Not done yet but pic

[scotti]

Simply put as a builder I would rather take constructive criticism from one person who knows what they're talking about rather than compliments from a hundred that don't.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

This pic is just to show that the wood does show. I just don't have the finish done yet. The pic also shows the barrel and lock color same as all the metal. It's about medium grey. I've really had a time trying to get this lined out. It's a SMR from pecatonica. 32 cal.
I sure hope the next one does much better.

Here's a tutorial I made many years ago. I think you'll find it helpful in shaping your lock panels.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=31173.0
It's on the ALR under tutorials if this link doesn't work.

If all you Nellies in pink ladies underwear will take note, I have been trying to teach people the craft for many years, with great effort and no financial gain.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Here is what I have found on this board; someone can make the worst looking gun you ever saw and a dozen people will chime in with "GREAT JOB"! Perhaps they don't know better, I don't know.

Mike was just being honest, the responses of many here reminds me of Jack Nicholson's line in "A Few Good Men"; "the truth, you can't handle the truth"!

The lock panels in question are pretty bad, on my first rifle mine were worse but I studied the great builders here and saw the error in my ways.

You can't get better if people are patting you on the back and telling you how great you are when you are not.

There has been a shift in this country that places someone's feelings above the truth, sad.

That is a very sound opinion. But not all back patting is because of worrying about someone's feelings. We all have a particular area of interest in the muzzle loading hobby. Some guys like the revolutionary war, some the F&I war, civil war, and on and on. I have interest in all of these areas but my favorite is the Appalachian/southern mountain people of little means. When flintlocks were the thing of the day there were many fine gun builders in PA and other areas. For the mountain folks they may have not had access to those guys, either through distance or funding, so they sometimes had to cobble together what would work for them at the time from what parts they could scrounge up. I'm sure they made many less than perfect rifles but I'm also sure those rifles fed families. So when I see a guy, like the OP, put together a rifle that is less than perfect, but it does what it was intended to do, I see character. I also see an added chance to tinker and make it better over time. I've refurbished/customized quite a few rifles in my day but have never built one from scratch. I'm going to try that soon complete with making the stock myself. And I have zero experience so this may be the ugliest rifle you guys ever see when I'm done. But we learn by doing and I do appreciate the constructive criticism offered by the real builders here. So I don't agree with people jumping on folks like Mike for his comments. But I guess they are entitled to their opinion too.

 

[Nor'Easter]

Presentation is everything.
Rule #1 of leadership is that "constructive criticism" is a waste of breath if the recipient doesn't hear and use it! Look up the difference between an "instructor" and a "teacher" and know which one you want to be.
* My personal observation of real, true artistists has been that they - in all seriousness - attempt to interact with society at large like they are normal.
* Most of the rest of us know they are not. Society semi-tolerates their social short-comings because their art compensates for them.
* This seems to be a trueism in all fields of artistic endeavors, including mechanical arts.

My wife watches home improvement shows. I am always amazed at the interior designers. They can design and color coordinate the interior of an entire home - and do an outstanding, stunning job. But they show up "on set" wearing the most hideous, and "fugly" outfits. Their outfits would make a drag-queen cringe. I heard one remark once that she considered her outfit "quirky"! Yeah..... you keep telling yourself that!

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

That is a very sound opinion. But not all back patting is because of worrying about someone's feelings. We all have a particular area of interest in the muzzle loading hobby. Some guys like the revolutionary war, some the F&I war, civil war, and on and on. I have interest in all of these areas but my favorite is the Appalachian/southern mountain people of little means. When flintlocks were the thing of the day there were many fine gun builders in PA and other areas. For the mountain folks they may have not had access to those guys, either through distance or funding, so they sometimes had to cobble together what would work for them at the time from what parts they could scrounge up. I'm sure they made many less than perfect rifles but I'm also sure those rifles fed families. So when I see a guy, like the OP, put together a rifle that is less than perfect, but it does what it was intended to do, I see character. I also see an added chance to tinker and make it better over time. I've refurbished/customized quite a few rifles in my day but have never built one from scratch. I'm going to try that soon complete with making the stock myself. And I have zero experience so this may be the ugliest rifle you guys ever see when I'm done. But we learn by doing and I do appreciate the constructive criticism offered by the real builders here. So I don't agree with people jumping on folks like Mike for his comments. But I guess they are entitled to their opinion too.

Click on my tutorial above, you'll find it extremely helpful when building from a blank.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Click on my tutorial above, you'll find it extremely helpful when building from a blank.

Thanks.

 

[Eric Krewson]

If someone posts an ugly rifle that they are proud of, I don't say anything, if they say they would like constructive criticism and if I know the answer I will speak up. There is another thing, I don't offer opinions, only advice on something I have actually done hands on. There are lots of armchair quarterbacks here.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Presentation is everything.
Rule #1 of leadership is that "constructive criticism" is a waste of breath if the recipient doesn't hear and use it! Look up the difference between an "instructor" and a "teacher" and know which one you want to be.
* My personal observation of real, true artistists has been that they - in all seriousness - attempt to interact with society at large like they are normal.
* Most of the rest of us know they are not. Society semi-tolerates their social short-comings because their art compensates for them.
* This seems to be a trueism in all fields of artistic endeavors, including mechanical arts.

My wife watches home improvement shows. I am always amazed at the interior designers. They can design and color coordinate the interior of an entire home - and do an outstanding, stunning job. But they show up "on set" wearing the most hideous, and "fugly" outfits. Their outfits would make a drag-queen cringe. I heard one remark once that she considered her outfit "quirky"! Yeah..... you keep telling yourself that!

So you don't like my outfit?

 

[Nor'Easter]

So you don't like my outfit?

LOVE IT! Thanks for posting! Made my day!

PS. My post was a long winded way of saying that sometimes you just have to take people for the who they are. A person just has to weigh the ️ and the ️ and see if you can live with that.

 

[Nav]

Highlander Chic?

 

[Kmcmichael]

Highlander Chic?

 

[Nor'Easter]

This site should come with a warning -
"This sight contains
Grumpy
Grumpier
XXX Grumpy OLD MEN (and some of the "fairer" ***).
If you are thin-skinned you will need to don a protective suit."

 

[Kmcmichael]

I want insulted until I saw the red shorts.
I am wearing some exactly like them as I mow my front yard as my only garment.

Seriously we must all remember the most important thing is too keep me entertained.

 

[Nor'Easter]

You have to admit - if this site is anything, it's entertaining!

 

[deerstalkert]

You at 70 are young !

no. just lost my manners 70 years ago.

 

[S.Kenton]

This site should come with a warning -
"This sight contains
Grumpy
Grumpier
XXX Grumpy OLD MEN (and some of the "fairer" ***).
If you are thin-skinned you will need to don a protective suit."

Very true!! When I first started in this hobby many years ago I was told ..” ya better have some thick skin pilgrim”.. I didn’t understand that at first..

 

[Trot]

I’ve gotten curmudgeonly over the years, and if I had the opportunity to learn from somebody like Mike, I don’t care how it’s presented! I don’t even see a thing wrong with the way the advice was given. We need a lot more honesty in todays world!

 

[Nav]

View attachment 245343

 

[deerstalkert]

You have to admit - if this site is anything, it's entertaining!

 

[smokepolehall]

no. just lost my manners 70 years ago

That istoo bad, thought there was hope for y'all. Oh well such is life