Question on my first build.

[BEAVERMAN]

JUST an FYI but you may consider getting a copy of "The Gunsmith of Greeneville County" by Alexander, I truly believe that if you had nothing but that book as a tutorial and followed Peters mentoring and how to process ... you can build a right fine long gun! lots of pics and easy to follow instructions.

[Watchmaker]

First chips out on this first build. Barrel and plug starting to settle in. I don’t think the breach face of the stock is square with the rifle channel. I’m going to remove the lugs so I can sit the barrel in it’s channel in order to transfer color to the breach face before I remove any more wood.  Ok

[Hank in WV]

Why not remove the breech plug, inlet the barrel, install the plug and finish inletting?

[Watchmaker]

All the same problems are there. The barrel does not center in the stock because the lugs raise it up proud of the stock. So if as I suspect the breech face of the stock is not quite square to the barrel channel I really can't precisely tell this without the barrel settled into the stock. Then I will need to remove wood to square the breech face of the stock which will move the barrel and thus the lugs rearward up to a quarter inch. I just heard from the mfg that I can remove the lugs with a propane torch. Plus I gain the skill of soldering.

I'm sure there are a million ways to do this. I appreciate everyone's input. I'm just trying to find the way I'm most comfortable with. I'm probably overthinking things but that's just what I do.

[rollingb]

If you have the breech face part of the stock pretty well squared off, you can cut the slots for the lugs as you lower the barrel down into the stock.
When doing this, "inletting black" or candle soot is your best friend. 

Don't worry if your lug slots aren't "tight", you want a bit of "play" fore and aft in the lug slots, to allow for a little movement, as your barrel heats up and cools down. 

Once the barrel and tang are sitting firmly in their inletted bed and you've clamped the barrel in the stock, you can then drill the pin holes through your stock (and each lug).
Be sure to elongate the hole in each lug (but NOT the stock) to allow for the same barrel expansion mentioned above. 

[Watchmaker]

I am so happy. I got the lugs off and the barrel seated down in the stock. I still need to address the section where the octagonal section transitions to smooth. There’s a bit of seesaw situation there. As you can see from the pics the breech face is almost flush. The sides of the inlet weren’t even but I’m on my way. My original propane torch had too soft a flame to melt the solder. It is ok’d and unadjustable.  Found a different torch and got it done. 

[Watchmaker]

What solder do you guys recommend for soldered lugs? And where can I get it? My manufacture said the solder is a "High Strength Low Temp solder that is sold from Brownells" but I couldn't find anything with that name or description. Thanks for your help.

[Winter Hawk]

Try these; otherwise, give Brownell's a call.  I can't say that I have contacted them very often, but when I did they were most helpful.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/solders-flux/homogenized-solder-prod645.aspx

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/solders-flux/silvaloy-355-silver-solder-prod584.aspx

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/solders-flux/hi-force-44-solder-prod709.aspx (ribbon is in stock)

Hope this helps!
~Kees~

[RobD]

The paste solder works great for me ...

http://tradmla.org/tmaf/index.php?topic=25432.msg231463#msg231463

http://tradmla.org/tmaf/index.php?topic=25432.msg231464#msg231464

[shootrj2003]

 I am nearly finished with my first real from scratch except the barrel build,now it will be back to the original Fowler with a big load of learning from all the mistakes I made and corrected( some couldn’t be and will have to be lived with!)but lessons learned,and then there is that Lyman stock that contributed the barrel and wants a Green Mountain or Colerain in .54 put into it ,why,?It just started that way,i jest don’t know why,can’t figger it out! Thanks to my wonderful loving wife I also have a collection of wood chisels and knives that I have to learn to use to carve wood,there’s a hippee over in Woodstock  N.Y. ,I hear, that might help.
 Sort of like ...addicting.