For anybody interested in how a longrifle starts from a chunk of wood(maple in most cases these days), here’s a nice site to look thru.
Gary Brumfield was the Master Riflesmith at Colonial Williamsburg after Wallace Gusler. I can not say enough about what a helpful guy he can be. Both Wallace and Gary are Virginians and their rifle styles reflect a life long affection for the stuff found in the their home state… whoops sorry I meant Commonwealth.
Take a look around and follow a few of the links for some ideas on rifles and some ideas you might like to try on a furniture piece to add a little twist.
If you have any questions that you can not quite figure out, send a question and I will try to clear it up or find the guru with the right poop.
http://www.flintriflesmith.com/
good luck
dan
Edited 9/29/2009 5:05 am ET by danmart
Replies
Dan,
Great post but no links
Often in error but NEVER in doubt!
Well thanks Paul. I got side tracked and hit post I guess, ran off to eat supper, and things got confused. Looking back at it ... that's rather typical these days.
Enough. I put the site for Gary in the original post so another knotter coming along will see it. I'm posting it in this message again for grins.
http://www.flintriflesmith.com/
Dan,
I scoured the website. Wonderful stuff, but a bit overwhelming. I have never done metalwork. That doesn't mean that I can't learn, but it would mean a lot of time to learn. I think it will be a while before I get to gunsmithing, but you know I drool over the beautiful work that you and the other Masters do.
Heck, I have to learn how to make Windsor Chairs, do Pennsylvania Dutch decorative painting, Chippendale highboys, make high style mouldings ala Larry Williams, and still need time to play with the grandchildren and keep the wife happy.
That was a great post. I am glad to see you are seeking new recruits.
Are there plans available for a rifle stock which could just be fitted with the barrel and other metalwork which can be purchased? ie where I could focus on the woodwork and not have to get into metalworking? Or is that considered being a wimp in the gun business?
Thanks,
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
I'm gonna jump in and recommend Shumway's book, "Recreating the American Longrifle". Not wanting to tread on danmart's toes here, and I bet he'll have other recommendations as well, but for a novice,like me, at gunmaking, it was a very helpful handbook. Lots of clear directions, and step by step drawings that lead you by the hand thru the various operations in building a longrifle.
Ray
Ray,
Thanks for pointing me at Shumway's book. The reference that Napie gave also looks very good. Why don't you take a look at the last 20 posts on the "making a living in woodwork" thread. Getting interesting. Richard Jones put up an article on pricing furniture. OldDusty did something similar for cabinetmaking. Dusty added in another worksheet on figuring overhead. Steve Shoene jumped in with some interesting ideas on other important factors in determining a price. Even Charles is in there, commenting on Richard's article. I have asked Charles to write his ideas on the topic. Hope he comes through. I have seen this area glossed over an infinite number of times. This one is actually dipping down into the meat for a while. No doubt, we will NOT come up with a computer spreadsheet for costing custom cabinets, bowls, guns and Chippendale Highboys, but it really is touching on good points. MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
If you get serious about building a longrifle, let me know. I'll be glad to lend you my copy of Shumway, and can introduce you to a friend who is a nationally known gunsmith, engraver, and powder horn maker. I just started on a horn myself this past weekend.
I've been following the making a living thread. I don't know that I have anything to add to it, as I haven't made a living at this for years. Hahahaha.
Steve's point about confusing how little money you can get by with making, and how much money you can get away with charging, is I believe, the most pungent point that has been made. Most of us have so little regard for the value of our own work that this is where we are stuck.
Ray
Ray,
I will take you up on your offer to borrow the Shumway book, but it won't be this year. I have wanted to make a rifle since I saw Dan's work for the first time. Right now, I am loaded with stuff to do. You may remember about a thousand years ago, when I asked you about whether to clean the back of an old mirror, and you joked about using steel wool. Well, I finally got that Eastlake chest out of the shop last week, and it is up in a bedroom. It is GORGEOUS. I will post a photo in a while. It took more work to refurbish this piece than it would to make two more of them, but I learned that too late. All glue joints fell apart, even the three boards that made up the top. The drawers were sized with hide glue, as you know. EGAD what a mess. Each side and the back are frame and panel and all came completely apart as did the frames between each drawer, and the drawers, etc etc etc. It became a pile of sticks, each carefully marked. I cleaned them, repaired some, replaced a few, put all of the frames and frame/panels back together. I won't bore you with the details but finally it looks like it just came out of the showroom, and the drawers work nicely. But it has been a few years (part time -- very part time) in the doing.
Also, I am just finishing up making a set of nine drawers that fit into my new workbench. Put the last coat of varnish on the drawers yesterday. Now I need to attach the false fronts, rehang the drawers, and another mess is cleaned up. Right now, all of the tools that were in my old worktable are in boxes and I cant locate anything. AAARRRRGGGHHHH. Then I will flatten the top, put some Watco on it, and begin trying to give Samson a run for his money. Ha ha ha ha.
I have about three projects backed up, that I can't wait to get to. But next year, it may be time to start a rifle stock. By the way, I live near Dunlap Woodcrafts, which specializes in hi-falutin' gunstock blanks. They have one for sale for $1000. It is very nice. If you and your wife ever get down this way, we have to stop up to Dunlap so you can see the "Cathedral of FIne Wood".
Have fun. Make some money, so you can help with the thread.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Ray
A great source for anyone interested in checking out how its done. I have my copy on the shelf and I still look at it. Recently, a new builder can find the book Gunmakers of Grenville County. Looking back at Shumway's book and Chuck Dixon's book this is like the jump from VHS tapes to high tech DVD's. In my view, I think its great to get multiple views on the same challenge. Much like carving and joinery: more than one way to skin the cat.
d
Ray
Take a look at this yankee builders site and the time he spent organizing this to encourage and train new builders.
Check the bottom of the list on the left Wire Inlay lesson.
http://www.davidpriceflintlocks.com/id23.html
dan,
Beautiful work.
The small amount of wire inlay I have done was a repair on a chest of drawers. The drawer fronts were inlaid with brass wire, and some had fallen out. On the advice of Mark Thomas, I filed the edge of sheet brass to a knife edge, then sheared it off to make my "wire". It worked a charm!
Ray
In the future consider using Muzzleloadersbuildingsupplies.com
They sell wire in 3 foot lengths. A bit easier and very uniform width and thickness. They sell it in different gages in brass and silver. Might be something to fool with a bit to get your skills up. After you do a few test pieces and wet the wood and lock it, the seemingly daunting task becomes another trick in the kit bag.
Tip: avoid tapered knives and chisels. They create a wider opening at the top of the cavity and this is not what you want. You don't want a "V" you want a "U" cavity. Though another knotter uses this technique(don't know if this is for rifles), other builders I know have seen "creeping out" after the rifle is finished and it lives inside and outside. Not quite as easy as a stable as a furniture piece. (edit)
I took a small screwdriver(like the ones you repair watches with) and ground it to shape thats flat on both sides with depth stops the width of the ribbon. Works great its easy to touch up. You can heat it and harden it but I haven't needed to do it. I just file it and go.
later
d
Edited 10/3/2009 6:54 am ET by danmart
Actually, I would recommend the opposite. I want a V shaped cut that will close up tightly to the sides of the flat wire. It can be helpful to put a bevel on the edge of the wire that will be tapped into the cut.
More than one way to skin a cat - and wire a rifle I guess.
Brent
PS. Sterling silver wire is really really worth the little extra money over german silver which is quite yellow.
Actually, I would recommend the opposite. I want a V shaped cut that will close up tightly to the sides of the flat wire. It can be helpful to put a bevel on the edge of the wire that will be tapped into the cut.
Generally, I make the bottom edge of the wire(ribbon) rough to make it set better when the wall swell from the water. Just a technique but I don't tap the ribbon. I use .014 ribbon and that's a bit thin and it distorts very easily so you have to be very gentle with it.
Are you using thicker wire inlay? Maybe? How wide is the ribbon? Might be a little different than the stuff I am using?
dan
Actually, I use the thinnest sterling I can find. I can't tell you how thin it is, because I'm not allowed to negotiate the stairs (knee surgery this morning).
I use mini chisels from single edge razor blades to incise the cut.
Brent
He took it off, you gotta buy the book now...
He took it off, you gotta buy the book now...
Not sure who "he" is?
dan
Whoever manages the site I guess? There used to be long and very good tutorials on both inlay and carving but now it is just an ad for the book.
Napie
What a drag. I assumed you meant David Price. When I checked his site, he's gone the $$$ path. Used to be a great step by step tutorial with tons of info for the first time builder. Oh well ... too bad.
Sorry
Look here for some info:
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(oyxph1mlhdjrjba5mdpapemc))/Index.aspx
Napie,
Excellent website. I have checked it out and bookmarked it, and will look further. A gun is not my next project, but I keep thinking about it. I do carving and furniture making. Haven't checkered any furniture. :-)Thank you.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
They carry a lot of books on the subject including Shumway's.
There's a guy up around Asheville NC named Jim Chambers. I met him in 1971 when he was working in the Single Brothers house in Old Salem. He was working rifles with the legend John Bivens.
Jim is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet in the business. He bought out Bud Siler's flintlock business. I love the Siler Lock and Jim has improved it to another performance level.
He sell the highest quality kit that I know of these days. Additionally American Pioneer Videos sells a video/dvd of a builder putting one of Jims kits together. Take a look at American Pioneer videos. The guy I think you will see is Ron Ehlert(sp). Not a dynamic presenter but a fantastic rifle builder and powder horn maker. Ron passed away a few years back but his contributions are well documented.
If you would like to work a kit to get a feel for the craft, you can not go wrong with Jim Chambers. He's the LN of the kit world.
Take a look.
d
Dan,
You hit the nail on the head. I would like my first attempt to be a kit. I will look up Bud Siler's kit, and the videos your recommended. I really appreciate that.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel..
I made two flint lock 'pistols' with my 1/2 ownership Carvewright. Father was OK with it. Two for my China girls.
My youngest Chinal doll can make a really good PopEye face.. She is a little girl from Hunan China. In China, the lady workers called her 'the spice girl' She is and a princess for sure.
But then again she will NOT share food to this day.. NO I do NOT think she was deprived food in China. Just her...When we got her she was something to behold. The women on the flight back to the USA ALL the women tried to babysit for a few moments. She was quiet in my arms? So I stood up in the back of the plane holding her for 22 hours? She fell asleep as I tried to walk off th plane in th USA....
I did that two times. A man delivering a baby?
I wonder..
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