New project!

[Ross5403]

So the last thing I built was a chambers New England Fowler. I got the bug for wanting to build again but wanted a rifle this time. Bought a 46inch swamped .54 cal rice barrel and a beautiful piece of maple from Allen Martin. Sent all of this to Dave keck at knob mountain muzzleloading to have the barrel inlet and the butt profiled to fred millers York rifle. That was in May , package arrived yesterday and can't say enough about Dave's work would definitely recommend him. Also Allen is great to deal with and reasonable for stock wood.

 

[2 shots]

 

[Ross5403]

Well got the breech and tang inlet, got some gaps. This is my second rifle my first was a chambers kit New England Fowler. Probably take some shavings off the sides to fix it. Next to cut the dovetails for the barrel lugs.

 

[Col. Batguano]

You need sharper tools. Slow down in your inletting. If you do that, your inlets will be tighter. You may be able to peen the tang to get a little bit wider to take up the gap. Otherwise, I would suggest gluing some wood in to the tang inlet sides and re-inletting it

 

[Ross5403]

There's a better picture. My tools were pretty sharp and I keep a strop on my bench. I think my problem chasing some false marking from my inletting black when I wiggled it out of the inlet. Luckily it is below the surface of the wood and it does get tighter the lower I go so the gap may not be as prominent as a do my finale filing and sand over the tang. It's still hard to tell what's gap and what's inletting black in the picture. I'll clean up the tang and get a better one tomorrow. I don't have any instructor so learning by trial and error. You guys on here and other forums have been a big help I appreciate all the advice. It's all I have to go by besides books and videos. Thank you again.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I like to use a very sharp pencil to trace around my inletting metal. Then I make my cuts to be all inside the pencil line by just a little bit.

Be careful about tapering the metal with a file too much to get something of a "wedge" shape. That might get you a nice tight inlet when you first install the metal, but as you file it down to get a nice flush fitment between the wood and metal, a gap will open up as you take the metal away (if you've made a straight sided inlet in the wood).

Try using soot from a candle, acetylene torch (no oxygen) or an oil lamp instead of inletting black. It doesn't smear and move around as much, leaving you false marks to chase. Alternatively, a sharpie can be used. It also doesn't "grind" in to the wood pores the way the greasy black does. If you still want to use inletting black use it very sparingly. Use a small scraper to take off the excess on parts you don't want blackened. That stuff has a bad habit of getting everywhere!

That inlet actually doesn't look so bad in the latest picture. Only the front part of the top line looks like it has an appreciable gap. Unfortunately, you won't be able t peen the plug in that spot. Remember, varnish is going to take up some space too. Once my tang is in final position (fully relaxed, with no spring to it when the tang bolt is tightened) I like to glass bed the tang to get 100% solid seating. If a little oozes in to that gap odds are you won't even see it on the final product.

 

[Ross5403]

I like to use a very sharp pencil to trace around my inletting metal. Then I make my cuts to be all inside the pencil line by just a little bit.

Be careful about tapering the metal with a file too much to get something of a "wedge" shape. That might get you a nice tight inlet when you first install the metal, but as you file it down to get a nice flush fitment between the wood and metal, a gap will open up as you take the metal away (if you've made a straight sided inlet in the wood).

Definitely going to take it slow and see what happens. Will adjust from there. I appreciate it.

 

[BadDaditood]

I concur with everything the Colonel said- and I think whiskering and your finish will swell that inlet tight.
That’s gonna be a nice piece!

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Use more light.

 

[Ross5403]

Use more light.

I appreciate the input. I actually have a question since my bench is out side I have been wanting to get a light so I can direct it the way I want. I've seen those that are regular bulbs and some are bright white LED. Which would you suggest for a bench light?

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I use a banned old fashion 100 watt bulb. I was smart enough to buy a 1/2 a truck load before the ban.

 

[azmntman]

NOT a builder but I wonder if you could wet down the area and it may swell into place? Sorry if it's an idiotic idea but I would try it if I were doing it (unless somebody confirms the idiocy of the idea, LOL).