Building Time Length

[musketman]

There are many builders on this forum, here is something to think about...

On average, from start to finish, how many hours (days or even weeks) does it take to produce a finely crafted working muzzleloader?

 

[Mike Brooks]

I build one, on the average, about every three weeks.

 

[musketman]

I build one, on the average, about every three weeks.

Is that non-stop work on a single gun or do you do several orders at a time, like all stocks one week, barrels the next, ect...

 

[rich pierce]

Starting from a blank and making many of the parts (trigger, thimbles, buttplate, sideplate, sights, underlugs, etc, modifying a guard) and using hand tools only (including inletting the barrel and drilling a ramrod hole), I think it takes me about 120 hours to make and finish a longrifle with a good amount of carving and little engraving. That does not include time thinking, studying, writing on this board, or buying parts.

 

[Slowpoke]

I could build a rifle from a blank, with the barrel pre-inletted, from start to finish in about 3 weeks. If I had to make the patchbox or carve it would be a little more.

SP

 

[Stophel]

I can do an absolutely dirt-plain "barn" gun in about 40 hours of work. All hand inlet.

An average gun (minor amount of carving) takes me 60 hours or so (I'm sure I'm underestimating...). But, I can't do those hours consecutively. It usually takes me 3-4 months to finish a gun.

 

[magnus wiberg]

I checked on two occasions when I built identical matchlock muskets. Those guns I built all from scratch; boring and reaming barrel and shaping octagon to round,completely building the match lock , starting with a plank and shaping stock and inletting barrel with handtools and boring ramrod channel.
Both muskets took on the average of 160 hours each.
Magnus in Sweden

 

[Birddog6]

It takes me about all the time it takes me til it is done. :grin:

I never put a clock on a rifle or track the hours, as then it would be like a job... I have more than enough jobs to do & don't want my Hobby tossed in with them........... :grin:

 

[Randy]

I tried to keep track on a couple rifles and found I could make a plain rifle from a precarved stock in about 80 working hrs. From a blank piece of wood it took about 100. Lots of unrecorded hours went into planning and thinking my way out of minor mishaps along the way, but hey that's the fun of it all. I agree with BD6.

Horse Dr.

 

[Stophel]

Hey, Magnus, what type of wood do you like to use there? Birch? Elm?

 

[Mike Brooks]

I build one, on the average, about every three weeks.

Is that non-stop work on a single gun or do you do several orders at a time, like all stocks one week, barrels the next, ect...

I mainly work on one gun at a time. I'll start the next gun while I'm building up finish on the stock and rusting the parts.
I typically spend 60 to 80 hours on decorated guns, and 30 or 40 hours on plainer guns. These times are from blanks with the barrels and RR chanels already done. If I have to make alot of parts, the time of course goes up.
I spend approximately 30 hours per week actually standing at the bench. I have a pretty bad case of tennis elbow in my right arm and golfers elbow in my left as well as carple tunnel in both wrists. Keep in mind, my right elbow is so bad at this time that Gunbuilding 101 has all been done for the most part left handed...I havn't been able to turn a screw driver right handed in the past month or so. Not to mention a pinched sciatic nerve in my back.... about 30 hours per week is all I can manage with out living on pain killers.
If I would have known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself 30 years ago. :redface:

 

[BLAHMAN]

I average about a 100 hours per gun. I do some here, do some there.

I've always got between five to six guns in some manner of work: barrels in stock. locks in stock, triggers, so on and so forth.

I spend more time shaping and final finish than anything else.

If I make a patchbox it takes longer (cause I always screw them up)

 

[Slowpoke]

Mike... let me introduce you to the wonders of a milling machine.... 1 elk nosecap, 5 minutes, and I was holding a hamburger in my left hand all the time. :grin: I better hurry up and order a gun from you before you fall apart !!!

 

[Zonie]

I really haven't kept an hour log and the guns I've built were just a hobby so I took my time. I worked on them when the mood fit me. When it didn't, I would just let it lay.

One of the reasons I go slowly is because I can't afford to frinkle up a expensive piece of wood and I've found that hurrying can do just that.

As you know, most of my guns are pre-carves and that in itself can cause minor problems but all in all, they work out to make a fairly nice gun.

How long? Between 120 and 180 hours. In weeks? About 16 to 25. :grin:

 

[jderrick]

Goodness. No idea the hours... and if you include all the trips to the hardware/gun/megastore?

I'm a "piddler," piddle at it, put it down, get some more spare time, theraputically fiddle some more.... the end sum of so many spare moments being a hobby and a nice gun.

 

[Birddog6]

as well as carple tunnel in both wrists.

Mike, I suggest you go get both of the wrists fixed. Don't wait too long like I did & have perminent nerve damage. It is hard to carve & engrave when you can feel half of your fingers.....
:shake:

Mine are ALLOT better since I had it done, but I should have had them fixed 3-4 years ago before they got so bad....

 

[Mike Brooks]

Can't afford the surgery or the six week unpaid vacation for recovery. Maybe after the wife starts teaching... :hmm:

 

[Birddog6]

Well, when ya do them DO NOT let them do them both at the same time. Taking a leak can be a major problem, as ya can't handle your goober when ya have both hands in casts ! ha ha ! :rotf: :rotf:
Actually, I had one hand done during Thanksgiving week and 4 weeks later the other hand at X-mas week, so I had little down time.