1st build attempt, need assurance

Hello all!
This is my 1st build attempt and also my 1st attempt at posting photos here so please bear with me on both accounts. I’m tech challenged.

I just started to inlet the barrel in my component set and I believe I have to move it quite a bit farther back than just rounding off the corners at the breech area. The black line on the barrel is the ½ depth of the breech plug.



The next picture is a downward at the breech. The pencil line is approximately where the rear lock bolt should go from the side plate, through the rear of the breech plug or more near to it I think.



Oh I will be using a White Lighting liner as well and as I understand it the vent mark prior to liner installation should be about 5/32” in front of breech plug face to allow for the threaded portion.

If I have the above correct I looks like I need to slide the barrel back a fair distance to get everything lined up correct?? As I understand from all my books and dvds if I don’t get this part correct nothing else will line up further on in the build.

Looking for help and reassurance.

fosters

Is your stock pre-inletted for the lock? If so, you need to inlet the lock about 3/4 of the way in, and then move the barrel back where it needs to be. It's good that you're thinking ahead. Building a rifle is kind of like playing a game of chess. You need to think ahead several moves to be successful.

Prof's right, inlet that lock first.

Hey Guys,
It is a component set and the lock is already "pre-inlet." I might have alittle wiggle room but not enough to make much of a difference I believe. It's a Chamber's "Little Fellar", 50 cal. Cherry stock. Needed a small, quick handling gun for cold Maine deer hunting. Sorry for the bad pictures, back to tech challenged. I kind of figure that I need to move the barrel back about a 1/4" What do you all think?

Much appreciated!

fosters

Because the lock is already partially inlet, that is the reason you must move the barrel rearward a bit to get the proper alignment.

These pre-carved pre inlet stocks are "close" but they always need some adjustment to get them right.

If you are going to use a vent liner, the face of the breech plug should be 1/2 of the liners thread diameter plus 1/32 to 1/16 inch behind the center of your locks pan.

Use a razor sharp chisel to square up the rear of the barrel channel and then shave a hair of wood at a time off to move the barrel rearward.

I like to use a 3/8 or 1/2" wide chisel to do this work.
Trying to use a wide chisel like a 3/4" one makes using a "push" technique almost impossible.

Using the narrower chisel I can just push it down and it will shave off a almost transparent slice of wood.

Speaking of that, your chisels edge should be sharp enough to shave with.
If the flat side is held against your thumb nail and then raised slightly it should bite into your thumbnail with almost no pressure at all.

Zonie opened my eyes on the same subject, different post. Zonie is god for this type of thing. If he says it, it is so.

steve

Your ahead of me, I didn't move mine back and when drilling for the vent liner got into the face of the breach plug about 1/32". If it'd been any further forward I wouldn't have been able to use a vent liner. If I build another I'll make sure to partially inlet the lock before inletting the barrel.

I am not sure what you mean by the 1/2 depth of the breech plug. Is the line the face of the breech plug when it is installed? If so you surely don't need to go back 1/4".

Yes the black line is where the end of the breech plug rests when installed. A 1/4" might be alittle drastic.

The lock fits in the inlet fairly well out of the box. Once I put alittle draft on the plate it will probably pop right in. My 2nd challenge, disassembling the lock! Lots of moving parts to lose and forget where they go.

My chisels do need to be honed. I have to learn that too. They are not bad, but need work. It actually caused a problem I have yet to deal with. I pushed alittle too hard and broke a small hole through the side of the barrel channel into the lock plate inlet. Any ideas on how to fix that or do I need to? I though about taking a shaving off the butt plate area and gluing a sliver in. It will be under the barrel and may not be a problem. I main concern on this whole project is safety. My 12 year old nephew may end up with this gun eventually when finished so I want everything solid and correct.

Thanks again!
fosters

I take pictures of anything I am going to take apart.
I use a Sony Cyber Shot check your flash and lighting.
I also advise the Pioneer Video you can get one for building a Flint Lock from a Chambers kit.

Good luck and keep the pictures going.

When your inletting the lock it is fairly common to have small break thru's into the barrel channel.

This is especially true in the area of the mainspring.

They won't hurt anything so don't worry about them but don't go hog wild. The more wood that is left untouched the stronger the area will be.

Swede, that was extactly what I was thinking of doing. Step by step pictures. I also have both of the Chamber's DVD's that I must have watched a couple dozen times apiece. Great minds think alike.

Zonie, that's good to hear.I was more than alittle upset when I slipped. I wasn't even using a mallet to guard against that.

Looks like lock disassembly tonight. When you all say inlet it 3/4 of the way do you mean just the plate without the guts? That should be all I need to locate the vent/pan location which inturn locates the barrel location correct?

Sorry to be a bother, but once I get the barrel and the lock locations in order and correctly placed I should be good for a while.

If you all don't mind I may post picts along the way so maybe you all can catch me before I make a serious error.

Much appreciated!

fosters

Sounds like your headed the right way. The only part that confuses me is the cold Maine hunting season,I would be more concerned with keeping the durned thing dry with what soggy, warm deer seasons we've had lately . :grin:

You're right DT, weather has certainly been different the last few seasons up home in Maine. I remember when I was a kid freezing on a deer stand with my dad.1st deer I ever harvested was with a .50cal at -11. I learned a valuable lesson on that deer. At that temp don't wait til the next morning to take the hide off. I had to chisel every inch off that frozen deer. :grin:

I have only built three rifles so I ain't no Zonie but I have found that a set of Forstner bits and a drill press is very handy. You can control the depth of the lock mortise precisely. You can make the round parts of other inletted pieces fit perfectly with little effort. I guess you learn tricks as you go because each of my builds has gotten progressively better. I may even show this gun off!

I would love to have a drill press, but alas I'm forced to go old school. Probably best in my case for the 1st build, already poked a hole in the lock mortise via the barrel channel. :cursing: A drill press is definetly on my short list of tools.

Slight delay in the lock inletting. Going to have to move my bench. It is currently in my shed with no heat and the weather is starting to turn cold, low 30's tonight. New bench in the house will be set up tomorrow and away we go. :grin:

Lock disassembly tomorrow, after new bench set up, and hopefully I'll inlet it. I've got to do some filing on the plate for the draft so may not have time to get the lock plate in place. I'm not real sure on how much "draft" I should put on the plate, but I guess little is best?

fosters