deer or elk horn nosecap & I have done several of those. Attachment us usually with 2 SS rods adhered into both pieces & epoxy, etc. Sometimes attachment is with 2 small countersunk screws from horn to wood coming in from the end, etc.

Good luck !

:thumbsup:

 

[pcrum]

That acanthus leaf buttplate looks fantastic. I'm building one currently as well. I however cheated, and decided that rather than screw up a perfectly good stock, I sent it and the buttplate off to Adolphsen Bros. in Maine. They inletted it an about a week and a half, and it is much better than I could have done by a longshot. I'm currently inletting the barrel (pre inlet my ass!) it's not too hard, just tedious as it's swamped. I made my own inletting black out of soot from the woodburner and olive oil. It seems to work ok.
I'd say the hardest part of building a kit is waiting for the parts!!!
Cheers,

 

Great to hear from you , pcrum! I had a maddening time getting my barrel to sit well into the channel just like you. It just about drove me nuts and come to find out I needed to remove some wood from the very bottom of the channel instead of from the side walls. After I was done hacking out a good fit I used Acra Gard or whatever you call that two part epoxy bedding compound to make up for my inletting work. Just wait 'til you start inletting the entry ramrod pipe and locating, drilling and tapping your tang bolt and lockplate screws :shocking: Keep us posted my friend.