Track of the Wolf's online form system is cool, but it really doesn't work. They omitted the about a half the parts from Sara's order, including the plans, lock and trigger. Didn't charge us for them, as their webform simply hadn't sent in that part of the order. I've called them on the phone to straignten things out, and they've been extremely helpful
2004-01-12: Fit the breech plug and filed the tang down level with the top flat of the barrel.
2004-01-13: Ordered tap set for the powder drum. Still need to add black gunk to the breech plug and do final fitting
2004-01-14: Added black gunk to breech plug and measured for location of touch-hole. Test fit the lock and discovered that the barrel inlet will need to be moved back a full three-quarters inch (most of which is roughed out to varying degrees), and the tang inlet another inch, unless I file the 3" tang down. This also means that the front of the stock sticks out past the end of the barrel a good half-inch or so. Probably before finishing the barrel inlet, I'll also need to cut out the lock inlet a bit in order to get a better read on placement for powder drum/touch-hole.
2004-01-17: Played around with making dovetails in a spare piece of steel. Started shaping another piece of steel to resemble an octagonal barrel.
2004-01-18: Jim showed me how to chisel wood and use soot to mark an inletting. Together we inlet the stock for the lock. He loaned me some chisels for inletting the rest of the barrel.
2004-01-19: Tried a little cleanup of the lock inlet, but to no great effect. Began inletting the stock for barrel -- still don't have a suitable setup for supporting both the lock/stock and the end of the barrel, which means that the barrel channel bends. Also started filing down a bolt to use for dovetail practice
2004-01-24: Set up a support for the forestock and inlet the barrel channel and tang groove in the stock. Still need to do final fitting with the breechplug installed before drilling lock hole. in the barrel
2004-02-02: Cleaned up inletting for barrel, installed breechplug and filed down tang halfway flush with top flat of barrel. Practiced tapping scrap steel -- need to figure out tapwrench.
2004-10-14: Summary of work to date
- finished inletting stock for barrel, tang and lock.
- Drilled lock-screw hole through stock, tang, stock, and lock.
- Threaded lock-screw hole.
- Inlet sideplate
- Inlet trigger plate.
- Fitted trigger to contact and trip sear.
- Drilled hole for tang screw through tang and stock into trigger plate.
- Threaded trigger plate.
- Countersunk hole in tang for tang screw.
- Cold-hammered tang to fit wrist of stock.
- Ordered new breechplug and tang, as I cracked the tang trying to fit it to the barrel after we'd drilled it. Do not attempt to bend a piece after you've drilled holes in it!
- Installed new breechplug, begun cold-bending it to fit stock. Am worried about metal fatigue.
The one problem I found was that the trigger needed to be built up to engage the sear -- otherwise the trigger guard would block it. Also, the brass trigger plate needed to be rethreaded for the tang screw.
2003-01-03: Shot this for the first time. Very little recoil, though I did cut my thumb badly on the flint.
2003-01-13: Greg cut his thumb on the flint, also pretty badly.
Original Tools and Accessories
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More mallets:   |
| All of these are made of ebony and have at least one side covered with leather. Head dimensions are around 37mm diameter x 55mm length. Rod length is 10-20cm, with diameter around 9-15mm. DGW rod length just under 6 inches, head diameter 35mm | |
| 2004-10-13: Bought a 1.5x1.5x12 block of what I thought was ironwood (actually African Blackwood, also known as Mpingo) for the head and a half-inch walnut dowel for a handle. Began filing mallet head. |
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