Pecatonica Fusil First Build

[Kywitetalehntr]

Oh boy. I am starting to realize the magnitude of my mistake and the lack of ability and natural talent I have. I Am realizing also that the contractor chisels will need some modification. Please offer me any critism, advise thanks

 

[Pete G]

Get some good building books, read and study. Then learn to sharpen.

 

[longcruise]

Think I see Dixon's book in the picture. Your lock inlet seems reasonably ok. Just go slow. It is a whole new world of chisels. I fought that for a while but eventually cracked and got better ones.

 

[TDM]

Agree with @Pete G. Sharp knives and chisels are key. The sharper, the better. I pay for it every time I don’t follow my own advice.

 

[Brokennock]

Read everything @dave_person has ever written here. There are some other great builders too, Dave just does a great job of explaining and documentating in order.

Break down and get the right tools for the job. Learn to sharpen all edged tools so scary sharpen that you are afraid of them.

Be patient and go slow, take breaks.

Edit:
Below you will find a reply from the other gentleman I was trying to think when I wrote this reply. Unfortunately brain fade took over.
(Sorry, @PathfinderNC)
Read his posts on his builds, he provides a lot of good information.

 

[PathfinderNC]

The Pecatonica Fusil de Chase kits are pretty good I think (I built two). My go-to tool for in-letting was an X-Acto knife (get a box of #11 blades; you will use lots). I have several Sheffield carving chisels but use just a few that work best for me. Rifler files are very, very useful. I have micro and standard sizes. Also, unpopular as they are, I use a dremel tool for select applications with fine results. I won't suggest you use one unless you have had a good amount of practice and can control it as well as a dentist might!
I didn't use the side plate that Pecatonica provided. It doesn't fit the L&R Lock very well. (Muzzleloarers Builder Supply has good alternative choices.)
As mentioned above, go through Dave Person's threads in here. His tutorials are amazingly helpful and easy to understand.
Many mistakes can be fixed, so don't freak-out. One step at a time, and it will all come together.

 

[Rob M.]

Interesting .....

 

[Kywitetalehntr]

Interesting .....

Yep, I regrettably attempted a DIY. What money that doesn’t go to farm animals, church, philanthropy, cleaning other peoples trash from public hunting areas(ugh), goes to my very hungry 38 week pregnant wife. There is sadly a set yearly budget allocated for entertainment, and I needed something to do to help cope with PTSD.

 

[Kywitetalehntr]

Yep, I regrettably attempted a DIY. What money that doesn’t go to farm animals, church, philanthropy, cleaning other peoples trash from public hunting areas(ugh), goes to my very hungry 38 week pregnant wife. There is sadly a set yearly budget allocated for entertainment, and I needed something to do to help cope with PTSD.

And I’m greatful that I chose this route rather than dropping $2,000 on a rifle even if I do mess it up. About a week after I ordered it, we had major septic issues. We are very rural and it was 20 degrees out. $$$$$

The Pecatonica Fusil de Chase kits are pretty good I think (I built two). My go-to tool for in-letting was an X-Acto knife (get a box of #11 blades; you will use lots). I have several Sheffield carving chisels but use just a few that work best for me. Rifler files are very, very useful. I have micro and standard sizes. Also, unpopular as they are, I use a dremel tool for select applications with fine results. I won't suggest you use one unless you have had a good amount of practice and can control it as well as a dentist might!
I didn't use the side plate that Pecatonica provided. It doesn't fit the L&R Lock very well. (Muzzleloarers Builder Supply has good alternative choices.)
As mentioned above, go through Dave Person's threads in here. His tutorials are amazingly helpful and easy to understand.
Many mistakes can be fixed, so don't freak-out. One step at a time, and it will all come together.

thanks for the advise, it means a lot that someone would take the time to write a thought out reply. If I can get it to turn out half as good as one of those I’ll be happy

 

[Rob M.]

I hope you get it together and enjoy the hell out of it !

 

[Kywitetalehntr]

I hope you get it together and enjoy the hell out of it !

Brother I’m just glad I don’t have poop coming up through the tubs any more lol the worst part of it all, my wife ended up with pink eye. Poor thing. I was the one who talked her into buying a farm with a 1972 house. I ran myself up the wall trying to find the septic system. Professionals searched. We probed we dug, we flushed sonar transmitters. The hypervigilance part of the ptsd was in overdrive. I whole heartedly believed there was not one. But we’ve got one, and she’s now empty. All down hill from here

 

[Kywitetalehntr]

Think I see Dixon's book in the picture. Your lock inlet seems reasonably ok. Just go slow. It is a whole new world of chisels. I fought that for a while but eventually cracked and got better ones.

Is there anything I can do to clean up some of the jaggedness around the inlet?

 

[The Crisco Kid]

All good advise above. Just remember to relax and think about things before you tear into it. It's a form of therapy and not something you're in a hurry to finish. Pathfinder uses an exacto knife a lot. So do I but one thing I learned early on is to grind or stone off that really sharp point. I broke
one off on a corner of a lock inlet once and it really created some problems!

And please, when you talk to people our age don't say it's all downhill from here. We are well aware of that!

 

[PathfinderNC]

Is there anything I can do to clean up some of the jaggedness around the inlet?

Once you lower the wood surface around the lock molding, you can swell the wood with some water. That would close up some of the gaps. But you can do that later in the build.

 

[Bnewberry]

It doesn’t have to be perfect to be good. Do your best, as long as it safely fires reliably you will enjoy it and you will learn some things!

I have to remind myself of this on my various projects!

 

[Kywitetalehntr]

All good advise above. Just remember to relax and think about things before you tear into it. It's a form of therapy and not something you're in a hurry to finish. Pathfinder uses an exacto knife a lot. So do I but one thing I learned early on is to grind or stone off that really sharp point. I broke
one off on a corner of a lock inlet once and it really created some problems!

And please, when you talk to people our age don't say it's all downhill from here. We are well aware of that!

I put the angry face over the frustration of the broken xacto blade tip (millennial here).

 

[The Crisco Kid]

That's good to know! The words I used cannot be repeated here!

 

[Birddog1911]

Lots of good info. As a beginner myself, I'll just add this: if it's frustrating you or confusing, don't be afraid to walk away and take a break.

 

[Kywitetalehntr]

Question about barrel inletting, am I aiming for full contact of the barrel to the stock. I am using Prussian blue to inlet with. When I am at the right point, should the inletting blue be the full length of the barrel, on all flats inside the barrel channel? I have managed to seat the breech fully to the back of the barrel channel, and am getting full contact of the breech. Just trying to figure about the length of the barrel in the channel.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Many of the old rifles had the sides and the bottom flat bearing and the rest was just rounded out to make room. Or so I've been told anyway.