My first build

[SmileMaker]

Finally got motivated to complete a project I had started awhile ago. Thanks to all whose knowledge and experience I had gleaned from this sight.
Blunderbuss or French Dragoon pistol next?

 

[Walkingeagle]

First build? Wow!
You do good work bud!!
Walk

 

[Doc Ivory]

Holy smokes!
What a great job.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Beautiful !

 

[fillwa]

Looks excellent. Nice patch box!
Shooting it will be a lot of fun for you.

 

[Squatch84]

Very impressive!

 

[hanshi]

Wow! That's a splendid job on a beautiful rifle! I love it!

 

[deermanok]

Very nice looking rifle.

 

[Col. Batguano]

You took on a LOT of things (that you didn't necessarily have to) with your first build, and learned a lot I'm sure. Most guys start out with a plain rifle. Then maybe the next one they add an inlay or PB. Maybe carving or rudimentary engraving on the next one. By the time they're on their 4th or 5th gun they are confident they aren't adding too much new stuff all at once. You were very brave to do ALL that stuff on your very FIRST gun! Sure there are things with that build that I could nit pick, (and you will find them too if you study lots of pictures of other fine builds) but for your first, it's a valiant effort.

Out of curiosity, how many months or years did it take you from start to finish? Got your next project picked out yet?

 

[Cherrybow]

Well done and very ambitious! You turned out a beautiful rifle.

 

[SmileMaker]

You took on a LOT of things (that you didn't necessarily have to) with your first build, and learned a lot I'm sure. Most guys start out with a plain rifle. Then maybe the next one they add an inlay or PB. Maybe carving or rudimentary engraving on the next one. By the time they're on their 4th or 5th gun they are confident they aren't adding too much new stuff all at once. You were very brave to do ALL that stuff on your very FIRST gun! Sure there are things with that build that I could nit pick, (and you will find them too if you study lots of pictures of other fine builds) but for your first, it's a valiant effort.

Out of curiosity, how many months or years did it take you from start to finish? Got your next project picked out yet?

Thanks for the compliments and being kind with the criticism. Being my first attempt at a rifle build it was quite a learning processes and accumulation of tools and literature along the way. "Recreating the American Longrifle" and "The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle" were my guides and instructors on this project along with Schippers' engraving book. In retrospect there are many things I would have done or chosen differently from tang, lock plate and patchbox style to not buggering up screws early on. The carving and engraving is rudimentary both in execution and design but then again this is the first time carving wood or engraving metal. Among the other firsts were using aqua fortis, browning a barrel and an oil rubbed finish. As for time involved, this started as a parts kit I purchased from Golden Age Arms when they were located in Delaware, Ohio. The initial inletting and existing inlet refining and early assembly was done in a few months working a few hours here and there. Then the project halted. From the beginning, I wanted some relief carving and other than looking at grainy pictures in a few of Schumway's books (this was when the internet was dial-up....lol) there really was nor is there any definitive design books. When I retired last year I decided to complete the project. So for the last 3 months I decided on a carving design, drew up something that would work on the patchbox and lock plate for engraving and finish the gun. Again I appreciate all I gleaned from this site and youtube along the way. For my next attempt I think I would like to make a flintlock French Dragoon pistol with silver hardware and perhaps try silver wire embellishment.

 

[S.Kenton]

Man that’s a great first rifle!! My first was simple.. and I still made mistakes!!

 

[rchas]

Nice work!

 

[Col. Batguano]

I always think it's best if I can figure out my own mistakes rather than have someone else point them out to me. I remember them better that way, and more importantly, what my thinking and build process was that led me to make it in the first place. In order to do that, I try to figure out all aspects of a feature, like carving for instance. Overall placement, shape, symmetry, dimensions of the feature, progression of curve tightness flow, fit between features within the design, natural eye focus (which part of the feature are you naturally drawn to look at), height, "stand-outishness", (which is partially a function of staining and finishing), plus a bunch of other things. I bet I spend half my time in carving a feature in drawing and erasing it multiple times over multiple days before I ever pick up a carving tool. It might take me a hour to carve and profile a single 1/2" tendril, and upwards of 40 hours for a general design, like the tang carving. The gun will spend only a few hours on the bench (relatively speaking) compared to the lifetime it will spend in the rack when it's done.

Of course, when you are first approaching a gun (from a distance) the first thing you notice is the overall shape and general impression (architecture) then color and finish, then the general workmanship, and finally the decorative details. If you approach your build giving it the same level of priority for your attention you will have a fine build. There are many fine builds out there with sub-par carving and engraving, but the reverse is not necessarily true.