What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Hatman/2nd line]

Thanks Bob, looks good, I'll have to give that a try!

 

[TDM]

Taking a late lunch break from the shop. Starting this morning on adding the brass plate to the back edge of the patch box cover. Have to give credit to @davec2 for a great description of the process he posted 3 or 4 months ago. Would not be trying this without his post. I thought I might get both patch lids done today, but that’s not going to happen. Can’t say there’s been anything fun about doing this! And I haven’t even gotten to removing about 1/16” of wood from the lid. Hopefully it will turn out ok and the satisfaction will be worth it. Here’s what I did so far, and I did at least bend the brass plate for the other Woodsrunner. If you try doing it, be prepared for lots of filing!!!

 

[Terrier]

Wow! You've got some nice flint there, if your up to it I'd send you some cash for a couple of big ones like that?

That’s the only one I’ve found so far, but never looked before yesterday. The ground around here absolutely grows rocks. Haven’t noticed any black ones up here on the ridge by the house and gardens. Up high, the sparkiest ones are mostly bluish gray and there’s lots of that, but those don’t seem to be very flaky like chert. The black one I found down by the creek is the shizzz. Lots of sparks. Different rocks down there.

I’ll probably bugger that one up trying to reduce its size, so I’ll likely be looking some more. I remember right where I found it, so I’ll probably go back and search around for more. If I find some, I’ll let you know...

BTW, you can buy a 500 gram (1 lb) chunk of obsidian on Amazon for less than $30. I was looking at that before I thought to go looking by the creek.

 

[TDM]

Hit a brick wall for the day. After several sessions of filing the wood off the patch box top I realized I had put the screws in a too steep an angle and with less wood it pulled the backing plate down out of alignment! Instead of stopping and plugging the screw holes to start over I kept trying to make it work and came close to ruining the plate. Finally stopped and now have the screw holes plugged and glued. These photos show it with old screws backed out, I’ll make it work but I’ll have a couple of gaps I was trying to avoid. I sure can’t go outside so I’ll find something else to piddle with until Happy Hour.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Obsidian, @Terrier, is more glass like. While it can be shaped, it doesn't make good gun flints. See some other comments I found via the Forum's search engine.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/whats-up-with-flints.166969/page-2#post-2393369
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...r-then-flint-chert.145776/page-2#post-2202856
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/flints.160473/page-2#post-2288237

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

That’s the only one I’ve found so far, but never looked before yesterday. The ground around here absolutely grows rocks. Haven’t noticed any black ones up here on the ridge by the house and gardens. Up high, the sparkiest ones are mostly bluish gray and there’s lots of that, but those don’t seem to be very flaky like chert. The black one I found down by the creek is the shizzz. Lots of sparks. Different rocks down there.

I’ll probably bugger that one up trying to reduce its size, so I’ll likely be looking some more. I remember right where I found it, so I’ll probably go back and search around for more. If I find some, I’ll let you know...

BTW, you can buy a 500 gram (1 lb) chunk of obsidian on Amazon for less than $30. I was looking at that before I thought to go looking by the creek.

Thanks for that up date, I'll have to check that out! Good luck on your next expedition! You really had some nice sparks there.

 

[Terrier]

@Hatman/2nd line The itch got me and I went back down to the creek today…

Didn’t find any exceptional pieces, but found a few more that were similar to the first good one, just not as good. I don’t think I’m gonna pan out as a source of flint for ya…. I looked for two hours and came back as wet as if I’d laid down in the creek. HOT!

The good rock from yesterday was black on the one spot and faded off to brown…. The similar pieces today had more brown to them.

Yesterday’s good one:

Then today… not so much.

It’s tough hunting down there…. Lot’s of limestone. The creek bed is plate rock limestone, and you see pieces like this everywhere:

Big as dinner plates and look like the perfect flint at first glance, but soft limestone.

And I found one piece that looked like it could’ve been a discarded musket flint!

@Grenadier1758 I did know that obsidian was glassy, but wasn’t sure if it would serve well as a fire starting flint. That’s what I’ve been after down by the creek (Fire starter flints… not obsidian! ) I have a long way to go before I can make a rifle flint.

 

[TDM]

Thanks for that up date, I'll have to check that out! Good luck on your next expedition! You really had some nice sparks there.

A year or two ago I ordered 25-27 lbs of Texas/Oklahoma Chert from a guy on ebay for $20 bucks or so. Sorry I don’t remember his name, I don’t have an ebay account and one of my Sons ordered it for. It was a box full of fist sized chert nodes, all nice. That’s what I use when I pretend I’m a flint knapper. Also have a 4lbs node of English black flint that I ordered from DGW, never have messed with it yet.

 

[Snooterpup]

Hit a brick wall for the day. After several sessions of filing the wood off the patch box top I realized I had put the screws in a too steep an angle and with less wood it pulled the backing plate down out of alignment! Instead of stopping and plugging the screw holes to start over I kept trying to make it work and came close to ruining the plate. Finally stopped and now have the screw holes plugged and glued. These photos show it with old screws backed out, I’ll make it work but I’ll have a couple of gaps I was trying to avoid. I sure can’t go outside so I’ll find something else to piddle with until Happy Hour.

Dang! Fine looking carving! I really like the look of the brass on the patch box cover. Its coming along great. Great job.

 

[TDM]

Dang! Fine looking carving! I really like the look of the brass on the patch box cover. Its coming along great. Great job.

Thank you, but no credit to me is due. It’s one of the factory carved Woodsrunners. All I managed to do is almost destroy the patch box plate.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

Showed my 5 year old grandson some flints I made at Kempton (under extreme guidance) and explained some tools I need to make in order to produce more gun flints. Then we were outside working on bb gun and long bow shooting. He loves the bow and anything I call an outdoor adventure."
This is his 7yd target.

 

[Snooterpup]

Thank you, but no credit to me is due. It’s one of the factory carved Woodsrunners. All I managed to do is almost destroy the patch box plate.

I’ve been following some of your carving and thought you just jumped right in on the gun stock. I should have remembered you had ordered the carved Woodsrunner. I had similar trouble with the brass plate in the Colonial. Second attempt was barely countersinking the plate and installing small screws from TOW. Glued the plate to the lid, screwed the screws down tight and filed them off to look like nails, no slot left. What the heck, they are never coming off any way.
Took much guesswork out from perfectly perpendicular drilling of a countersunk screw. Persevere!

 

[emery]

Won a couple of ribbons at the Kempton Gunmakers Fair with my 25 caliber squirrel rifle and 40 caliber Ohio target rifle.

 

[garypl]

Took my 12 year old neighbor to the club today - he has only been shooting .22s one time before and today I brought a few unmentionable revolvers and a rifle but I also brought a couple of .32 ML rifles.

After we shot unmentionables I showed him how to load and shoot the CVA .32 I put together 25 years ago for my son. He thought that was very cool and he put 3 shots in the black with it. I asked if he would like to try my Kibler .32 SMR and he said YES!

He insisted on loading it himself even though he was at eye level with the muzzle! He put his first shot into the X ring and the second shot touching the bottom edge of his first shot in the X ring!

He was so excited and when we were driving home I asked which of the six firearms he shot today was his favorite and without hesitation he said “The flintlock!” I think we have a new muzzleloader shooter now!

 

[TDM]

Congratulations @emery !!

 

[garypl]

Won a couple of ribbons at the Kempton Gunmakers Fair with my 25 caliber squirrel rifle and 40 caliber Ohio target rifle.

Congratulations- those are very nice looking rifles emery!

 

[NorthFork]

Started building/assembling a Traditions rifle kit. Screwed up the tang inletting. I think it's correctable. Hope you all's day went better.

As an aside my new versa vise worked like a charm.

 

[TDM]

I’ve been following some of your carving and thought you just jumped right in on the gun stock. I should have remembered you had ordered the carved Woodsrunner. I had similar trouble with the brass plate in the Colonial. Second attempt was barely countersinking the plate and installing small screws from TOW. Glued the plate to the lid, screwed the screws down tight and filed them off to look like nails, no slot left. What the heck, they are never coming off any way.
Took much guesswork out from perfectly perpendicular drilling of a countersunk screw. Persevere!

Yours looks awesome! I’ll probably just start over with the other piece of brass I have and get another piece of brass for the other kit. I have some brass nails and was thinking that I should have used them. After seeing your that’s what I’ll plan to do.

 

[appalichian hunter]

@Hatman/2nd line The itch got me and I went back down to the creek today…

Didn’t find any exceptional pieces, but found a few more that were similar to the first good one, just not as good. I don’t think I’m gonna pan out as a source of flint for ya…. I looked for two hours and came back as wet as if I’d laid down in the creek. HOT!

The good rock from yesterday was black on the one spot and faded off to brown…. The similar pieces today had more brown to them.

Yesterday’s good one:

View attachment 240946

Then today… not so much.

View attachment 240947

It’s tough hunting down there…. Lot’s of limestone. The creek bed is plate rock limestone, and you see pieces like this everywhere:

View attachment 240964

Big as dinner plates and look like the perfect flint at first glance, but soft limestone.

And I found one piece that looked like it could’ve been a discarded musket flint!

View attachment 240948

@Grenadier1758 I did know that obsidian was glassy, but wasn’t sure if it would serve well as a fire starting flint. That’s what I’ve been after down by the creek (Fire starter flints… not obsidian! ) I have a long way to go before I can make a rifle flint.

Obsidian is actually volcanic glass, works well for arrow points.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Won a couple of ribbons at the Kempton Gunmakers Fair with my 25 caliber squirrel rifle and 40 caliber Ohio target rifle.

Congrats on the awards, very nice looking rifles.