My first kit!

Well I have my first kit, ready to build. A nice .50cal Lyman Great Plains Rifle, percussion lock! This was purchased to A: get me into blackpowder/traditional muzzleloading, and B: to give me a winter project, because I sure don't need another bicycle...although I don't NEED another gun, but I didn't have a muzzleloader, either.

It looks like its going to be a lot of work, but doesnt look too difficult. Most of the major fitting is spot on, I just need to fit the wood to the metal, polish up the metal and finish it all. No doubt it will take me most of the winter to accomplish. I definitely need to invest in a rasp and LOTS of sandpaper, as well as a file brush, dust masks...that should cover me.

Any suggestions to getting the cast metal down to smooth in a quick fashion? I know, lots of wet-dry sandpaper is the likely answer. My trigger guard appears to be a bit tiwsted at the front mounting flat, should I try to fix it or just use as is? I have an idea the cast steel might snap if I try to bend any. It does fit with a careful placement.

I look forward to this project, and more importantly to that first round ball out of a gun that I "built" Before I do ANYTHING, I am going to get my DSLR and flash out and pre-assemble the gun loosely, and keep track along the way. We have a nice small folding table I can use for photographic purposes

Any tips are more than welcome! I understand this so far: go slow and take my time, and I will end up with a great looking and shooting rifle!

cleaning up the cast metal I will use the following depending on the piece. I use files, sand paper, diamond files, round sanding drums, 1x42 staionary sander. The 1 x 42 sander with high quality flexible belts is a great tool, if you are careful.

Becareful that you dont make mistakes that you have to correct.

snapper

fleener said:

cleaning up the cast metal I will use the following depending on the piece. I use files, sand paper, diamond files, round sanding drums, 1x42 staionary sander. The 1 x 42 sander with high quality flexible belts is a great tool, if you are careful.
Becareful that you dont make mistakes that you have to correct.

snapper

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Bingo... $49.99 at Harbor freight...
]
Just a thought, When doing my Lymans kit I took the tiime to file off the stamping on the barrel. Makes it look more traditional VS a production grade in MY opinion... :2

Belt sander is a good idea...hmm now where would I put one? Do they sell small flap sanding drums anymore? those were my initial idea.

I bought a knock-off of a stanley surform shaper at a local (ACE) hardware store. Looks to be store brand, so maybe it is made by stanley? It will be a lot quicker than sandpaper, and I tried it out on a very dry piece of oak and it leaves a decent surface. It was also far cheaper than a rasp, and will allow far better control Also picked up some sandpaper, both wood and waterproof variety packs. I will likely need more for wood, but That is a ways off.

In my opinion DO NOT USE POWER TOOLS. Using power tools is a good way to make big mistakes really fast. After you have done this a while you can find the times and areas where power tools can be used to speed up some aspects of the job, but if this is your first use hand tools and take your time......................watch yer top knot...............

Using the shaper, I was able to get the buttstock pretty close to the buttplate, as well as most of the endcap. I also blended some of the over-cuts together on the stock. The rest, I feel, will be mostly sandpaper from here on out. The shaper sure saved me a LOT of time sanding!

Tomorrow I am supposed to be going wine tasting in the Finger Lakes region (NY does have its good points...) and will not likely do much work on the GPR. Thats ok, I still have 2 months of winter at the least! My only problem is usually when I sit down to these kinds of projects (have done some gun re-finishing on .22s before) I will lose track of time...

Use a lot of inletting black to get the metal to wood fit nice and tight; http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...sories/inletting-spotting-compounds/index.htm

I have been using candle soot. It works just fine, and with the candles I have around, doesn't cost anything.

I purchased a 1/4" and a 1/2" chisel today. That should help me out quite a bit, I don't see any other way of fitting the butt plate without good sharp chisels! Since the butt plate is semi-hollow I really only need to inlet the outer edge to get it flush, just a small airspace to get rid of.

I did more stock removal yesterday as well. Pretty much down to needing coarse sandpaper now. The shaper is no longer "gentle" enough for the work that is left!

I sure enjoy the labor though. Keeps my mind focused

nymtber said:

I have been using candle soot. It works just fine, and with the candles I have around, doesn't cost anything.

I purchased a 1/4" and a 1/2" chisel today. That should help me out quite a bit, I don't see any other way of fitting the butt plate without good sharp chisels! Since the butt plate is semi-hollow I really only need to inlet the outer edge to get it flush, just a small airspace to get rid of.

I did more stock removal yesterday as well. Pretty much down to needing coarse sandpaper now. The shaper is no longer "gentle" enough for the work that is left!

I sure enjoy the labor though. Keeps my mind focused

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You realize that you are OBLIGATED to be posting pictures along with your updates.. Right? :thumbsup:

A drill press is really handy, along with some very sharp chisels in various shapes. Thinking abou a power sharpening system too. You could use a random orbital sander for certain things too.

Col. Batguano said:

A drill press is really handy, along with some very sharp chisels in various shapes. Thinking abou a power sharpening system too. You could use a random orbital sander for certain things too.

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My 1st kit cost me neay $4500.00... $1000.00 for the kit and $3500.00 for tools... :wink:

I have pictures of the kit before I did anything. I will take more here soon. Probably won't do much on it except on weekends. If I try during the week I will likely be late for work, or be up till 5am (I work second shift).

I have a small drill press. The only part I am really concerned with anymore is finishing the cast metal pieces. Everything else I am OK with I think some heavy "shoeshine" action will do!?

Wattsy said:

My 1st kit cost me neay $4500.00... $1000.00 for the kit and $3500.00 for tools... :wink:

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Funny I have the same kit. :hmm:

Everybody does. that's why we wind up building more than one. Sort of a way to "justify" the investment in our minds.

So, honestly speaking, what is a finished parts set worth? I see this stuff trading on GB and AA for about 90-120% of the cost of the parts. (I'm not talking about massive engraving and presentation grade stuff, just average stuff.)

Aww heck, tools ALONE have racked up over $50 so far! Most are things I wanted before, but never got. Wood chisels, file brush, bigger file. I also just ordered 400 .490 round balls (and some 16ga wads) to have around.





Many of you have been here...These pics were before I started

:grin: Now your just being silly. I spent $50 just on the materials to apply a finish to the kit I'm working on. I've easily got $400 in tools for this kit, which is my first, and I'd venture to say I'll have another $50-$100 before I'm finished. Heck, I've got more than a hundred bucks in books just to help prepare myself. Money well spent, the tools won't go bad, and if I decide to do another, I'll already have them. And please keep in mind, I'm trying to be frugal in my tool purchases, nothing extravagant, just adequate. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

What are the 16 ga wads for?

You need these, and this.

I have gone back to them continually in my Queen Anne build.

Also, for polishing the metal, Harbor Freight sells a set of polishing wheels that will fit on a drill press one at a time, with jeweler's rouge included.

silly goose said:

:grin: Now your just being silly. I spent $50 just on the materials to apply a finish to the kit I'm working on. I've easily got $400 in tools for this kit, which is my first, and I'd venture to say I'll have another $50-$100 before I'm finished. Heck, I've got more than a hundred bucks in books just to help prepare myself.

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Sounds to me like you went on a tool buying spree of things you wanted, not what you actually needed. :idunno:

It is a Assembly Kit, not a build. All the major work is done, all you need to do is finish trimming out some inlets & file & sand & assemble it. Books ? what for ? It comes with a assembly instruction sheet doesn't it ? You don't need builder books to assembly it, just assemble it. It is so basic you don't need the instruction sheet.
Make sure it all goes together, take it apart, stain finish the stock then brown or blue the barrel & assemble it again. A person can assemble this kit in 16 hrs on a kitchen table with a file, Exacto knife, screwdriver, sandpaper & finish.

I know two 12 yr old Boy Scouts that built them & they had basically no tools other than what I just stated, other than I furnished them a elcheapo clamp-on vice that cost $8. from the fleamarket to clamp on a folding table at their house out in their garage.

They bought 2 Exacto knife, sand paper, 0000 steel wool, 2 screwdrivers, 8" file, 8" wood rasp, Birchwood Casey Walnut Stock filler & Tru-Oil, Browning solution, and I loaned them a nipple wrench. They have about $50.-60. each in tools & finish materials.

They asked "what do I do". I said Read the plans that came with the kit. If you are doing something wrong, I will stop you & suggest, otherwise, look at it, read it, do what it says. It is Your Kit, You build it. It is obvious if you just look at it, what has to be done. Neither had any problems assembling or finishing the assembly kits. And they are now shooting & enjoying them. They have to bench shoot them, as the GPR is too heavy for them, but they are shooting them & having a good time.

You need the bare essentials to assemble a GPR kit. If you needed allot of tools to assemble it, very few would be buying the kits. IMHO

Keith Lisle

I didn't see in my post where I said I was assembling a GPR, I'm working on an early Va.

outbackzack said:

You need these, and this.

I have gone back to them continually in my Queen Anne build.

Also, for polishing the metal, Harbor Freight sells a set of polishing wheels that will fit on a drill press one at a time, with jeweler's rouge included.

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NO! Don't even tempt me to go to the Woodcraft store! (40 min drive)

I don't plan on buying carving tools. I don't forsee a need...yet!