And Another Hooligan Traditions Kentucky Rifle DIY Project

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  • j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Folks might remember last spring's project when I built a Kentucky cap lock:
    https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?221377&p=5138321#post5138321

    Welp, https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/ recently had the same kit in a flintlock config on sale for $288 with $6 shipping. I'm a real sucker for sale prices and cheap shipping. :lol2: So I figured "why not"? It was easy to justify. Heck, I'd built the kit already - this one should be easier. The cap lock is a nice shooter and it needed a twin. I didn't own a flintlock. Winter is coming. The beagles like the smell of cleaning BP. etc. etc. :secret: You can rationalize anything to yourself, right?

    Anyway, the kit arrived today. Like last time it will take a couple of months to put this one together. But it's not hard. I already have plans in mind for a different look and finish. And, like before, I'm sure I'll be updating this thread with progress and new learnings as I get into the project...

    Stay tuned...

    :innocent0
     

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    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    BTW -> Paging Melnic... I remembered your post from the cap lock thread. :innocent0

    Nice progress. For a couple years, I eyeballed the flint version, then I think they stopped selling it cause I could not find one anymore.

    Have you ordered your flintlock kit yet? :shrug:

    :evilgrin3
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,280
    HoCo
    I ended up finding a 36 cal flint kit at a gun shop for a bargain and built it up a year or so ago.

    EDIT: It was a 40 cal

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    I ended up finding a 36 cal flint kit at a gun shop for a bargain and built it up a year or so ago.

    GFY! We would love to hear more about it and see some pics. :thumbsup:

    Better yet, ahem, :poke: ...When are you planning to finally attend a Hooligan Shoot so we can see it in person?

    ;)
     

    4570inMD

    Western MD Hooligan #007
    Jan 26, 2011
    1,337
    West Virginia
    You know, it takes a village to raise a precise, accurate flintlock....

    The Hooligans are with you on this one.

    A flint rock, steel, black powder, and patched-lead-balls --- what could be more fun?
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Day One:

    It was an icy 25* outside with a dusting of snow so working in my shop where it's warm made sense. And like a kid at Christmas I couldn't wait to open the Flintlock kit. :)

    Great progress on rough fitting parts the first build day:
    • The barrel channel is eased and the barrel is positioned in the stock (it fit pretty well out of the box).
    • The lock is inlet and timed to the barrel position.
    • The trigger guard is inlet.
    There are plenty of pics of the tools and processes I used to inlet the parts on the other Kentucky kit build so I won't bore you with more of those. I'll focus on differences and things I learn about flintlocks vs. cap locks here.

    The fit of this kit is a lot different than the last:
    • After everything is together, the flintlock will actually be about 1/2" longer than the cap lock. No two kits are the same.
    • Once again the stupid brass spacer meant to go between the stock halves is too thin. With the barrel properly fitted, the gap is almost 1/4"!!! :crazy:
    • I didn't plan to use the brass spacer anyway, but you'd think Traditions would have figured out the design is stupid. Like last time, I'll make a custom spacer out of hardwood and epoxy the stock halves together.
    • Inletting the lock is similar on a flintlock, but the key is to time the pan to the flash hole in the barrel while positioning the assembly to work correctly with the trigger. Fitting and timing those parts is probably the biggest challenge in building these kits. Take this step slow and get it right before you move on! In the highlighted pic below you can see the area I'm referring to. Timing the pan to the flash hole, like timing the hammer to a nipple on a cap lock, is kinda intuitive, right?
    These kits are a lot of fun to build. Still much more to do on this Kentucky Flintlock, but this Hooligan will get it done.

    :thumbsup:
     

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    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Another Step Completed:

    This afternoon I tackled making a spacer out of black walnut to use between the stock halves.

    Again, pics of the process are posted in my other thread. Same as last time:
    • Slice off a piece of walnut a little thicker than needed from a donated chunk.
    • Trace the outline of the brass spacer on the walnut.
    • Rough cut the piece with a band saw.
    • Drill holes for the stock pins and ramrod channel.
    • Then shape with small files and sandpaper till everything fits together correctly.
    The black walnut spacer will work nicely. With the progress I've made on this kit in only two afternoons, I'm pretty close to bonding the stock halves together. After that it's on to final fitting and sanding.

    :)
     

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    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    for some reason as soon as i saw that gap I just knew black walnut was going to be mentioned

    :lol2: And you know exactly which Hooligan donated the black walnut material. I also heard he has some Japanese rifle projects on his bench... ;) My thinking is he needs to make an Arisaka stock out of black walnut...

    :innocent0

    :D
     

    CombatAK

    Hooligan #12
    Sep 1, 2015
    1,156
    Cresaptown
    One of them will be in a black walnut Fajen stock. I just need a follower, follower spring, and floorplate! I will also need a front ramp sight. A lot of polishing, finishing the stock, putting it all together, and rebluing all of the metal, it will be a beautiful rifle.
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    More Flintlock Progress

    With the recent T/C Compass acquisition and the fun of shooting 270 Winchester, the Traditions flintlock kit was put aside, but not forgotten.

    Turns out the forestock has a very slight "bow" - maybe 3/32" across it's length. Not enough to affect function, but enough to make it "spongy" on the barrel. That adds another challenge to the build. It should be a simple fix: Bed the barrel... I'll deal with that when it's time to install the barrel tenon pins. By the time I figured out the issue, I realized another part of the solution was a slight angle on the walnut spacer was needed.

    So, today I cut and shaped another black walnut spacer that fits better. The stock halves are epoxied together using the same process as last time. When I take the assembly apart tomorrow my bet is I'll be dealing with a solid one-piece stock... :thumbsup:

    In the meantime, let the sanding, shaping and fitting begin!

    :)

    Edit:
    Well - I figured 8 hours was enough time for the resin to set... I was right. Now I have a solid one-piece stock to work with...

    :thumbsup:
     

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    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Progress Update 11/30/2018

    Most of the process narrative and many pics on building these Traditions Kentucky Rifle kits has been posted on my cap lock build thread. For this kit rifle I wanted to cover some of the things I'm doing differently and some learnings.

    Building these kits requires a lot of rough stock sanding to fit the wood to the metal - mostly in the butt and tang area. Some folks use electric sanders, but I prefer hand sanding with a block. That's more work, but I can control the process better. I started with 80 grit. Now that I have most of the material removed and in line with the butt plate, I'll move to 220 and 330 grit before I apply stain.

    Tip: -> I sand the stocks with the brass butt and toe plates installed. That way I can blend the lines and polish the brass in a later step.


    Ramrod thimbles - especially the rear position - need to be installed and checked for alignment at this point. You'll likely find the rear thimble will not get into its proper position until you ease the recess in the stock. Once they are installed, the brass screws are too long for the ramrod to fit in its channel. Not to worry - we'll file the screws in "final fitting".

    Tip: -> The easiest way I've found to fit the rear thimble into the stock is with 80 grit paper wrapped and taped around a long 3/8" dowel. Take it slow and check the fit often till you get the proper fit.

    Below is a pic of the project as it sits tonight. Still much more to do. In the meantime I've been adding items I'll need to get it finished.

    All my Hooligan friends - enablers as they are - recommended browning the barrel. So I have some BC Plum Brown on the way. I gotta clear a spot on my bench, get my propane torch out of mothballs and build a stand for the barrel. More to come on that...

    I also heard you can't shoot flintlocks without "rocks". So now I have a pack of English flints on hand and found some scrap leather in a drawer I think will work to cut flint holders.

    Don't let me dissuade you. These kits are fun to build. But doing it right takes more than a couple of days. And you'll surely learn a helluva lot!

    More to come...

    :)
     

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    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Getting Close To Test Firing...

    The flintlock is getting close to making its Hooligan range debut. :)

    All the sanding was done - down to a smooth 220 grit finish. I wanted a darker color so I used some dark walnut stain. The wood on these kits isn't high quality so what I ended up with was a little surprising. The more I look at it, the more caricature it has.

    The wood will get a good scrubbing with steel wool and a pure Tung oil final finish once the build is complete. So, what do y'all think of the stock?

    Next step is to put a finish on the barrel. I have both BC Plum Brown and Super Blue on hand so I can do either. Cold blue is easier than plum brown, but I'm neutral. What finish would you put on the barrel?

    After the barrel is done and I start oiling the wood all that's left is simple stuff like installing the sights, polishing the brass, final fitting the thimbles and reassembling everything.

    Then it's range time!

    :party29:
     

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    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    stock, methinks a wood conditioner would help with blotching color but it looks good
    barrel, i'm thinking the brown also or blue :D

    I don't disagree. Fact is, the blotching is in the wood grain and how it absorbed stain. It reminds me of the finish I've seen on a lot of M91/30 Finn captures.

    If I had it to do again I'd use an alcohol based color, but either way certain spots in the wood are going to color differently. Or I could have gone to a straight blond Tung oil finish. Hindsight...

    I test fitted the tenon pins through the holes I drilled a couple of days ago. The barrel is solid in the stock. :thumbsup: If I was in a hurry I could put some sights on the barrel and test fire the rifle tomorrow, but...

    Hooligans are patient...

    ;)
     

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