Went to WKU for the NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar again this year. Our instructor was Ed Wenger. Like all the talented people I have met at these seminars, very capable. A really nice guy. Talents I can only strive for. We were a group of 10, with about half doing SMR and the other half the Colonial. All Kibler kits. Typically some of us were in a few minutes after 7AM and there most of the day until 5PM. Some worked through lunch. Everyone was helpful. Shared stuff. Varied talents. But a good time was had by all. Ed did a number of demonstrations which were very useful, yet still gave us plenty of time to work on our rifles. And he spent his lunch times assisting someone.
Random thoughts. Some pictures, not all the best. I am not done with the rifle yet. Oh, it was capable of being loaded and shot the last day. But I still have work to do as I make time at home. I'll add to this thread when able. I wanted to post things before it left my aging mind for good. Probably some thoughts in between the pictures.
I added two things to my SMR kit. A German silver toe plate which I fitted. And a German silver pick holder, which Ed Wenger inlet for me. Ed did a superb job. He went to his chisel pouch and pulled out an inletting tool he had made that he used to outline the pick holder. I would have taken a different tack and screwed that up. A great teaching moment.
The stock isn't done yet. Filed, then scraped. The only sandpaper used was to widen the inlet for the trigger group. Little folded pieces to carefully open the inlets up to accept the trigger. Nothing fit initially on this ash stock. I had to do a lot more work than I did on my colonial rifle. Not complaining. It taught me to be more patient and not to immediately start carving away with a chisel. I got it all to fit. Then stained with Laurel Mountain Honey Maple. Next day, stained with Laurel Mountain Maple. Late that day I sealed the stock and rubbed the stain back with a cotton pad and Sutherland Welles Tung Oil Sealer. At this point (next day) I could have used a stock filler, but chose instead to give it a coat of Tung Oil High Luster. I was really liking how it was looking and was thinking that I really didn't need to try to highlight the grain. Then Mike Miller walked through and immediate saw that and mentioned how good that would look with the open grain darkened. I had to agree as that had been my plan all along. So that will happen.
A note on the Sutherland Welles Tung Oil. I purchased a quart each of the High Luster and the citrus based solvent. Using those finish saver bags, I made one each Sealer, Low Luster, Medium Luster, and High Luster. Instructions for doing so on their website. If it should appear too shiny I can rub a lower luster coat on. The amount used is very small. I also use this same product on our antique heart pine floors.
New tools I purchased this year included a group of Grobet pillar files. Wow! Really wow! Three of the four did 95% of all my file work. My old Nicholson's were hardly used. I was smart this year. I don't ride bikes anymore, so I put to use my old Thurlow deerskin riding gloves when filing. Had no bloody and blistered thumbs or fingers.
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Measuring for the pick holder. And lots of CNC marks to file off visible in these pics. Nice finish on the barrel.
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