Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Craftsmanship => Gun Building and Repair => Topic started by: johnthemc on January 20, 2015, 07:30:26 AM
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Hi everyone, I need help. I am new to the whole building thing and wanted to start out slow. I know some may laugh but please remember its a start for me. I didn't want to get an expensive kit because I don't know if I am capable of building fine works of art like alot of the members but I would like to give it a try. I have a Traditions Tennessee flintlock kit. I would like if someone can give me pointers on installing inlays. I bought 2 books on building but just don't understand the technique nor know what tools to use. I don't want to buy another stock if i can help it.
Thank you
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I am not an "experienced" builder by any means. I have however built one gun and watched my dad build guns for most of my life. The best advice I can give you is go very slow and take very little wood out at a time. When you start cutting your outline stay inside the lines to start and use your chisels to shave when you get close to fitting and dont gouge out too much. I was taught to file a bevel on your parts your inletting and they make a good tight fit when they are set in.
I hope that helps. Again the most important thing is to go slow and keep checking your fit as you go.
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Thank you briarsdad, what way do you bevel the inlay and the inlays I ordered does not have any way to anchor them, can I use some type of glue?
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Bevel them towards the bottom so they are a little narrower at the bottom than the top. That is the way my dad taught me. That way you start out with a smaller hole and fit the top flush and tight.
Im sure there are a lot of different opinions on how to install inlays. Some use epoxy I have heard. The way I was taught is to use a very small fine screw either brass or whatever matches your inlay. Countersink the little screw head in the inlay and file it flush when you get it set. I have a few guns my dad has done this way and you have to look very close to see where the screw is.
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i thought i had a tutorial on doing inlays on here ???
don’t see it now .
What I do is use chisels and gouges to inlay .
. I place the inlay where I want it and then carefully, using a very fine pencil , outline it.
Then using a small chisel , I plunge down just inside the lines that I have traced . This spreads the wood . Come back and carefully remove wood from inside that plunged line so that the inlay sets down in the wood .
To hold it in place , you can glue it in . but when I do that I eather raise small burrs or scribe lines on the back of the inlay so that the glue has something to grip to.
Most time however I use counter sunk pins and nail the inlay in place .
I then wet the wood around the inlay . This swells the wood back up tight against the inlay . If you have traced the part tightly , did not remove any wood outside that line . The wood will swell back up very tight and leave no gaps ..
Once finished , use a file and sand paper to level and polish the surface
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Thank you both very much. Hopefully I will have a decent enough job that I can post pic's.
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I always figured that if its yours and your happy with it and enjoyed working on it then that is all that matters.
Good luck and post up pics.
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briarsdad is spot on .
i uploaded some photos that can help exsplain things better for folks in the future
lets inlay this takes just a few minutes
no prep work to the inlay
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/001_zpssyakmhjs.jpg)
this is what ill use
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/003_zpsua1kjgt2.jpg)
small hand made chisel made from a micro screw driver
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/006_zpsutqigqoe.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/002_zpszgwiinsq.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/007_zpsznbqnksb.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/008_zps3plxhu9s.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/010_zpslk1u6erb.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/013_zpsibtdzl8z.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/captchee/014_zpszf2sgojs.jpg)
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This is just in time for me to inlay my hunters star! I was considering just using a 2-part epoxy to secure it, but I'd kind of would like to do one countersunk pin. What type of pin could be used?
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if its brass then make a brass pin or a silver or iron one in the center
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"I was taught to file a bevel on your parts your inletting and they make a good tight fit when they are set in. " Sage advice.
Using a small screw driver is a great idea. I am in the process of installing a patch box and it works great for inletting the curves and tight outlines. I am using a chisel and a dremel to remove heavy material. So far so good. Thanks for the post.