Core's new gun build and gear

After talking to Alvin, I made a few minor modifications, then I talked to him again, and I made a few more.

I started with removing the excess wood under the handle flange.

After our second conversation I removed an additional 1/2" from the forward and rear of the recess.

I had originally used a 3/8" beading bit on the top, and a 1/4 roundover on the bottom. Alvin was looking to make it look more streamlined, so I went back and used a full 1/2" roundover along the entire top. Then I used the 1/2" roundover along the bottom, starting just behind the band slot. After blending it with the muzzle it's hard to tell the muzzle is a little bit more square. The 1/2" rounding really helped streamline the gun and give Alvin the look he was after.

Then I tapered the muzzle.

The hunk of teak is becoming a weapon!

Tomorrow I'll cut the butt off at length and ballast the gun so that it will barely sink with the 9/32" flopper, and be slightly muzzle heavy. Then I'll cut the slot for loading the bands and make the spacer, and the gun will be ready for more sanding. After that all that will be left will be the butt pad, making the auto line release, and finish sanding and oiling. We're getting close, now, Alvin!

Toledo 970,

Do you mean where the handle is recessed up into the stock a little?

Toledo970.

For the tapering I did of the blank in general, I used my jointer since I was only taking 1/4" off the bottom, and 1/8" off each side. The further along I get with a blank (or any furniture related project, for that matter), the more careful I get. Using my long bed jointer I'm less likely to screw up than the table saw, but there is no reason the table saw won't work for tapering. I marked lines on the blank where the taper would be, then I just planed off the material until I got to the line. I got the taper by lifting the butt end of the gun off the table while I was planing. By taking small cuts I could tell where I needed to take more off, and where I didn't need to remove as much.

If you're using a table saw, the best way is to use an angle gauge.

For the little recess I used a small drum on the drill press. I cut a hole in a piece of plywood the size of the drum so the bottom of the drum could project a little ways below the blank. I also used this to shape the rubber butt pad Ill show in a later post. I'll show a picture of it then.

My goal for today was to do the ballasting and the butt pad.

I had left the butt of the blank long on purpose, until we could see what it looked like with the handle mounted. Originally, Alvin wanted the butt to end 3" behind the trigger mech, but after looking at the handle placement, he decided 3.75 would be better. I put tape over the blank to prevent tear out, and cut the blank.

I originally planned to ballast the gun without the pad, but when I realizrd how heavy the pad was , I decided to cut it out and put it on the blank temporarily while I ballasted the gun. Alvin decided to go with a butt pad made from an oversized rubber stopper (yet another Tin Man idea). It's just the right amount of firmness to give support without pain when chest loading, and the price is right at about $6 from Mcmaster. I cut out the pad on a bandsaw and shaped it using a belt sander and a drum sander in a drill press (the little drum sander is also how I cut out the recess for the handle.

I fastened the pad to the butt temporarily because until I knew where and how much ballast I would need, I didn't want to drill holes in the end of the blank.

I rigged the blank with a mesh bag and headed out to the dock. It was too cold to get in the water so I used my litle fishing skiff. Good thing I didn't predrill the hole in the blank. Because of the shaft overhang, I expected the blank to be a little nose heacvy, allowing me to put the ballast right in front of the butt. Not so. I ended up with 10 oz. of ballast, 36" back from the muzzle end. The gun barely sank with the 9/32" shaft, and floated without the shaft, just the way Alvin wanted it. I marked the spot with the orange cable tie.

Next, I made a mold by screwing two pieces of wood together and milling out a recess. I calculated I would need a 3/4" wide by .7" deep "ingot" 3" long for the 10oz. weight so that's what I milled out for the mold.

Next post: Installing the ballast.

I mounted the blank in the mill, and milled a pocket to hold the little ingot. I also milled a 1/8" deep shoulder for a cover plate. After drilling the ballast, I inserted it into the milled pocket and fastened it with 2 ss screws.

Next, I took tape and marked the opening. Then I transferred the tape to a 3/16" thick piece of teak that I ripped. After cutting the shape out on the bandsaw, I sanded it to fit.

Cervases time, Amigo!. Tomorrow, I'll glue the cover in place and finish the butt pad. Then it's on th the slot for the band loading.

We're getting close now, Amigo. I decided to finish the butt pad first, then work on the band wishbone slot, then glue the ballast cover on last so it could dry overnight.

I placed tape on the butt of the gun and marked where I wanted the screw holes. Then I transferred the tape to the butt pad and drilled the screw holes. Then I turned the pad over and countersunk the holes with a forstner bid about 1/2" into the pad.

Then I mounted the butt pad onto the gun.

SWEET!

Next, I cut the slot for the band wishbones.

My plan was to cut a slice from the piece of stock that I cut off the butt. I cut the slice and sanded it but decided to wait for Tin Man to come over this weekend.

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He's bringing his slotting saw attachment for the mill and I'll be able to trim the slot much more accurately that way rather than sanding it. He's also bringing a 1/8" piece of delrin that we can use for the spacer in the slot. So I'll finish the slot then. I glued on the cover and put the blank away to rest for the night.

I needed to make a butt pad for my own gun, and I liked the round overs on Alvin's gun so well that I stripped mine and rounded over the top and bottom, then made a butt pad similar to Alvin's. Tomorrow I'll sand the ballast cover and file the little slot in the muzzle for the shooting line. Then I'll finish sand it and get some oil on it.

Almost ready, Alvin.

I tried to post earlier but the server was down. I got the ballast cover sanded and the little slot cut in the muzzle for the shooting line. Then I finish sanded the gun and put two coats of teak oil on it. All that's left now is to finish the band loading slot and fabricate and install Tin Man's auto setting line release, both of which we'll do when he gets here Sat. pm.

This is some of the most highly figured FEQ teak I've seen- sure makes for a pretty looking gun. I don't think the pictures do it justice.

Here's the handle that started it all- Tin Man's original multi colored shapelock. It's what got Alvin thinking about the multi colored red, white, and black handle.

Next post- Tin Man's auto setting line release and the finished product.

Hey Tin Man, shame to see that gun sitting here while we're diving. Think he'd know if we shot something with it and cleaned it up really, really good? I mean, we have to know it shoots straight, right? We wouldn't want Alvin to shoot and miss because we didn't build an accurate shooting gun, right? It almost seems like an OBLIGATION to try it out, right?