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  1. C

    Any one make pottery?

    My girlfriend and I have been taking pottery lessons for awhile. I'm getting bored with making cups and plates, and thought trying to make some PC shaped items would be a fun challenge. Does anyone know good sources for pictures of 18th/19th century pottery? If you've made some lets see some...
  2. C

    Vent re-do?

    I finished my .54 Chambers early Lancaster kit about 6 months ago. I don't have a drill press, so all the drilling was free-hand with a cordless drill. I had decided to use a simple 1/16th inch drilled vent, no liner, since that was the most common original method. Well, I messed up with the...
  3. C

    Making a wiping stick

    I would like to make a wiping stick, or wiper. I'm talking about the long wooden rod that is seen in period paintings being carried in the barrel, NOT the ramrod. As I understand it, several period sources reference that the wiping sticks had cloth or leather attached to the end that was...
  4. C

    Old Ax ID?

    I picked this ax up at a flea market for $10. The shape of the head looks old, but I don't know a thing about it. Does anyone have any info about this blade pattern?
  5. C

    Tow worm tutorial

    So, I've got a bunch of tow, and a tow worm...but don't really know how to use it! Can someone give a quick lesson on how to use one? My worm is the tornado shaped corkscrew type. Do I screw it onto the rod with the widest or narrowest end first? What is the best way to load it with the tow?
  6. C

    Hickory source

    I would like to make a few hickory ramrods. Is there anywhere that I can buy hickory suitable for splitting to make ramrods?
  7. C

    North Star West lock quality?

    I had a thread going in the gun builders forum about shopping for a trade gun lock. I had asked about the quality of a North Star West lock. I realized that this forum might be a better place to ask that question. So...I've read plenty of posts saying that people love their NSW trade guns...
  8. C

    Which lock w/ unbridled frizzen?

    I've got the stock and barrel ordered for my next build...a northwest trade gun. Now it's time to order the lock. I'm shooting for around a 1775 era trade gun. At this time the locks had unbridled frizzens and tumblers. I've found several reproduction locks with unbridled frizzens, but I'm...
  9. C

    Where can I get a 48" barrel

    I'm looking for sources for the parts for a northwest trade gun. I would like to build one with a 48" 24ga barrel. The longest barrel I've found online is a 46". Does anyone know where I can find a 4' barrel?
  10. C

    Trade gun stock layout

    I am almost finished with my early lancaster kit, and am already thinking about what I want to build next. I decided to try building a northwest trade gun from a Dunlap blank. I've got the Sketch Book by Hanson, but he doesn't show a view looking down on the gun. Were these guns built with an...
  11. C

    PC brass finishing

    How would the 18th century gun smith finish brass parts. I know that a file would be used to get the part to final shape, and brick dust would be used for the final polish. What was used after the file to get rid of the file marks, so the brick dust can do it's work?
  12. C

    Neutralizing aqua fortis with water

    Last week I mixed up some home-brewed aqua fortis...against the advice I received about it creating clouds of toxic gas. :grin: I tested some on a piece of scrap wood and it came out looking nice. Since I don't care how the scrap wood looks in a few years I didn't bother to neutralize it...
  13. C

    Steel in aqua fortis

    Most of the recipes for aqua fortis call for iron to be added to the acid/water mix. Since pure iron is hard to find, I assume that most people are using steel. Am I assuming correctly, or should I go hunt for some actual iron? Will there be any problems with using the steel shavings from...
  14. C

    Red blanket?

    I picked up a wool blanket in an antique mall last week. It's red with a black stripe on each end. There are no "point" marks. When were blankets of this pattern first introduced? The price was good, so I bought it with plans to cut it and make leggings, mittens, winter moc liners, and other...
  15. C

    Patchbox for Chambers early Lancaster

    I'm building an early Lancaster from a Chambers kit. I'd like to try to make my own patchbox from sheet brass. I've got several books that show how to make one, but I'd like some advice on picking a design. I plan to try to replicate the patchbox based on a picture. My main concern is to...
  16. C

    Re-working an old meat cleaver

    I just picked up an old meat cleaver at a yard sale. The handle was ruined, and the blade is pretty rusty, but I thought it could be a fun project to work on, and it was cheap. I decided that since I'll be doing a lot of clean-up work on the blade, and replacing the handle, I might as well try...
  17. C

    How to taper a ramrod?

    I'm building a Chambers Early Lancaster, and started working on the ramrod today. In "The Gunsmith of Greenville County" Alexander says that the ramrod should be tapered, but he never gives the length of the taper. Am I supposed to make it gradually taper for the entire length of the rod, or...
  18. C

    Barrel fit on Chambers Kit?

    I got my Early Lancaster kit from Chambers today. The first thing I did was try to fit the barrel into the barrel channel. I was expecting a drop-in fit, except for the very back of the breech. The barrel is no where close to being a drop-in. I put as much pressure as I dared to, and the...
  19. C

    Late Lancaster kit recommendations

    I've made several posts here asking for advice on having a Late Lancaster built. I finally decided on a builder...me. I've been looking at the Late Lancaster kits from Pecatonica and TVM (Tenn Valley Muzzleloading). I would appreciate any comments about these two companies, as well as any...
  20. C

    Reference book for Lancaster rifle

    I made a post a week or two ago asking for advice on a gunsmith to create a late Lancaster for me. I got some good advice, and now need to decide exactly what features and details I want on my rifle. What book (or website links) would be recomended to see some good pictures of late Lancasters...
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