Red’s Incredible Traditions Kentucky Build: Probably not what you would have done…

[Panama Red]

Prepare yourselves to be amazed, amused, and thoroughly befuddled by the acts of percussive gymnastics about to be performed, all without the benefit of net! Step right up! See the fat man perform on trapeze… well, on a barstool really…
Santa in the Brown Suit finally arrived! So the unboxing will commence shortly. Really looking forward to this build.
Hoping this is the start of a long and lurid affair with all things flintlock.
Edit: I forgot to give a shout out to Muzzle-Loaders.com for the rifle! They have an easy to navigate site, lots of rifles in stock, and awesome support! Hope this is allowed on here. If not, moderators, let me know and I’ll edit it…

 

[64Springer]

Come on, Man.

Lift that lid.

Percussive gymnastics being performed on all things flintlock.

Ying and Yang.

 

[Brazos John]

OK, you got our attention!
Let's see what you have there, kid.

 

[Panama Red]

OK, you got our attention!
Let's see what you have there, kid.

I’ll be getting to it… I swear, I retired Jan of 2020, and today I have no idea how I ever had time for a job. My wife walks by as I’m trying to get pics for this thread, and says, “Let’s go. You ain’t got time for that now. We have appointments…”
I promise more by this evening.
-Red, a very busy man…

 

[longcruise]

OK, you got our attention!
Let's see what you have there, kid.

Yeah!! I'm on pins and needles. I'm sure there's something unique and heretofore unseen.

 

[Panama Red]

The unboxing has commenced! There she is, in all her glory. The finest rifle 459 dollars can buy! Gorgeous flamed beech stock, 33” swamped barrel, hand crafted top end lock. A true thing of beauty! Monkey toes in flip-flops are just an extra added bonus.
Actually, I’m not too surprised by anything I’ve found so far, based on watching every Kentucky build video I could find. Well, one surprise: the push rod is pretty close to straight. I was expecting a snake, and got almost an arrow… well, sort of. It’s not bad!
Major thing I’m looking at that is pretty far off is the front half and back half of the stocks don’t seem to line up real well, but again, most every video I watched had the same issues, so, no surprise.
Oh, the barrel’s not swamped, that was a joke. It’s the standard straight barrel.
Alrighty, now to start on the assembly process. This may take a while. We do mission work in the Bahamas, and will be at our house on the island for a good portion of the summer. I’ll sit down and map out a battle plan tomorrow, and then throw it away and dive in wherever I really feel like it. First thing is probably going to be joining the two stock halves. I’m going to glue in a wood spacer like I’ve seen so many do…
Done for the day. See y’all tomorrow.

 

[Panama Red]

Yeah!! I'm on pins and needles. I'm sure there's something unique and heretofore unseen.

It was amazing! An angelic choir burst forth in song as I slowly opened the lid… very religious experience. Much like the opening of the ark in Raiders of the Lost Ark, except without all the face melting and screaming and death and such. Ok, nothing like Raiders, but magnificent all the same!
Hollywood has already called me about the film rights for just the unboxing. Wait until the first splash of stain hits this stock! Or, the sequel, Browning of the Barrel!
Yep. Children will sing of this moment in ages to come. The White House called me today. They are passing a bill to make April 25th a national holiday, and wanted me to speak at the signing ceremony. I told them I was honored, but have my hands full with a truly beautiful work of art…

 

[Master Blaster]

Some of the non-alcoholic beers are quite tasty...just sayin'.

 

[64Springer]

View attachment 217527View attachment 217528The unboxing has commenced! There she is, in all her glory. The finest rifle 459 dollars can buy! Gorgeous flamed beech stock, 33” swamped barrel, hand crafted top end lock. A true thing of beauty! Monkey toes in flip-flops are just an extra added bonus.
Actually, I’m not too surprised by anything I’ve found so far, based on watching every Kentucky build video I could find. Well, one surprise: the push rod is pretty close to straight. I was expecting a snake, and got almost an arrow… well, sort of. It’s not bad!
Major thing I’m looking at that is pretty far off is the front half and back half of the stocks don’t seem to line up real well, but again, most every video I watched had the same issues, so, no surprise.
Oh, the barrel’s not swamped, that was a joke. It’s the standard straight barrel.
Alrighty, now to start on the assembly process. This may take a while. We do mission work in the Bahamas, and will be at our house on the island for a good portion of the summer. I’ll sit down and map out a battle plan tomorrow, and then throw it away and dive in wherever I really feel like it. First thing is probably going to be joining the two stock halves. I’m going to glue in a wood spacer like I’ve seen so many do…
Done for the day. See y’all tomorrow.

You're poking fun at and having fun with your 469 dollar kit.

I commend you for that.

Not sure how much time you want to invest, but those Kentuckyish rifles can be slimmed down quite a bit. Lots of wood to come off.

Take your time and you'll make that rifle look much longer than she really is.

Good luck and congrats.

 

[Loja man]

This should be fun!! They are good shooters!!

 

[Panama Red]

You're poking fun at and having fun with your 469 dollar kit.

I commend you for that.

Not sure how much time you want to invest, but those Kentuckyish rifles can be slimmed down quite a bit. Lots of wood to come off.

Take your time and you'll make that rifle look much longer than she really is.

Good luck and congrats.

A few of the guys I’ve watched put them on a strict weight reduction plan. They look so much longer and more sleek…
I’m serious about this rifle taking me a while. Against most everyone’s advice, I’m going with boiled linseed oil. From what I’m seeing, apart from taking a long time to dry, it is a very good finish for a working field rifle, which is what this one is going to try to be…
I’m hoping to have it finished and shot enough that I know how to work it reliably by muzzle loader season.
Unless May just opens up for me… then I may have it done before summer gets in full swing. Either way, I’m going to have fun with the build, and have fun with documenting.

 

[Panama Red]

Some of the non-alcoholic beers are quite tasty...just sayin'.

Actually, tomorrow I am 500 days alcohol free. I don’t dare try one of the non-alcoholic beers. Man, I LOVE a good beer, along with some good bourbon… a little too much, lol! Afraid that would just set my mouth a little to much towards drinking again…
All the lunacy that is forth coming is from a completely sober mind. Enjoy!

 

[smokepolehall]

Oh man someone sawed your stock in two. Not only that but looks like the upper has been freckled

 

[Panama Red]

Oh man someone sawed your stock in two. Not only that but looks like the upper has been freckled

That isn’t freckles, it is “figured beech”! You pay a premium for it…

 

[exarcher]

View attachment 217527View attachment 217528The unboxing has commenced! There she is, in all her glory. The finest rifle 459 dollars can buy! Gorgeous flamed beech stock, 33” swamped barrel, hand crafted top end lock. A true thing of beauty! Monkey toes in flip-flops are just an extra added bonus.
Actually, I’m not too surprised by anything I’ve found so far, based on watching every Kentucky build video I could find. Well, one surprise: the push rod is pretty close to straight. I was expecting a snake, and got almost an arrow… well, sort of. It’s not bad!
Major thing I’m looking at that is pretty far off is the front half and back half of the stocks don’t seem to line up real well, but again, most every video I watched had the same issues, so, no surprise.
Oh, the barrel’s not swamped, that was a joke. It’s the standard straight barrel.
Alrighty, now to start on the assembly process. This may take a while. We do mission work in the Bahamas, and will be at our house on the island for a good portion of the summer. I’ll sit down and map out a battle plan tomorrow, and then throw it away and dive in wherever I really feel like it. First thing is probably going to be joining the two stock halves. I’m going to glue in a wood spacer like I’ve seen so many do…
Done for the day. See y’all tomorrow.

It should be a very atractive stock,,, i'm interested to see how different the fron and back will be,,, the figure on the 2 are very different.. may look great... Post your work...

 

[exarcher]

A few of the guys I’ve watched put them on a strict weight reduction plan. They look so much longer and more sleek…
I’m serious about this rifle taking me a while. Against most everyone’s advice, I’m going with boiled linseed oil. From what I’m seeing, apart from taking a long time to dry, it is a very good finish for a working field rifle, which is what this one is going to try to be…
I’m hoping to have it finished and shot enough that I know how to work it reliably by muzzle loader season.
Unless May just opens up for me… then I may have it done before summer gets in full swing. Either way, I’m going to have fun with the build, and have fun with documenting.

I did a walnut stocked rifle of mine (centerfire) with BLO,, it looks great,, but plan on a very long drying time,, In east Tn. it was at least 4 months because of the high humidity.. Whats great about blo is it is so easily "touched up".. very easy to sand off a spot & put it back to condition that won't tell on you!!

 

[Panama Red]

It should be a very atractive stock,,, i'm interested to see how different the fron and back will be,,, the figure on the 2 are very different.. may look great... Post your work...

I’ve got some ideas on blending those two. Looking at some actual civil war rifles, after 150 years of use and handling, they have a very dark look around the lock, and extending forward and back a little ways, which lightens up in the fore grip, to darken back as it approaches the muzzle. I’m thinking this look will hide the joint fairly well, and make the transition from the rear half to the front half less noticeable. At least that’s how I have it in my head at the moment. It will probably come out looking like the head of a striped cat shoved on to the body of a spotted dog…

 

[Panama Red]

I did a walnut stocked rifle of mine (centerfire) with BLO,, it looks great,, but plan on a very long drying time,, In east Tn. it was at least 4 months because of the high humidity.. Whats great about blo is it is so easily "touched up".. very easy to sand off a spot & put it back to condition that won't tell on you!!

The guy I’m watching on YouTube has mentioned long drying times, like ten days for VERY thin coats, and doing like 5 coats of it, sanding while wet, and rubbing the BLO/sawdust slurry in to the stock to fill the grain. I love the look he got on his. Very smooth, but not shiny. And what you stated was the main reason I went this direction, besides the smooth finish, it is very easy to blend any scratches you need to repair.
I say all this kkk no owing that I change my mind more than my wife changes purses, but that’s the plan.
-Red, an indecisive man…

 

[Panama Red]

This should be fun!! They are good shooters!!

In the process of gleaning all the information humanly possible on these things, it runs the gamut from, “It will never spark and you will end up throwing the thing at whatever you are trying to kill!” to “Better than the best custom made rifle ever! Have killed elephant at a thousand yards!” (I’m pretty sure they were shooting offhand as well)…
I’m hoping to work up an MOA load at 50 yards. And if it will do it, 100 yards. If it just won’t do it, a pie plate at 50 will suffice for the majority of what I will do here in FL. I have the unmentionable nail drivers with hoopty-hoo optical devices on them for reaching out and touching some thing, to paraphrase the old AT&T commercial.
I’ve got a 300 yard rifle range on my property, as well as a really nice pistol range for combat pistol competition stuff. Trying to influence all my “Smokeless” buddies to come to the dark side, and work us up some flintlock matches of some sort… that will all have to wait until this is complete, and weather gets cool. Nobody likes Swamp Crotch while trying to shoot. We will do it, but we sure don’t like it.
-Red, keeping his powder, and his boxers, dry…

 

[PathfinderNC]

Actually, tomorrow I am 500 days alcohol free. I don’t dare try one of the non-alcoholic beers. Man, I LOVE a good beer, along with some good bourbon… a little too much, lol! Afraid that would just set my mouth a little to much towards drinking again…
All the lunacy that is forth coming is from a completely sober mind. Enjoy!

Congratulations on your new project and on your recovery! These are good things