Tools, and Gear

[The Appalachian]

there's a video of I believe Wallace Gussler hand building a rifle in Williamsburg, from forging the barrel through casting all the furniture you may find interesting. I once watched him and an apprentice forging a barrel there, lots of work.

I think you're talking about this one.

The barrel forging truly amazes me, that they could create an accurate barrel with such crude tools, and straightening it by eye. Craftsmanship that's miles above my pay grade.

 

[rchas]

I remember a discussion with one of the Williamsburg gunsmiths about the tourists who visit--a number (probably close to a majority) simply can't comprehend that the artifacts they are viewing are made by hand, from raw materials, by the person they are talking to. It is not in their worldview; which I think is a tragedy in so many ways.

I often think about a quote from Robert Heinlein:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

 

[Tankerchief]

Im planning on making my own rifles. I planted the stocks this year. View attachment 180821

I started a few stocks a couple of years ago. At the rate they are growing they'll be ready about the time my grandson needs a gun.

 

[Tankerchief]

My parents were that cut of people. Although my dad was a civil engineer by occupation; but he was a craftsman by heart, especially wood. My wife and I were discussing one day about the fact that probably 80% of the furniture in our house was made by him and therefor irreplicable should anything ever happen to it. But, he also could wire the house, do plumbing work (not well sometimes), change car parts, survey land, and a myriad of other tasks.

My mom sewed, knitted, crocheted, wove all of our clothes growing up; as well as canned and preserved almost all of our food. And, most of that food came from the garden in our yard. I remember hating the fact we didn't have designer clothes growing up; but would kill for a pair of homemade jeans now. They NEVER wore out. Or, for a loaf of home made sourdough bread. Mine just doesn't seem to taste as good as hers

They're both gone now. I follow some of the practices and traditions that I was "forced" to endure growing up. All my dad's tools went to my brother in law who is, rightfully so, a very skilled and gifted specialty contractor. So, there are days I would love to attempt something around the house or with my muzzleloader but don't have the tools or the advisor to contact when I need help.

I wonder about the current generations ability to survive if things ever get bad. I'm a retired teacher now. Several years ago a button popped off my shirt during the day. I borrowed a needle and thread from the Home Ec teacher; and, while sitting on the desk giving a lecture, sewed the button back on. The class and a co-teacher were shocked and amazed I could do that. Forget about changing a tire or sharpening a mower blade.

I just wish now I had taken more time to learn some of the skills my dad tried to pass on to me so I could have passed them on to my daughters. Although very self reliant they're missing some of the things I learned how to do as a kid.

 

[SOLANCO]

Why buy if you can make what you need, the art of self-reliance is being lost on younger folks. I remember my grandfather and dad needing something they would go to the always there junk pile root around a bit, drag something into the shop and before you knew it, they had what was needed. Knew a old Mountaineer from WVA although he did not build muzzleloaders, he built some of the finest un-mentionable rifles one has seen. There all moved on now but at times I hear one of them whisper don't buy that make it. And I do my best to fulfill their legacy's. This is one aspect of the craft I find most rewarding.

There is a corollary to "don't buy it make it". Learned from my mother's SW Virginia hills family:

Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do.

 

[springfield art]

There is a corollary to "don't buy it make it". Learned from my mother's SW Virginia hills family:

Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do.

Solanco, there was every year a small but interesting show right in the near downtown of your fair City. I used to miss it because of the Winter-weather thing, and haven't been there in years. (Next to a Honda dealer). I recall a guy would set up making flint rifles, a regular builder. Is that still a going show? The covid thing really messed up a lot of things that got cancelled and never revived.

 

[SOLANCO]

Solanco, there was every year a small but interesting show right in the near downtown of your fair City. I used to miss it because of the Winter-weather thing, and haven't been there in years. (Next to a Honda dealer). I recall a guy would set up making flint rifles, a regular builder. Is that still a going show? The covid thing really messed up a lot of things that got cancelled and never revived.

I remember that show and have not seen it advertised in some years. I guess some of the exhibitors will be in the Outdoors show at the Lancaster Convention Center in February.

The Conestoga Historical Society has an annual show/open house with a number of talented artisans. Unhappily many of them are old and there are fewer every year. I particularly miss the fellow who made my horns. He was GOOD.

 

[springfield art]

I googled and see a Lancaster show coming up at Quarryville in January. I'll be there as long as the Winter weather doesn't interfere!

 

[The Appalachian]

There is a corollary to "don't buy it make it". Learned from my mother's SW Virginia hills family:

Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do.

Which county is your mother's folks?

I'm in Pulaski County.......

 

[LME]

Im planning on making my own rifles. I planted the stocks this year. View attachment 180821

Now that is funny!I hope you don't mind if I use it in my routine?

 

[SOLANCO]

I googled and see a Lancaster show coming up at Quarryville in January. I'll be there as long as the Winter weather doesn't interfere!

Me too!!

 

[SOLANCO]

Which county is your mother's folks?

I'm in Pulaski County.......

Smith and Tazewell for the most part. A few jumped the line into West VA.

She grew up at the top of a holler in the Chatham Hill/Rich Valley area. Maiden name was Crabtree.

 

[The Appalachian]

Smith and Tazewell for the most part. A few jumped the line into West VA.

She grew up at the top of a holler in the Chatham Hill/Rich Valley area. Maiden name was Crabtree.

There's a few fellers from that area that drive all the way up here every day to work where I do. Other than knowing them and what they talk about I don't know much about the area.

 

[Piquant]

I’m interested in what you are making. Can you tell me what you are making and how.

 

[Jedidiah]

I googled and see a Lancaster show coming up at Quarryville in January. I'll be there as long as the Winter weather doesn't interfere!

Quarryville is about 5-6 miles from where my brother lives!!!

 

[The Appalachian]

I’m interested in what you are making. Can you tell me what you are making and how.

Headed out right now to buy some lumber and timbers if the mill is open today. This project is done for the most part, and turned out better than I expected. I'll take some pictures this evening when I get back in. It'll be a great improvement to my rifle building methods.

 

[The Appalachian]

So this is what @ZUG got his lady bits all frazzled up about at the beginning of this thread. I would wholeheartedly invite him to fire up his superior skill set and at least match it in form, function, and aesthetics, but of course, with steel that he made himself.

For those that don't know, it's known as a pattern maker's vise, or a guitar maker's vise, or gun builder's vise. It's meant to hold oddly shaped pieces solid by way of jaw heads that swivel 360 degrees to any position needed to clamp onto odd shapes snuggly and not damage the surfaces.

This isn't the vise to change out u-joints on the old Chevy truck. It's just meant to hold things solidly enough to file, rasp, sand, and chisel on them.

I have clamped a 2x4 in this vise and lifted my table off the floor without the 2x4 slipping or moving. I'm pretty sure it will do just fine inletting gun stocks.

These can be bought, but not for the small handful of dollars I spent on some MiG wire and some Rural King grade 8 bolts to hold it all together. The rest of it was steel drops acquired from other projects in my shop. So basically scrap metal too good to actually scrap.

The 5/8"-8 acme threaded rod and brass acme threaded nuts were given to me by a friend who also fabricates stuff in his shop.

The handle on the acme screw for clamping and unclamping the jaws is repurposed off an old broken drill press i have and is the perfect size to allow use of the vise with the handle positioned over the bench top surface if needed.

The jaw pads are walnut from a couple slabs I had bought cheap in hopes they'd make a rifle stock, but cracked. So I have tons of walnut for nicely figured knife scales and really pretty jaws for this vise.

In the pics the vise is C-clamped to my dining room table but the long 3/4" threaded rod down through the vise's base will go through various holes in the new work bench and be able to swivel the entire vise to any position needed. There is a threaded bar there that will tighten the whole vise down to the bench.

If you're wondering, all the exposed surfaces have been "needle peened" with an air scaler. Which gives it all a nice hammered texture and does well to hide grinding marks. The color is simply cold blue and then treated with engine assembly lube.

 

[Piquant]

I like that, very clever. Thank you. I like shop projects with pictures. My garage/shop is my happy place.

 

[TDM]

I like it!

 

[Shiloh]

So this is what @ZUG got his lady bits all frazzled up about at the beginning of this thread. I would wholeheartedly invite him to fire up his superior skill set and at least match it in form, function, and aesthetics, but of course, with steel that he made himself.

For those that don't know, it's known as a pattern maker's vise, or a guitar maker's vise, or gun builder's vise. It's meant to hold oddly shaped pieces solid by way of jaw heads that swivel 360 degrees to any position needed to clamp onto odd shapes snuggly and not damage the surfaces.

This isn't the vise to change out u-joints on the old Chevy truck. It's just meant to hold things solidly enough to file, rasp, sand, and chisel on them.

I have clamped a 2x4 in this vise and lifted my table off the floor without the 2x4 slipping or moving. I'm pretty sure it will do just fine inletting gun stocks.

These can be bought, but not for the small handful of dollars I spent on some MiG wire and some Rural King grade 8 bolts to hold it all together. The rest of it was steel drops acquired from other projects in my shop. So basically scrap metal too good to actually scrap.

The 5/8"-8 acme threaded rod and brass acme threaded nuts were given to me by a friend who also fabricates stuff in his shop.

The handle on the acme screw for clamping and unclamping the jaws is repurposed off an old broken drill press i have and is the perfect size to allow use of the vise with the handle positioned over the bench top surface if needed.

The jaw pads are walnut from a couple slabs I had bought cheap in hopes they'd make a rifle stock, but cracked. So I have tons of walnut for nicely figured knife scales and really pretty jaws for this vise.

In the pics the vise is C-clamped to my dining room table but the long 3/4" threaded rod down through the vise's base will go through various holes in the new work bench and be able to swivel the entire vise to any position needed. There is a threaded bar there that will tighten the whole vise down to the bench.

If you're wondering, all the exposed surfaces have been "needle peened" with an air scaler. Which gives it all a nice hammered texture and does well to hide grinding marks. The color is simply cold blue and then treated with engine assembly lube.

View attachment 185892View attachment 185893View attachment 185894View attachment 185895View attachment 185896

Nice vice. As a machinist I can appreciate the work that went into it.