Plain Maple Colonial is finished

[MountainSmoke]

That's one of the best looking Colonials I've seen pictured here.

I greatly appreciate that!

 

[MountainSmoke]

excellent! i would enjoy having a dozen of them. so many high figure stocks arrest the eye on the figure and one neglects to look at and admire the rest of the gun. i love high figured maple. makes my heart go piddy pat. your rifle just has a friend for life look.

Thank you Sir, I agree completely

 

[wayne estes]

Nice job. Keep asking questions and trying new things. This kit got you started now try something new! Maybe another one but with some carving and decoration.

 

[BillKilgore]

Congrats. It looks beautiful.

 

[MountainSmoke]

Great job!

Thanks Hatchet Jack, I used some of your advice from your SMR build particularly when it came time to finish the stock. After reading accounts of folks having trouble getting Tried and True to cure properly I chose to use it straight from the can and not use any thinner. I got lucky in the fact that when it came time to finish the stock the weather was perfect, sunny in the 70s and low humidity and breezy for a few days. I had no issues getting it to dry to the touch however getting it to cure fully is still in the works. It still has a smell and when put in direct sunlight for a while tiny specs of the finish will "sweat" out of the stock. This is after 2 weeks of the last coat of finish I applied. Every time I have a chance I set the gun outside in the sun and wind to help it finish curing. Not a difficult finish to use but definitely not one to use if you are in a hurry. I am still on the fence on weather or not to apply wax to the stock after it is fully cured.

 

[Master Blaster]

Very pleasing project. Bravo Zulu!

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Thanks Hatchet Jack, I used some of your advice from your SMR build particularly when it came time to finish the stock. After reading accounts of folks having trouble getting Tried and True to cure properly I chose to use it straight from the can and not use any thinner. I got lucky in the fact that when it came time to finish the stock the weather was perfect, sunny in the 70s and low humidity and breezy for a few days. I had no issues getting it to dry to the touch however getting it to cure fully is still in the works. It still has a smell and when put in direct sunlight for a while tiny specs of the finish will "sweat" out of the stock. This is after 2 weeks of the last coat of finish I applied. Every time I have a chance I set the gun outside in the sun and wind to help it finish curing. Not a difficult finish to use but definitely not one to use if you are in a hurry. I am still on the fence on weather or not to apply wax to the stock after it is fully cured.

That's great. I'm happy to hear my post actually helped! You're finish looks better than mine.
If I recall my stock finally cured after a month or so. Once the smell went away I applied renaissance wax.
I like T&T but yes drying time is frustrating. I am experimenting with adding Cobalt drier. On my last build I used Jim Chambers oil. It dries very quickly.

 

[MountainSmoke]

Nice job. Keep asking questions and trying new things. This kit got you started now try something new! Maybe another one but with some carving and decoration.

Thanks Wayne, the Kibler build NMLRA videos were very helpful for me and yes I am already pondering what I will do next and maybe getting a bit more adventurous.

 

[MountainSmoke]

Congrats. It looks beautiful.

Thanks for the kind words!

 

[MountainSmoke]

Thank you

Very pleasing project. Bravo Zulu!

 

[Tacitus]

That was tastefully done. Un fusil élégant!

 

[Rawhide67]

Well done. You can't go wrong with a Kibler kit.

 

[Tenring]

I was just thinking that when a person finishes a new build how super nice and elegant it looks and then after putting a hundred rounds or so through the thing the black powder it self with the sulfur and charcoal just Burns and stains the gun up. But we build them to shoot. The Rifle by the way turned out fantastic.

 

[mkabe]

60 hours later here it is. Standard grade sugar maple stock. This is my first attempt at putting together a muzzleloader kit. What a experience it was! I found myself constantly visiting this forum searching up old threads for guidance and help. Would have been vastly more difficult without it so huge thanks to the forum and it's members. Of course, Jim Kibler's YouTube videos were invaluable as well. I started this project expecting every step to go perfectly and quickly learned that I'd better be happy with" good enough" or I was going to drive myself crazy. There were victories and there were defeats, all part of the experience. Even long before I started this kit I had a vision in my mind of how I would want a rifle to look based on personal preference and authenticity. Dark plain maple stock with a scraped finish,a few tool marks here or there wouldn't bother me. Metal parts finished in the white. Brass not too polished. No carving. Just a plain old workhorse rifle that is going to see a lot of time in the mountains. Some details: 54 caliber, stock was stained with two fairly heavy coats of iron nitrate and then heat was applied. Tried and True varnish finish 3 coats so far but may add another one or two. If your on the fence about putting together one of these kits like I was, just do it! The experience and knowledge learned is priceless and you will have a beautiful quality made longrifle that you can be proud of forever. Thanks Jim Kibler for giving folks that opportunity.View attachment 214865View attachment 214866View attachment 214867View attachment 214868View attachment 214869View attachment 214870View attachment 214871View attachment 214872

That’s the nicest “plain maple” stock I’ve ever seen. I’d pick that over fancy maple with a different finish. Good job, want’a make one like that for me……? After 60 hours work I don’t imagine so.

 

[Monk]

60 hours later here it is. Standard grade sugar maple stock. This is my first attempt at putting together a muzzleloader kit. What a experience it was! I found myself constantly visiting this forum searching up old threads for guidance and help. Would have been vastly more difficult without it so huge thanks to the forum and it's members. Of course, Jim Kibler's YouTube videos were invaluable as well. I started this project expecting every step to go perfectly and quickly learned that I'd better be happy with" good enough" or I was going to drive myself crazy. There were victories and there were defeats, all part of the experience. Even long before I started this kit I had a vision in my mind of how I would want a rifle to look based on personal preference and authenticity. Dark plain maple stock with a scraped finish,a few tool marks here or there wouldn't bother me. Metal parts finished in the white. Brass not too polished. No carving. Just a plain old workhorse rifle that is going to see a lot of time in the mountains. Some details: 54 caliber, stock was stained with two fairly heavy coats of iron nitrate and then heat was applied. Tried and True varnish finish 3 coats so far but may add another one or two. If your on the fence about putting together one of these kits like I was, just do it! The experience and knowledge learned is priceless and you will have a beautiful quality made longrifle that you can be proud of forever. Thanks Jim Kibler for giving folks that opportunity.View attachment 214865View attachment 214866View attachment 214867View attachment 214868View attachment 214869View attachment 214870View attachment 214871View attachment 214872

Also first time builder here. Also Colonial in maple stock. Been loving the process, wanted to just work on weekends so it stayed a joy not a chore.

Like you, I’ve also greatly appreciated the sage advice. I’ve got from this group here, and really appreciated the excellent videos that Jim Kibler has on YouTube.
I’m not a woodworker, but an armorer, so working with wood, and 18th-century designs is a very different concept from what I was trained for.

Man, not sure if you know how much wisdom is contained in your statement “I started this project expecting every step to go perfectly and quickly learned that I'd better be happy with" good enough" or I was going to drive myself crazy.”

It looks like your good enough, is the same standard as mine, very very close to being as perfect as possible. So nicely done, very nicely done. And thanks for the encouragement!

 

[DuncNZ]

Very nice , I wish Jim would export his kits .

 

[MountainSmoke]

That was tastefully done. Un fusil élégant!

Thank you very much

 

[MountainSmoke]

Well done. You can't go wrong with a Kibler kit.

Thanks! I'm already thinking of which one I want to try my hand at next.

 

[MountainSmoke]

I was just thinking that when a person finishes a new build how super nice and elegant it looks and then after putting a hundred rounds or so through the thing the black powder it self with the sulfur and charcoal just Burns and stains the gun up. But we build them to shoot. The Rifle by the way turned out fantastic.

Thank you, yes it is going to get dirty and scratched but it will be happier being used. A brand new rifle or an old dirty one that could tell a hundred stories can both be beautiful but in entirely different ways.

 

[Mas Casa]

Nice job. Love the utilitarian look of this gun!