Main Discussion Area > Muzzleloaders
It's time to stop thinking and start doing
Eric Krewson:
Watch this series to see if you have what it takes to make a parts kit gun.
Start here and proceed through all the videos, there are over 25 of them about a precarve build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JPvkMKxRv8
Go to this next to get started on the build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxPpfCA8T6k
Eric Krewson:
If you decide to build don't buy a set of carving tools, you won't use 90% of them on a build, buy or make a couple of small gouges and you are good to go. You will need an 1/8" and 1/4" chisel, an Exacto knife and all of your bow making files, rasps and scrapers as well as a mill bastard file for drawfiling the barrel and a tri- corner file for cutting sight and underlug dovetails.
I use a Dremel sparingly, you can mess up a build faster with this tool than any other, I have extensive experience as a power duck decoy carver using a Dremel and a Fordom tool so I cautiously use one on lock internal inlets. For someone without experience, keep away from this tool on a gun build.
I have made a variety of small chisels, scrapers and gouges out of concrete nails for inletting difficult areas in the stock.
Eric Krewson:
The best and most historically accurate Hawken kits are made by a guy named Don Stith, it is my understanding that he is having serious health issues at the present and is out of the loop right now. https://donstith.com/
I just checked, Don is battling bladder cancer that has spread to his lymph nodes, he is in the first few weeks of chemo treatments.
The Track of the Wolf link I posted is just the first that came to mind, I have no first hand knowledge about its overall quality.
Go to the American Longrifle site and ask the guys in the gun building section what they think of the kit and their advice about a newbie completing this Hawken kit and if it is any good. These guys really know their stuff.
Eric Krewson:
Boy, once I get started on this stuff I can go on forever.
I guess the key is, how crafty are you, some folk are and some don't have a crafty bone in their body. I found this out from teaching bow making, only about one out of a dozen students had what it took to complete a bow on their own after I helped them through their first, they just didn't have the "crafty" gene.
Hawkdancer:
Sleek, you might consider a flintlock - no need for caps, and a pound of 4fg will last a long time. Look for a black powder club in your area. There may be a gun builder and a powder source.
Hawkdancer
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version