Wood margin around lock and side plate?

[1BadDart]

After mowing and a little work on the garden I worked on the stock a little on my Virginia build. The area around the lock was pretty long in the front and rear so I doing a little rasp and sandpaper work. When finished the area will be subtle.

My question is do you match the sideplate side to the lock side or do you make the contour match the sideplate?

Lock side

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Sideplate side with a rough sketch of the lock side. The outer lines are traced along the current edge of the relief.

 

[Phil Coffins]

On yours I’d trim the lock mortise a lot then match the side plate to it. These things are best planned out before building.

 

[Larry Akers]

The margin around your lock is much too wide. I'd reduce to to no more than 1/8 in. then use that outline on the off side.

 

[Phil Coffins]

The top and bottom parts need the trim to about 1/8” and the ends to about what you have drawn.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I finish my lock molding and make a pattern to the sideplate side by rubbing a pencil over the paper, the lock bolt gives me a reference for placing the pattern on the lock plate side.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
I urge you to locate online photos of original Virginia guns so you can see what they actually looked like. Do not cut in lock panels except around the front, where a gouge and round file are useful. For the rest, the panels are formed by shaping the wrist and breech section rather than cutting the panels in. Look at the photos below.

The molding lines are cut in after I've shaped the panels, not before to create them. Also note that the bottom of the stock is fully rounded carrying the curved bottom of the fore stock right through to the wrist. It is not flattened. The old time makers did not fuss too much making the panels mirror images. They usually tried to have them start and stop equally so if you looked down on the breech each panel was the same length and position, and any carved beaver tails were centered on the wrist on both side. However, more than that they often did not care. On British guns, the side plate side was often shaped to accommodate the side plate rather than to mirror the lock and the panels were shaped differently as below.

It is usually best to make the surrounding flats very thin. IMO wide flats never look good and are rarely found on original American rifles made during colonial and "Golden Age" periods. Making them thin also helps you avoid carving in the ugly notch for the flint **** you see on so many rifles. Here are some examples.

Finally, on your stock, I would lower the tail of the panel so it terminates either in the center or just below center of the wrist. I would reshape the panels, reducing their size greatly and shaping them so the tails are lowered on the stock.

dave

 

[1BadDart]

Thanks guys.

Dave, very informative! I'll work on thinning the margin and turning the tails down to or just below the center line of the wrist. One of my concerns is the taking too much wood from around the pin holding the front of the trigger guard.

I don't have the skills to do the relief carvings, so my rifle is going to be a plain girl.

Justin

 

[Buckskinn]

Yeah, that pin is going to be pretty much gone. I would fill it in and continue shaping then dovetail and solder a longer tab on the guard, so it is hidden behind lock and plate.

 

[Phil Coffins]

A girl looks her best with trim and subtle curves.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
It is OK if that pin hole is right on the edge of the flat. Here are some original examples of Virginia-made rifles showing that pin. These are from the Kentucky Rifle Foundation CD of Shenandoah Valley rifles. Here is a John Grandstaff rifle.

And here is a Simon Lauck rifle.

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One way to deal with that pin is to dovetail and solder in place an extension to the forward tab so the pin can be drilled inside the lock mortise.

dave

 

[1BadDart]

I'm thinking I'll take wood off right up to the pin hole and make the rest match it. This rifle isn't being built to be period correct. I'll probably shoot some squirrels with it, but its main purpose is for 25-yard offhand paper matches. I chose the Virgina pattern because it had the least drop at the comb, the wide butt plate will help with what little recoil it has too.

Thank guys, Justin.

 

[deerstalkert]

you have the advice of the gods of building so i won't presume to add any comments other than, you have the lock and side plate on the wrong sides of that gun!
looks like you will have a fine build when done. be sure to post progress .

 

[1BadDart]

you have the advice of the gods of building so i won't presume to add any comments other than, you have the lock and side plate on the wrong sides of that gun!
looks like you will have a fine build when done. be sure to post progress .

Have you ever considered yours are on the wrong side?

I agree on the advice, it's greatly appreciated too. I learned years ago when building hot rods to find someone with more experience and pick their brains. It has saved me a lot of heartache and money over the years.

Justin

 

[waksupi]

The rear of the panel should align with the center of the wrist. Design of a firearm should always have a continuous flow.

 

[deerstalkert]

Have you ever considered yours are on the wrong side?

I agree on the advice, it's greatly appreciated too. I learned years ago when building hot rods to find someone with more experience and pick their brains. It has saved me a lot of heartache and money over the years.

Justin

of course I was just funning! I have never had the problem of wrong or right as i am ambidextrous. i do have a dominant eye though.
If you take the lock panel up to where it does meet or goes above the trigger pin hole, you can make a pin with a decorated head and contour it to meet the radius of the stock. had to do that on a pistol build. added a little panache to my eyes.

 

[1BadDart]

of course I was just funning! I have never had the problem of wrong or right as i am ambidextrous. i do have a dominant eye though.
If you take the lock panel up to where it does meet or goes above the trigger pin hole, you can make a pin with a decorated head and contour it to meet the radius of the stock. had to do that on a pistol build. added a little panache to my eyes.

Yes sir, I took your post as humor and mine was intended to be the same. All is well.

 

[1BadDart]

I did a little work a few minutes ago, it's better but I'm not sure I like it much. It may be one of those deals where it gets "good enough", at least who it's for.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
The flats do not have to be even all the way around. Look at this one

Note how the flat around the top of the lock thins out a lot. That enables the flint **** to clear the wood and it gives the whole surround a more graceful look.

dave

 

[Buckskinn]

Ignore that hole and keep going, you don't want it to look like a side slab of a 2x4. On another note, what's the deal with that touch hole insert? That looks like it might be too deep.

 

[The Appalachian]

Your lock is on the correct side, we southpaws gotta stick together.

Regardless how you shape the lock panel around the lock, if the other side doesn't match in shape, location, and flow, it would drive my OCW over the cliff.