Looks like you are doing good for the first time imo. good job. Laney
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New hobby/ Hawken build
- Thread starter Cherrybow
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Thanks Laney. I am learning a lot building like this as opposed to putting together a kit. I have poured over Building an American Longrifle many times as well as threads on this site. I thank all of you who have shared your talents on this site, it is a big help in the learning curve
Buckskinn
45 Cal.
Well I'll be !!! THIS is the post with Dave's pics!
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Hi Herb,
Your Hawken rifles are some of the best modern recreations ever. Your diligence and efforts at research and examining originals is really superb and it shows in your work.
dave
It is a good idea to reference what the masters made and copy them to a T. If you wing it freehand you will end up with a mess.
Samuel Hawkins lock panels;
Samuel Hawkins lock panels;
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Hi Cherrybow,
You are doing pretty well but there are things to consider. Your forestock is very slab sided largely determined by the nose cap, which I mentioned previously. The thickness of wood along the barrel channel can be very thin so you might still be able to squeak a nice rounded cross section by feathering the top of the channel into the barrel to a very fine edge and rounding the lower half and bottom much more. The photos below shows how thin things can properly get. The 2 guns on the right are originals from the 1760s and the two on the left are my work. Note how thin the wood in along the barrels so you might have some room to maneuver.
I urge you to not cut in your lock panels. Let them form naturally as you round the wrist, which should have more the cross section of a broom handle rather than a 2X4 with the corners rounded over. The only places where a chisel is useful is cutting around the very front of th panel and the very tail end. All else is formed by rasps, files, and scrapers and forms naturally as the wrist is shaped. You are headed toward this"
When it is better to strive for something more like this :
dave
You are doing pretty well but there are things to consider. Your forestock is very slab sided largely determined by the nose cap, which I mentioned previously. The thickness of wood along the barrel channel can be very thin so you might still be able to squeak a nice rounded cross section by feathering the top of the channel into the barrel to a very fine edge and rounding the lower half and bottom much more. The photos below shows how thin things can properly get. The 2 guns on the right are originals from the 1760s and the two on the left are my work. Note how thin the wood in along the barrels so you might have some room to maneuver.
I urge you to not cut in your lock panels. Let them form naturally as you round the wrist, which should have more the cross section of a broom handle rather than a 2X4 with the corners rounded over. The only places where a chisel is useful is cutting around the very front of th panel and the very tail end. All else is formed by rasps, files, and scrapers and forms naturally as the wrist is shaped. You are headed toward this"
When it is better to strive for something more like this :
dave
Understood. Great advice I did cut in the panels and as you can see I lost a splinter on the opposite side from the lock which will need to be dealt with later.
I wish that the title could be changed from “hawken”. Until now my knowledge of a hawken was more of a generic term for a half stock rifle due to only having CVA, traditions or TC. (My 28” barrels do say Hawken on them
) This first project is more to learn techniques and gain skills than any attempt of being historically correct. That will come . I look forward to learning from y’all. Thanks again for the pictures and tips!
I did cut in the panels and as you can see I lost a splinter on the opposite side from the lock which will need to be dealt with later. I wish that the title could be changed from “hawken”. Until now my knowledge of a hawken was more of a generic term for a half stock rifle due to only having CVA, traditions or TC. (My 28” barrels do say Hawken on them
) This first project is more to learn techniques and gain skills than any attempt of being historically correct. That will come . I look forward to learning from y’all. Thanks again for the pictures and tips!
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Understood. Great advice
I wish that the title could be changed from “hawken”. Until now my knowledge of a hawken was more of a generic term for a half stock rifle due to only having CVA, traditions or TC. (My 28” barrels do say Hawken on them
Unfortunately the term "Hawken" has been *******ized to include any halfstock rifle it seems. "Plains rifle" would be a better descriptor.
Listen to Herb, the man is a master at this style of rifle.
Ok, I was able to get some more shaping done today. I think it is much better now. What do y’all think?
Your lock panels still don't "flow" and look clunky. Right above your rear trigger you have a blob of wood hanging down.
I am a rank beginner and don't make the best lock panels. I take an old style compass, set it for 1/8" or 3/16" or so, put the steel pointer in my lock mortise and let the pencil mark the top and bottom panel width. I freehand the nose and draw a couple of converging lines to the rear to match the tail of the lock.
These are a different style guns but but you can see how it the above technique came out.
I am a rank beginner and don't make the best lock panels. I take an old style compass, set it for 1/8" or 3/16" or so, put the steel pointer in my lock mortise and let the pencil mark the top and bottom panel width. I freehand the nose and draw a couple of converging lines to the rear to match the tail of the lock.
These are a different style guns but but you can see how it the above technique came out.
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Thanks for pointing that out Eric. On a different note, if memory serves me, you are the one that came up with a nice little tiller tool for makin self bows. I made a bunch of those up and gave them out at OJAM one year....
Yep, that's me, I have 15 gizmos made from figured wood donated by this sites great gunbuilders on the Trad Gangs St Jude auction this year. I also donated two boxes of antlers, some snake leggings and found a bag full of shortie copperhead skins I will put up tomorrow.
Here is one that I made out of what I call exhibition grade walnut that is on the auction.
Here is one that I made out of what I call exhibition grade walnut that is on the auction.
Wow! Blast from the past, I will have to watch the auction this year. Thanks for the heads up
filed off some more at the lock plate..
Keep at it! You are at the toughest part. I built a few guns and at first thought, "nothing to it". I did a great job at nice clean inletting, drilling and tapping, cutting dovetails, etc. When it came to getting the lines right, the shape, getting the right flow of one area to another, I was in over my head! It takes a good eye, even artistic talent when you get to this point!
This weekend I found some time to get some more shaping done. I am getting pleased enough with its shape for my first one so I installed toe plate, barrel wedge plates and cap box. Cap box sure took a steady hand and patience. 
Can’t make up my mind...should I blue or brown? Open t opinions..
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Partial to browning myself - others mileage may vary.
Man, that's looking pretty nice.
