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Eric Krewson:
I never figured a good way to transfer the exact lock panel pattern to the side plate side.
I start by making a rubbing for a pattern, transferring the pattern and drawing around it on the lock panel side. I adjust the panel as necessary when I cut it out to be a pretty good match to the lock panel.
Eric Krewson:
When I get the side plate panel cut out I am done with stock, it will be ready for a final sanding, whiskering, staining and finishing.
All I have to do with the metal is finish polishing the lock parts, buttplate, the barrel and trigger parts and browning on the steel parts.
Mike Yancey:
Very nice!!
Eric Krewson:
Time to get the iron stuff ready to brown as well as finishing up polishing the last brass piece. I will polish the brass one time to make sure I have all the casting marks cleaned up, after that I may even black everything for the dark rife I am making.
I start with a file to get the casting gate and visible craters out of the way.
Next I use a cabinet scraper to get rid of the bulk of the file marks and follow the scraper with progressively finer sheets of sand paper.
This picture shows the kind of voids that have to be filed out to level the surface.
Next I go over the piece with the buffing wheel. I did learn a neat trick for a Dremel buffing wheel. I bought 100 various wool wheels and arbors off eBay for less than one Dremel buffing wheel costs. The problem with these cheap wheels is the hole wallows out quickly and the shaft spins but not the wheel. I put a drop of superglue on the pad then screwed the wheel on and I have yet to have one come loose.
An honest 3 hours later I am done and only with a rough buttplate.
Eric Krewson:
Taking the orange peal finish off the lock parts is particularly tedious, so many angles to file and sand, of course the frizzen is hard as a rock and hard to file and sand. The triggers and the trigger plate aren't too bad.
After several days, lots of sandpaper and sore fingers the steel parts are ready to brown, and the brass is looking good.
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