Chambers Kit Arrived!

Well one week from order to my door, not bad at all! I just got my Chambers Penn Fowler kit with plain walnut stock and brass furniture. I am very impressed with the inletting and accuracy of the parts! I hope to dig into it tonight.
I still need to pick up a few new taps and drill bits as my old ones are a little worn out. Great excuse to buy some new tools!
The inletting I think is better than my TVM kit, but there is a little more metal finishing to do. At least the brass is softer than steel. Thanks for the advise on what kits and guns to get, and I will keep everyone posted on my progress. Matt

Have fun Matt, I will recomend that you get yourself a couple of pieces of 1/16th pin stock from somewhere. The only complaint that I had about my chambers kit is that is was lacking in pin stock. :haha:

Jack

Matt,
Now that you've announced it's arrival.... you must now give updates and show it's progress if you have a camera !! Have fun with that entry thimble.... :rotf:

/ I need to get something started

Slowpoke said:

Have fun with that entry thimble.... :rotf:

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Yeah, what a gong show. talk about making something simple difficult. If i were to ever assemble another one, I'ld order it without the entry thimble or sideplate inlet.

Cody

Matt,
If'n you do have a camera at your disposal, would you mind snapping just a few pics of the kit as it arrived? Would really like to see an "out of the box" Chambers kit, for my curiosity.

Thanks if you can, and enjoy the building.

Hugh

The Chambers' kits are the finest on the market and do include 1/16" dia. piano or music wire for pinning which is much harder and stiffer than most other pin mat'l. In fact I have ordered just this wire from them after using it on an Early Lancaster and found I didn't need a larger dia. wire.Good luck.......Fred

Fred, I agree that they are wonderful kits. Mine did come with the piano wire great stuff, it's just that I could have used one more piece. No biggie I picked up enough stock to finish for less than a buck

Jack

Here are a few pictures of the kit. I havn't lightened them up on photoshop yet, so they may be a little dark.










And I got the butt plate inletted last night, I still need to file down the stock and butt plate. The drilling and countersinking went well. Of course the inletting black is all over everything, including my house. My wife is REALLY happy with me. :grin:

Make sure the ramrod properly fits down the channel. I just finished and entire gun an realized the ramrod won't fit. The channel was bored into the lock plate. Now I have a beautiful rifle with a ramrod that's too short to use.

Regards

The inletting black in the little jar is horrible stuff and until I changed to Permatex, my wife thought my basement workshop was a coal mine. Assembling a kit of this quality is pure pleasure......Fred

I will check the ramrod, the rod that came with it need to be tapered, but I can try my rifle ramrod. I heard it is common to have to grind a curved nock in one of the lock screws in order to seat the ramrod fully. My other rifle had the same problem due to how thin the webb was.

Who needs black paint to age a rifle when you have inletting black! LOL

Thanks all, Matt

Hey Matt,

If they dont keep you too busy on the highway you might have it done in time for the SML open! Not likely! Hope to see you there,

Charcloth

I like thinks on the highway as quiet as possible! :grin:

I am hoping to have this done in a few weeks to a month. The think about it is I can't put it down! Once I get started on something it occupies all my spare time, to my wife's dismay of course.

I just have to make sure to quit once I get tired or frustrated. Things turn out better that way. Matt

I love my Chambers Pennsylvania fowler.

I plan to build a Chambers smooth rifle this fall.

Let us know how your build goes!

Good luck! I well remember my excitement when my Chambers kit arrived last year - still isn't walking and talking yet, but nearly there.

I didn't have enough 1/16 either, but bought a pound of it for 5 bucks from a welding shop - enough for a lifetime.

Loyd,

There are several ways to fix that problem.

First, never shorten the rod. It's useless that way.

Second, either do one or both of the following and the problem will be non-existent.

Reduce the front lock bolt screw diameter til the ramrod passes. This is in no way a problem for the strength of the screw. Just remember to remove the ramrod, before removing the lock screws.
If it still won't pass, taper the ramrod till it does.
I've built several kit guns that have 3/8 tips at the muzzle and 5/16 at the breech. That's the end that you use last, when the ball is almost home.

my ramrod went in to the front lock bolt.... I had to cut a moon in the screw so it would side by....

Cody, I don't know if I'll ever showed you this or not



but .... one night I drank a little to much No7 and decided to inlet the entry thimble. I screwed it up so bad I had to make a patch to cover my mistake.... never drink and inlet is my new motto. :rotf:

I saw that once before. I like it.

SMALLPATCH, yes, you can fix the problem as you suggest. However, the fact that the problem is there is BS IMO. The lock bolt interfering with the RR is a newbie mistake. There's no excuse for it. That's why I said i would have it without the side plate inlet so it can be placed properly. If, for some reason, the web is not thick enough for the bolt, it is acceptable to file a notch in the bottom of the barrel to clear the bolt. It is NEVER acceptable IMO to have a bolt interfer with the RR. Sorry for the rant but this issue really gets under my skin. That is the main reason i will not assemble another kit. I'm quite capable of making my own mistakes, I don't need to pay someone else to provide them.

SLOWPOKE, yes, I've seen your treatment of the entry thimble before. I was going to mention it earlier in this thread. VERY NICELY DONE. I hope you weren't serious awhile back when you said you were getting out of gunmaking. Would surely be a shame.

Cody

Cody said:

I hope you weren't serious awhile back when you said you were getting out of gunmaking. Would surely be a shame.
Cody

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I know, I need to do something else and just need a little inspiration. I just finished building a couple split bamboo flyrods. They turned out great but I sold them before I could even try them out. :cursing: Anyway, you're right I do need to do something else...