Where to start?

[Brimm]

Well I have a new kit from track of the wolf and it is a full length hawken in left handed flint, .54 cal. It is about 90% inleted but I am wondering on what to start out with, the barrel, the butt plate, the Lock....? I am doing a bunch of metal work first, trimming the lock, plug to barrel fit, and finishing all the metal pieces, but what should I inlet into place first, so everything comes together?
Thank you for your advice!!!
Brimm

 

[MSW]

i recommend The Gunsmith of Grenville County by Pete Alexander as a good starting point. i would get the breechplug issue settled, then, since the lock is already inletted, your trigger bar will 'drive the train as to the placement of the trigger, which in turn dictates the location of the trigger guard etc.

 

Take a look at[url] http://www.airbum.com/NeatShtpix/HainesPart1.html[/url]

Yeah, I know it is an airplane site but, it has some good info, so good that you might want to print it out

 

[Bob Gular]

Look up Mike Brooks' gun building tutorial on this site. Great explanations and excellent photography.

 

[Old40Rod]

Here is a "to do" list a kind and knowledgeable member, Steve Zihn, posted in response to a similar question I posed on a pistol build:

Do it this way and you'll come out OK
1 Barrel
2 Breach. If hooked, solder the standing breach to the breach plug and inlet them as a unit.
3 Make rod channel and hole. Make rod.
3 Underlug and pin
4 Drum (if using one)
5 Lock plate (without guts)and vent (if making a flintlock)
6 sand down the lock mortise until it's level with the lock plate at the proper level
7 Sand down the off side of the lock area until it's the same thickness as the lock area you sanded jusr before this step
8 Inlet side plate
9 Draw in center line around pistol, and install butt cap
10 inlet lock guts
11 inlet trigger on center line
12 sand and shape stock. Watch center line
13 cut forend moldings
14 cut butt-cap moldings
15 inlet rod pipes
16 cut and sand lock moldings
17 inlet trigger guard on center line
18 install and inlet nose cap (if any)
19 install sights
20 do final sanding, stain and finish wood
21 do final finish on metal

Hope that helps
Steve Zihn

Mr. Brook's tutorial is also excellent.

 

[rabbit03]

Greetings Brimm, Old 40 Rod had some good advice there and if you notice, one of the last things to finish is the metal parts!!!!!!

The reason will become quite clear if you happen to do as I did when I got one of my kits in, which was to get all excited and get after that metal finishing. Wrong! Don't be in a hurry to get it all finished cause your wasting your time and you need to wait till the end.

I can not tell you how to build one like the other fellows here but I can tell you what not to do and that is the metal finish first.

Good luck

rabbit03

 

[Birddog6]

IMHO, "IF" it has a Preinlet lock , it will stay where they inlet it......... so........

1: Finish inletting Lock 90% of the way
2: Barrel second to align the pan to the place you want the vent liner or drum to end up.
3: Epoxy the hooked breech tang to the barrel & inlet the tang & screw it down.
4: Install underlugs & pin the barrel in place. Heat hooked breach & the epoxy will let the tang/barrel fit loose.
5: Finish inletting the lock to get a 100% fit at the pan/barrel, drill & tap the lock & inlet the sideplate in & bolt the lock in place. Everything should be for sure in place so now install vent liner or drum.
6: Now install the triggger assembly.
7: Install Triggerguard
8: Install Buttplate & set LOP. Then install Toeplate.
9: Install RR pipes, Entrypipe & Nosecap.
10: Install Sights & take out for a test shoot.

Then if it all is OK, continue on to you choice of carving, inlays, patchboxes, etc. finish.

:thumbsup:

 

[dlocke]

I gotta say, Birddog, that your method of inleting the lock 90% and then fitting the barrel works pretty slick.
DJL

 

[Brimm]

Thanks for the advice fellas, I will take it all to heart, and yes the first thing I did before I even got the kit was buy, and read cover to cover, the gunsmith of greenville county, I was just looking for more advice(not everybody strokes a cat the same way)