• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Not done yet but pic

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I think the NMLRA charges $100 a day. I don't have another class scheduled until next year at this time, right after the CLA show. We'll be going Sunday through Friday. I'll be teaching a building from a plank class as well as a relief carving class. I'll take up to ten students if they will hire another teacher to help. Otherwise, I can only handle 5 to 7. We work from 8AM to around 4PM. Then I do lectures with cool slide shows in the evenings. We aren't doing a Kibler kit class next year.
I'm no longer teaching out of my own shop, my wife doesn't like strangers around the house.
I’d love to do one. Just don’t know when. I’ll start saving my pennies. I love the idea of a Kibler gun, but I need a longer length of pull. You telling me to get a custom gun years ago, kind of ruined other guns for me as they’re too short now 😜

I can understand the wife thing. Mine would go nuts at that. Thanks for responding.
 
I’d love to do one. Just don’t know when. I’ll start saving my pennies. I love the idea of a Kibler gun, but I need a longer length of pull. You telling me to get a custom gun years ago, kind of ruined other guns for me as they’re too short now 😜

I can understand the wife thing. Mine would go nuts at that. Thanks for responding.
You'd do well in the plank class. We do it a step at a time just like my tutorial. I step in and rescue before any big mistakes are made, otherwise I stay out of the way. There are big social benefits as well. many of the students have made close lifetime friendships through this class. Birds of a feather I guess.
 
You'd do well in the plank class. We do it a step at a time just like my tutorial. I step in and rescue before any big mistakes are made, otherwise I stay out of the way. There are big social benefits as well. many of the students have made close lifetime friendships through this class. Birds of a feather I guess.
How many days is it? The idea of inletting a barrel kind of makes my eyes cross. I’ve watched Mike Miller’s video on the Daniel Boone gun.

What would the cost be? That would be important too. Still, I think that would help me a lot.
 
I have only built two rifles, a TVM and a Chambers. . . I am doing a blank right now. . all were built with a coach, but I hesitate to show any of them on this forum. It takes a lot of guts to post a rifle you have built in this hobby. I see flaws in all my builds, but I would say that a new builder typically works very hard and often just as hard as an expert. . . but with a different knowledge and skill level and thus a different result.

I thought the picture of the build was pretty good, but the very first response came across poorly. My guess is anyone here would love to take a Mike Brooks class as he is a phenomenal builder and artist. (Not all builders are artists too.) I'd do it in a heartbeat, but I am sure I can't afford it. . .nor do I know where Mr. Brooks lives, but I've admired his work. (I'd love to take a class with Hershel too.)

I have seen a lot worse lock panels. The builder kept them thin and many newbies do not. His only issue was how he followed the lock lines, but again. . .he has a pretty rifle with nice wood. He should be encouraged. We put a lot of work into these without a lot of the skills that many on this forum have acquired over years and many builds, but how do we truly learn without building? Each build is a learning experience, even for Mr Brooks, I'd guess.

And this forum is great for advice. . . but it needs to be given with humility and tact, and received in that manner too. I've learned a lot here.

The original poster has every reason to be proud of his accomplishment . . . And, how a rifle looks does not correlate to how it shoots. (Traditions or CVA have proven this over and over. Heck I think the Jeager and NW Trade rifles are ugly no matter who builds them, but I'm sure they shoot well and please their owners.)
 
I think the NMLRA charges $100 a day. I don't have another class scheduled until next year at this time, right after the CLA show. We'll be going Sunday through Friday. I'll be teaching a building from a plank class as well as a relief carving class. I'll take up to ten students if they will hire another teacher to help. Otherwise, I can only handle 5 to 7. We work from 8AM to around 4PM. Then I do lectures with cool slide shows in the evenings. We aren't doing a Kibler kit class next year.
I'm no longer teaching out of my own shop, my wife doesn't like strangers around the house.
She prolly understandably don’t like dudes runnin round in Women’s Underwear!
Too bad, I just ordered some frilly depends in hopes of attending a class.
This rifle building has some strange requirements.

Uncle Evil, If some people don’t hate you, you have made no impact in life.
 
BTW, I have tried to help people here quite a bit but everyone freaks out when I try to help. This is a very unusual group of people. They want to do things their way, right or wrong.
Mike, some people just can't stand to hear, or face the truth. Everything must be sugar coated for them.
 
Now that was truly helpful.

full disclosure here……I’ve been on here less than a year. Since I’ve been here I’ve not seen any post by Mike Brooks that was helpful in any way.

He always brags about how many rifles he’s built. But the funny thing is I’ve never heard of him except on here. I don’t know of anyone else that has either.
Well now you have. I have seen Mike's rifles all the way back to the 1980's. The ones I have seen were all beautiful. Used to shoot with a fella from Naples Florida that had 2
 
How many days is it? The idea of inletting a barrel kind of makes my eyes cross. I’ve watched Mike Miller’s video on the Daniel Boone gun.

What would the cost be? That would be important too. Still, I think that would help me a lot.
We start with a blank that has the barrel and ram rod hole done, so we can actually learn about layout and inletting parts and shaping. We're going 6 days next year at 100 bucks a day. You can stay in the air-conditioned bunk house for I think 35 bucks a night.
 
I have only built two rifles, a TVM and a Chambers. . . I am doing a blank right now. . all were built with a coach, but I hesitate to show any of them on this forum. It takes a lot of guts to post a rifle you have built in this hobby. I see flaws in all my builds, but I would say that a new builder typically works very hard and often just as hard as an expert. . . but with a different knowledge and skill level and thus a different result.

I thought the picture of the build was pretty good, but the very first response came across poorly. My guess is anyone here would love to take a Mike Brooks class as he is a phenomenal builder and artist. (Not all builders are artists too.) I'd do it in a heartbeat, but I am sure I can't afford it. . .nor do I know where Mr. Brooks lives, but I've admired his work. (I'd love to take a class with Hershel too.)

I have seen a lot worse lock panels. The builder kept them thin and many newbies do not. His only issue was how he followed the lock lines, but again. . .he has a pretty rifle with nice wood. He should be encouraged. We put a lot of work into these without a lot of the skills that many on this forum have acquired over years and many builds, but how do we truly learn without building? Each build is a learning experience, even for Mr Brooks, I'd guess.

And this forum is great for advice. . . but it needs to be given with humility and tact, and received in that manner too. I've learned a lot here.

The original poster has every reason to be proud of his accomplishment . . . And, how a rifle looks does not correlate to how it shoots. (Traditions or CVA have proven this over and over. Heck I think the Jeager and NW Trade rifles are ugly no matter who builds them, but I'm sure they shoot well and please their owners.)
Mac1967
I am proud of my builds. I've learned alot over the few years I've been doing this. I have learned from doing ,and reading,and asking questions. More from doing and reading. I don't care if my guns are PC. Or rhe architecture is perfect. If I like the looks and quality then I'm happy. I do have high respect for the quality of these professional builders. I'm not going to pay alot for any classes.
 
We start with a blank that has the barrel and ram rod hole done, so we can actually learn about layout and inletting parts and shaping. We're going 6 days next year at 100 bucks a day. You can stay in the air-conditioned bunk house for I think 35 bucks a night.
The $100/day doesn't include the stick blank, barrel, etc does it?
 
I would say that a new builder typically works very hard and often just as hard as an expert. . .
Actually I would guess the new guy works harder,,, by a lot.
Tasks that come second nature to guys like, Dave Person, Mike Brooks, Herschel House, Eric von Aschwege, Jim Kibler, and a few lesser known but extraordinarily talented builders right here on this forum,,, take much longer, cause much more angst, and take more thought and work for the new builder. They don't have the reps in, yet.

I think this is true of any similar artisan's skill. I haven't built a self bow in a long time but I used to be pretty in to it and built a few. They take me a lot of work, and a lot of time. I would bet @Eric Krewson can build a better bow in less than half the time with half the headaches (probably none at all) and a quarter of the effort. Will mine shoot? Yes, but his will most likely outperform mine. Will mine look nice? Yes, because I take a lot of time on finishing, but Eric's will look as nice or nicer and outperform mine.
 
Last edited:
We start with a blank that has the barrel and ram rod hole done, so we can actually learn about layout and inletting parts and shaping. We're going 6 days next year at 100 bucks a day. You can stay in the air-conditioned bunk house for I think 35 bucks a night.
Oh. That sounds pretty good! And reasonable. Is this in friendship? Is there a parts kit to buy? Are we building a certain style of rifle?

I wanted to ask you somewhere that will not instigate an argument from the peanut gallery, about tools.
 
Last edited:
I love this whole thread, its all it took for me to find about 20 members that run in the pack. Was easy to put on ignore ! I lived n watched these types of people all my life. I still do my best to avoid them, if it means i never build a flintlock so be it. Fools seem to always think they should lead n the mob follows, very sad people can not be nice without being rude crass or rude n think they are right no matter what. No doubt i will not renew my membership here n pay to do it.
 
Last edited:
I love this whole thread, its all it took for me to find about 20 members that run in the pack. Was easy to put on ignore ! I lived n watched these types of people all my life. I still do my best to avoid them, if it means i never build a flintlock so be it. Fools seem to always think they should lead n the mob follows, very sad people can not be nice without being rude grass or rude n think they are right no matter what. No doubt i will not renew my membership here n pay to do it.
So your theory here is to block anyone who knows anything. Seems logical to me. And please don't forget to block me.
 
Oh. That sounds pretty good! And reasonable. Is this in friendship? Is there a parts kit to buy? Are we building a certain style of rifle?

I wanted to ask you somewhere that will not investigate an argument from the peanut gallery, about tools.
Yes Friendship. The class is taught in the modern airconditioned education building. We have 10 sturdy benches built just for gun building with good vices mounted to them, Plus a drill press and a couple band saws. In the first class we had six guys building from blanks and we did a group buy on barrels and wood plus barrel inletting. Actually, we furnished all the parts, and everyone made the same gun, a 1770 period Dickert with a swamped barrel in .58 cal. and a siler lock.
Since that first batch got started, I have taken on a couple other students and let them build whatever they wanted as long as I knew something about the style. So, we have students in several phases of construction on several styles of rifles at the moment. So, you can build anything you want with my official oky-dokey. I'll help you find your parts and direct you on where to send your stock and barrel for inletting.
I also teach a carving class at the same time.
I should mention I haven't done this all on my own, Wayne Estes and Jeff Talbert have volunteered a tremendous amount of time to help out. I couldn't have done it without them. Wayne is stepping out now so it will be Jeff Talbert and I in the future.
 
If only more of the world had been exposed to me in person while in my prime. No one would be able to seriously hurt their feelings. I feel I have failed mankind.


I work on my rifle in the cool of the day
i eat a big lunch and sleep in the heat
my labors are done without any pay
I play my guitar all through the night
Dressed in my wife’s clothes and drinking Bud Light

I am happy with my work for help I won’t ask
i do pretty well making my stock with an axe
I make the occasional mistake so I keep lots of glue
Would you like me to make a rifle for you?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top