Where do you start?

[cajun]

Hello all, my question today is when you start working on your stock "what area do you do first?" Butt plate, lock area or tang and barrel, again thanks and have a great day!

 

[rchas]

I always inlet the barrel first--all other measurements are dependent on where the breech is. Then I do the ramrod channel and drill the ramrod hole. Next is the lock and trigger, which gives me the length of pull so I can put on the buttplate. Then remove everything that doesn' t belong on a a rifle/fowler......

 

[Phil Coffins]

Same as rchas.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Yep. That's the plan.

 

[tenngun]

I’ve only inlet one barrel channel , but with pre done same thing, barrel, tang/breachplug, then lock, side plate, trigger, gaurd, butt, toe, pipes nose cap last then stock shape
Try to avoid stocks with pre cut locks

 

[dave_person]

Hi Cajun,
The sequence of tasks is critical to success. First, be very skeptical of You tube videos and second buy either Dixon's "The art of Building the Pennsylvania Rifle" or Buchele, Shumway, and Alexander's "Recreating the American Longrifle" . Those are the two best step by step books available. There is also Alexander's "Gunsmith of Grenville County" but that is not a very good step by step tutorial taking you through the building process. There are some decent CDs but the books are best.
dave

 

[Bighorserider]

There is some good stuff on YouTube like the grumpy gunsmith, but he is so far beyond me it's ridiculous. I use a drill press to to what he does with a rechargeable drill. If I tried that I could never fix my mistakes.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I re-watched Hershel's Kentucky rifle building VCR video ( I have had it a long time and still have a VCR player) for the umpteenth time the other day when my cable went out. When I drill pin holes on a stock some how I always get one askew and not perfectly square with the barrel side to side.

Hershel drilled all his pin holes with an electric drill freehand which amazed me but he did drill one slightly askew like I do at times. I don't feel so bad about my goof ups after seeing that even a master builder of Hershel's caliber can do the same on occasion.

 

[rocullen]

There is some good stuff on YouTube like the grumpy gunsmith, but he is so far beyond me it's ridiculous. I use a drill press to to what he does with a rechargeable drill. If I tried that I could never fix my mistakes.

I re-watched Hershel's Kentucky rifle building VCR video ( I have had it a long time and still have a VCR player) for the umpteenth time the other day when my cable went out. When I drill pin holes on a stock some how I always get one askew and not perfectly square with the barrel side to side.

Hershel drilled all his pin holes with an electric drill freehand which amazed me but he did drill one slightly askew like I do at times. I don't feel so bad about my goof ups after seeing that even a master builder of Hershel's caliber can do the same on occasion.

I can use a drill press and still mess them up!

 

[Lippy984]

I re-watched Hershel's Kentucky rifle building VCR video ( I have had it a long time and still have a VCR player) for the umpteenth time the other day when my cable went out. When I drill pin holes on a stock some how I always get one askew and not perfectly square with the barrel side to side.

Hershel drilled all his pin holes with an electric drill freehand which amazed me but he did drill one slightly askew like I do at times. I don't feel so bad about my goof ups after seeing that even a master builder of Hershel's caliber can do the same on occasion.

Have you ever seen Mike Beliveau’s video on drilling? I’ve never done it, but his method looks pretty slick

 

[rafterob]

I too have only built one rifle from a pre-carve. Following advice on this forum at that time, I set the barrel and tang first. Then the lock, then the trigger and guard. I did the butt plate last.