Must have tools and equipment?

[seth337]

Hello all, I am new to this hobby. I have recently put payment on a Kibler SMR .45 cal. with a curly maple stock. What are some of the tool and equipment you see fit that a fella need to put this rifle together? Certain files, grits of sandpaper, steel wool, etc. All information is welcomed.

 

[ohio ramrod]

you could equip a full machine shop, or just wait and see what you need

 

[CzarJL]

wait and see what you need

This is very good advise.

Most important tool is knowledge. Take the time to understand what steps you need to make this rifle and how to do them and then acquire the tools to do it. Don't be afraid to make a test piece out of scrap wood, steel or brass to learn a useful skill. I needed practice on my filing a surface flat and even so I spent some time making a round piece of brass into a punch for dovetail sights. Yes it is way more fancy and complicated that it needs to be but the knowledge I gained was worth the time when I worked on my rifle.

 

[ord sgt]

Some good hollow ground screwdriver, a set if punches, a dedicated loading/cleaning rod with the proper size jag, a patch puller for that "oh no the cleaning patch is still in the barrel" moment, some cleaning patches (you will use a whole lot over time). This is a starting point.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@seth337, your best source for the tools you need can be found in Jim Kibler's videos he has on his web site. The benefit of one of Jim's kits is that most of the really difficult machine work and fitting is done by the CNC tools that fashion the various parts. As @ord sgt has mentioned, you will need a good set of pin punches, a plastic hammer, a set of hollow ground gunsmithing screw drivers, some grits of wet or dry sandpaper from 100 grit to 320 grit and the stains and final finish.

Kibler Southern Mountain Rifle Kit Assembly at the Shawshank Museum June 2019 - Bing video

For shooting, you will need the range rod, cleaning/loading jag, cleaning patches. Since Jim's SMR is a flint lock, you will need black powder such as GOEX, Olde Eynsford, or Swiss. The substitute powders may be the only ones available locally, but they at best, unsuitable for use in a flint lock. Translation: Pyrodex just does not work.

 

[LawrenceA]

For knowledge watch Kibler's videos.
At a minimum you will need a sharp chisel. A small smooth mill file. A 1/16 pin punch, a small hammer. A few hollow ground screwdriver tips and handle. Coarse and medium files and an assortment of sandpaper to about 240 grit for the wood and 400 grit for the metal.
For checking fit something to act as a medium such as soot from a candle or burning masking tape or bedding black etcetera.
Most of all patience and watch the videos again.

 

[ord sgt]

For checking fit something to act as a medium such as soot from a candle or burning masking tape or bedding black etcetera.

If you are married, politely ask her for an old tube of lipstick. It works well for color transfer.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Go to Jim Kibler's website, click on "kit guns", and then "kit guns overview", and scroll down a little and on the left side of the page is a list of tools you need. He even has a downloadable pdf.

dave

 

[Johnny Tremain]

What ever you get... YOU will need more.

 

[seth337]

Thank you for all the input, I appreciate the advise.

 

[JohnnieT]

Patience. The most important tool is patience. Nothing good is ever done in a rush.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Whenever you get the urge to reach for something that cuts faster, STOP, put your tools down, go have a cup of coffee and wait for such an urge to pass.

The same goes for when you loose your focus and start doing sloppy work, in such cases I call it a day, get a good nights rest and come back the next day. I have ADD anyway so I have to be aware of my lack of focus when it happens.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Agree with all the above. Most important is attitude. Then a friendly domestic situation. Then knowledge. Then patience, and
a well lit and climatologically comfortable work space that is accommodative to comfortable work positions.

Then we get in to tools that let you use other tools;

A solid work bench. Solid way of holding your work in a non-marring way.
A way to measure and mark your work. Candle soot, inletting black, Dykem machinist blue, pencils (and erasers), calipers, squares, straight edges, awls, center punches, eyewear that lets you see close-tolerance details (like a 2 1/2x optivisor).

Others will chime in on tools needed to actually do the build, but that list gets specific to what tasks you are trying to perform. Trust me, it gets longer and longer, but the above is common to all.

 

[Cruzatte]

Hello all, I am new to this hobby. I have recently put payment on a Kibler SMR .45 cal. with a curly maple stock. What are some of the tool and equipment you see fit that a fella need to put this rifle together? Certain files, grits of sandpaper, steel wool, etc. All information is welcomed.

I wish I could remember where it was I copied this list of tools from. But it came in handy when I began work on my French fusil. I've never built a Kibler rifle. So some of my suggestions may not be necessary.