Some Things You Might Want To Try

    Some of the messages that I have gotten since posting this site ask the same thing. Don't you do anything but go on vacation? Well I do have a life beyond vacation, although vacation is preferable.  Lets face it, vacation doesn't pay the bills. And besides a guy has to have things to do when at home, and not working. I have several things that I like to do. I fish for catfish when I have time. In the fall I hunt squirrels, and deer. But in the winter I like a challenge for my hands. For the last couple of years I have found something that is fun for me and a challenge. That is building muzzleloading guns. Although I have only built 2. Each one has been a learning experience me. The first one was a Thompson Center "Hawken" in 54 cal. I chose this one first because it was preblued, and second because TC builds some of the finest guns on the market today. Besides that, they backup what they sell. Although, not a lot of work was needed to be put into this gun to make it functional. I took the extra time to make sure that when it was done that it would be hard to tell it from a factory finished one. In fact, I wanted it to look better. This was a challenge of no small means.  All the brass had to be polished to a high luster. The stock had to blend and flow smoothly into the curves, of the brass, and other hardware on the gun. For not to take time with the stock, would have been a waste of one beautiful piece of walnut. As you can see from the picture the gun has very beautiful lines. The kit comes complete with all the parts that you need, and instructions on how to finish the gun. All the steel parts are completely blued to a very dark black. The quality is excellent. The only things that need to be worked on are the stock, and the brass. A dremel tool, large "C" clamp, some files for wood and steel, and sand paper are about the only tools that are needed. You will need to buy a stock finishing kit of some type. Also, some buffing compound called "Tripoli" for polishing the brass after it has been filed, and sanded to shape. Although, this project can be done fairly quickly. I suggest that time and care be taken with every step, so you end up with the best results. This is something that you will want to be proud of.

     The whole process of doing the gun is not that hard, and anyone that is some what handy can expect to have good results. First thing to do, is  look at the instructions thoroughly. Next, make sure that you have all the parts. Then, do a good cleaning on the metal parts to get the grease off. You do not want to get it on the wood as it will leave a greasy mark. Mineral Spirits works great for this. After the cleaning, do a test assembly of the parts. This will give you a good idea of what has to be worked on. I found that the brass was the place to start.  Because, without having the brass worked down, there is no way of telling how far to work the wood down.

     The brass is best worked down with files or a sanding drum on a dremel, depending on the shape. Take great care not to put  large  scratches in it. The bigger the nick the longer it takes to get it out!  Start out with just rough filing it, placing it on the stock every little while to check the fit. When you think that you are getting close to a good fit, stop.  It's now time to start on the wood for a while.

     Working on the wood is just like working on the brass.  Some places need a lot removed, others not so much.  But the most important thing is to make the shape flow smoothly.  Having sharp corners or abrupt changes in direction detract from the beauty of the gun.  For the most part sanding is all that is really needed in most kits.  Care should be taken not to sand cross grain as this will leave scratches that can be hard to get out.  So, the object is to get as smooth a transition between wood and metal as possible.  Once, this is accomplished the stock now needs a finish on the wood.  But first, it's back to the brass.

     Now comes the fine work that takes the longest to do. Knowing that you have the wood and brass close to the correct shape, no drastic changes can be made.  The brass must be worked down with fine sand paper or "emery cloth" starting with 250 grit and working all the way up to 800 grit.  When you have made it to the 800 grit and there are no scratches left anywhere, you can proceed with the polishing.  Depending on the part, either a Dremel tool or a buffing wheel can be used.  Don't rush the process because it can take a while.  If the prep work was done right, it will not take long at all.

     Having the brass done it's back to the wood.  The time has come to put the finishing touches to the stock.  After a final sanding with 220 grit paper the grain has to be raised to get the smoothest finish possible.  This is done with a damp cloth wiping the wood with the grain.  After the stock has dried just do a light sanding to take off the high spots.  Next is putting on the wood filler.  This fills in all the low spots in the grain.  Some finishing kits have stain in the filler taking care two steps at once.  After filling you need to decide what to use for a finish.  There are several options.  You can use tung oil a very traditional finish that leaves kind of a satin look.  Or one of the polyurethane finishes that leave a shinny finish.  What ever you decide on take the time to make it look good.

     Now that you have finished with the gun give it a good cleaning wiping it down with a product like "Bore Butter".  Be sure to clean it inside and out.  Try not to use oil based products on the gun if it is going to fired as oil will have an adverse effect on the powder.  Be sure to read all safety material before shooting.  And never use anything but black powder or Pyrodex to fire the gun.  But most importantly HAVE FUN.

 

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