Kibler ‘counter top’ build …

Some of you know that I am building a Kibler 54-cal Colonial rifle for my best friend, who had lost his wife last year.

This post is not so much about this rifle, but how you can build one on your kitchen counter if you had to. I have an elderly dog that just can’t bear to not be with me, and he doesn’t like my full complete workshop downstairs, never mind he is not too good on stairs and it is quite a steep set heading down to the basement.

So I set up on those wooden ‘clamps’ as a vice on the kitchen counter and had add it! You see that the vice is attached to a base plate where just one jaw is solidly screwed to the baseplate with long screws, so that the other one moves - it works out slick!

I added a picture of the set up and then a close-up of the vice. One of those soft-sided coolers serves to support the other end, where I stuffed it full of towels and it worked out great. This entire build was done on this setup in just a few days putzing around.

Now you know I had to add one of the rifle, LOL, just had to do that! You can see that I added a custom toe plate. I am also adding a brass ‘end plate’ to the patch box cover/lid. Still doing a little finishing here & there, then I need to add some molding lines, maybe some chip carving, plus I want to trim the wrist as much as I can.

Nice setup. I built my first 4 rifles on a plastic Black and Decker Workmate on the dining room floor in our first apartment.

WTG for Bowser!
I do similar for my builds. I place the barrel, (less sights) flat solid on the bench. I have three of the wood double screw clamps. I use two additional clamps to hold the one clamping the stock, versus screwing a wood plate on.

Another way I clamp is shown in the photo.

Larry

Larry