Ok Bowhunter
32 Cal.
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- Sep 16, 2013
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What are the tools needed to build a TOW or Jim Chambers kit?
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Tools needed to build kit rifle.
- Thread starter Ok Bowhunter
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galamb
58 Cal.
These are sorta shaped and mostly inlet 90+ % so you can get away with a minimum number of tools.
First thing you need is a good book on Gun building.
The Gunsmith of Grenville County is my favorite (but I may be biased because I know Peter the author) OR Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle (Dixon and co.)
A larger selection of tools, while un-necessary, would make your job a little easier.
Everyone has their favorites but I would suggest:
a good wood rasp - a half round would serve double duty (alternately a flat rasp and a round rasp) a couple other assorted metal files - work well on wood also.
a couple of good exacto (spelling) knives - ones you can hold comfortably - for inletting or finishing an inlet this is probably my most used tool
a couple of chisels, but if you can only have one, a 1/4" flat - I picked up a set of small hobby chisels from a craft shop (6 or 8 chisels exacto size - excellent for working lock inlets and the like) - a gouge is also useful if you want to do any custom shaping of the cheek piece/wrist area
a couple wood scrapers - they are inexpensive and available through most wood hobby places (just look like a rectangular piece of sheet metal, in slightly different thicknesses and inch high or two by maybe 4-6 inches long)
you will also need a drill and bits, a couple taps for cutting threads for lock/tang bolts/vent (if installing a liner) or hole for drum (percussion)
sandpaper going from maybe 80 grit, down as fine as you want to finish (I rarely use finer than 400 on wood or metal) - but scrapers can substitute for sandpaper nicely
A decent vice (bench) - most use a metal type shop vice with guards on the jaws. Since I was a woodworker when I started building I had a couple of wood vices (with wood jaws) - I find them excellent for doing the wood work and strong enough to hold the barrel when installing/removing the breech plug etc.
I would consider the above the "minimum" - I'm sure others will add or offer alternates - we all build a little different and have our own "go to" tools.
First thing you need is a good book on Gun building.
The Gunsmith of Grenville County is my favorite (but I may be biased because I know Peter the author) OR Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle (Dixon and co.)
A larger selection of tools, while un-necessary, would make your job a little easier.
Everyone has their favorites but I would suggest:
a good wood rasp - a half round would serve double duty (alternately a flat rasp and a round rasp) a couple other assorted metal files - work well on wood also.
a couple of good exacto (spelling) knives - ones you can hold comfortably - for inletting or finishing an inlet this is probably my most used tool
a couple of chisels, but if you can only have one, a 1/4" flat - I picked up a set of small hobby chisels from a craft shop (6 or 8 chisels exacto size - excellent for working lock inlets and the like) - a gouge is also useful if you want to do any custom shaping of the cheek piece/wrist area
a couple wood scrapers - they are inexpensive and available through most wood hobby places (just look like a rectangular piece of sheet metal, in slightly different thicknesses and inch high or two by maybe 4-6 inches long)
you will also need a drill and bits, a couple taps for cutting threads for lock/tang bolts/vent (if installing a liner) or hole for drum (percussion)
sandpaper going from maybe 80 grit, down as fine as you want to finish (I rarely use finer than 400 on wood or metal) - but scrapers can substitute for sandpaper nicely
A decent vice (bench) - most use a metal type shop vice with guards on the jaws. Since I was a woodworker when I started building I had a couple of wood vices (with wood jaws) - I find them excellent for doing the wood work and strong enough to hold the barrel when installing/removing the breech plug etc.
I would consider the above the "minimum" - I'm sure others will add or offer alternates - we all build a little different and have our own "go to" tools.
Mike W Terry
32 Cal.
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- May 18, 2013
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I agree with all you have said. I think what We need to do is if you cant make it you can find it to do the job. Take a deep breath and take a step back in time and just enjoy. Mike T
fusil de chase
40 Cal.
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Best thing is to get the books recomended but you can gain alot of insight if you spend a few-ten hours browsing this forum.
The list above is of course spot on but for my 2 cents , Keep in mind I have never finished a gun LOL.
Here is the stuff I used in the last 48 hours:
A little steel machinist square, a steel rule and a set of calipers.
8-32 tap drill bit
8-32 clearance drill bit
8-32 tap
tap handle
3/32 bit for the pins
counter sink for the tang bolt
An eggbeater hand drill (slow is good!)
a narrow little chisel (maybe made from an eyeglass screwdriver) to inlet the tennons.
some sandpaper to sharpen the chisel to a razor edge
some solder/flux and a torch mapp/propane to do the tennons/sights
a metal yard stick is nice to get all the tennons lined up.
a couple c clamps and or a vise
The list above is of course spot on but for my 2 cents , Keep in mind I have never finished a gun LOL.
Here is the stuff I used in the last 48 hours:
A little steel machinist square, a steel rule and a set of calipers.
8-32 tap drill bit
8-32 clearance drill bit
8-32 tap
tap handle
3/32 bit for the pins
counter sink for the tang bolt
An eggbeater hand drill (slow is good!)
a narrow little chisel (maybe made from an eyeglass screwdriver) to inlet the tennons.
some sandpaper to sharpen the chisel to a razor edge
some solder/flux and a torch mapp/propane to do the tennons/sights
a metal yard stick is nice to get all the tennons lined up.
a couple c clamps and or a vise
- Joined
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I think galamb covered it well. I would avoid going out and buying a 'set' of anything, because there's a better than fair chance that you'll end up actually using only a few tools of the set, thus making the cost of what you do use that much higher.
get both books- well worth the expense if you add up the cost of parts you don't ruin and time you don't waste (and time you don't spend in purgatory for all the bad language you don't use!)
by way of my two cents, I'd get a technique for sharpening all your edges: you want them scary sharp ... neurosurgery sharp ...
dull tools are a pain in the Clinton to use, and dangerous to boot (a dull chisel will cut you just as deep as a sharp one, and the cut will leave a nastier scar, and then you'll have to figure out how to get bloodstains out of tiger stripe maple - this is very difficult)
good luck with your build!
psst - should we tell him how addictive this is, or do we let him come to that on his own?
make good smoke!
get both books- well worth the expense if you add up the cost of parts you don't ruin and time you don't waste (and time you don't spend in purgatory for all the bad language you don't use!)
by way of my two cents, I'd get a technique for sharpening all your edges: you want them scary sharp ... neurosurgery sharp ...
dull tools are a pain in the Clinton to use, and dangerous to boot (a dull chisel will cut you just as deep as a sharp one, and the cut will leave a nastier scar, and then you'll have to figure out how to get bloodstains out of tiger stripe maple - this is very difficult)
good luck with your build!
psst - should we tell him how addictive this is, or do we let him come to that on his own?
make good smoke!
I'm a tool junkie and I can tell you I bought my chisels mostly from this website: www.traditionalwoodworker.com
Great place, great service, price's are good too.
The single best thing I bought was this tool though: http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2082430/31190/9-Shinto-Saw-Rasp.aspx
Pay attention to what you're doing with it though. It takes the wood off quick or quicker...
Great for butt shaping as the end grain is tough as nails. A set of gimlets was another purchase I got from traditional woodworker. They make screw holes for you. Search it at their website and you'll see what I mean. Bought a buffer wheel from harbor freight and use that a lot. I was surprised to find out how little I use my band saw. The toughest thing to get was a oxy acetylene set up to harden parts. I bought a portable set from ebay for 250 bucks. I hate imposing on friends for these things and I'm pretty into this so I've got no problem spending a few bucks.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Dave
Great place, great service, price's are good too.
The single best thing I bought was this tool though: http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2082430/31190/9-Shinto-Saw-Rasp.aspx
Pay attention to what you're doing with it though. It takes the wood off quick or quicker...
Great for butt shaping as the end grain is tough as nails. A set of gimlets was another purchase I got from traditional woodworker. They make screw holes for you. Search it at their website and you'll see what I mean. Bought a buffer wheel from harbor freight and use that a lot. I was surprised to find out how little I use my band saw. The toughest thing to get was a oxy acetylene set up to harden parts. I bought a portable set from ebay for 250 bucks. I hate imposing on friends for these things and I'm pretty into this so I've got no problem spending a few bucks.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Dave
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No matter what you do take it from me and don't buy any Chinese made carving tools unless you want to buy the two sets I bought. 
There are a few different palm size sets of six in Henry Taylor's on traditional woodworker for around of 150 bucks that work great. If you don't end up using them for life I've found you can sell them for damn near as much as you paid for them on ebay which is why I don't bother buying em on ebay anymore.
Regards,
Dave
There are a few different palm size sets of six in Henry Taylor's on traditional woodworker for around of 150 bucks that work great. If you don't end up using them for life I've found you can sell them for damn near as much as you paid for them on ebay which is why I don't bother buying em on ebay anymore.Regards,
Dave
Oh and I ordered my metal cutting files and handles from this place: http://www.reidsupply.com/
My wood files came from traditional woodworker. I use their ultra smooth 10 inch cabinet file a lot for final shaping.
Regards,
Dave
My wood files came from traditional woodworker. I use their ultra smooth 10 inch cabinet file a lot for final shaping.
Regards,
Dave
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Some years back I actually bought one of those super cheap palm chisel sets made in China. As was mentioned they aren't great and we're as soft as butter. Being stubborn and broke I tinkered around with them a bit and found that they could be reshaped hardened and tempered and they worked really well. Twenty some years later I still have and use some of those chisels and find they hold an edge as well if not better than some of my fine Swiss chisels.
I forgot about this little guy here I got from the company in the link. I use spacers I made myself from scrap wood to size depth and make the repeated hole depth for the tenons on the barrel and thimbles. It works great for the tang bolt as well. I started the tang bolt hole where I wanted it then located this on to drill on through.
http://www.jedediah-starr.com/closeup.asp?cid=90&pid=909&offset=0
Regards,
Dave
Regards,
Dave
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ohio ramrod
75 Cal.
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The tools needed depend on your skill using or making hand tools. The old gunsmiths had very few " commercial tools". I on the other hand have :two bridge port mills, south bend tool room lathe, two welders, an oxy/actelyne torch, propane torch, a wood lathe, a surface grinder, drill press, several routers, about fifteen chisels, several drill sets, tap sets, files, rasps, over one hundred clamps, eight or more hand planes, mortising machine, three belt sanders, two planers, a drum sander, two shapers, and several other tools to numerous to mention. While most are used for my business any and all may end up being used on "Gun Stuff" which would include a kit! :idunno: :yakyak: :hmm:
