Kit Build: Traditions Frontier Flintlock

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  • Last Post 22 December 2014
onondaga posted this 04 December 2014

Building : Traditions Frontier Flint Rifle

Here is my completed rifle, but the tutorial build goes though all my steps.

The first part to fit to the wood is the lock plate. After removing about .010” all around the factory inlet the lock plate dropped right in. This was file work and took 1 hour to get a fit that allowed the lock to easily drop in or out cleanly and easily. This fit allows room for wood finish.

Next the side plate washers and screws. The screw holes in the wood were fuzzy. I filed out the fuzz and checked alignment of the holes to the lock. After screw trial, one hole had to be slightly widened about .010” and then the screws both easily installed to hold the side plate washers on. This took about 1 hour and the screws were lightly snugged to keep the parts together.

Next the tang is fit. The tang literally fell in, but the hole through the stock for the tang screw was fuzzy. I filed out the fuzz. The screw then dropped right in but needs to be kept out till the trigger assembly is fit to the factory inlet.

Trigger fit required about .010” all around the inlet for an easy drop in drop out fit. The file work to the wood took a little over an hour but the screw went right in through the tang to the threaded hole in the trigger assembly. I lightly snugged up the screw to hold the parts together.

The next step says, “ fix trigger guard” Sounds simple, it is not.

To be continued

Gary  2 hours

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delmarskid1 posted this 04 December 2014

That doesn't sound too bad so far. “Fix the trigger guard” sounds a bit vague? Can you get ff the breech pug? It would be nice to do that before you polish the bore.

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Maven posted this 04 December 2014

Good job on the tutorial, Gary!  I'll be following this thread very closely.  Btw, will you list the kinds of tools you'll be using for each phase of the project; file type for ex.?

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onondaga posted this 04 December 2014

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=348>delmarskid1

The breech plug is threaded and removable. I will evaluate if bore needs polishing much later, but would likely fire polish using 5 grains powder, a round ball  and patch soaked with Chrome Polish with 5 or more shots like that if needed.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 04 December 2014

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=126>Maven

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onondaga posted this 04 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED:

The factory inlet for the trigger guard was wide and deep enough but about 1/8” short. A beginner might be stumped here. This view also shows the only figure in the wood.

I will deepen the guard inlet to set the guard in more. The factory finish on this brass part is brutal and brass finishing  before final assembly will be at least 2-3 hours for the guard.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 05 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

The inlet deepening and pilot holes took an hour and a half. The bar of soap, bottom, was used on the screw threads before turning them in to the stock. The brass nose cap for the stock in the picture will not be fit now and is saved till after the barrel wedge tenon, rib and thimbles are fit. the sights are saved till later,  and the completed barrel's breech hook will be fit to the the already fit tang.

So, next is some barrel hardware fitting.

Gary  at 3.5 hours

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tturner53 posted this 05 December 2014

Is there an original to use as a model? Is this flinter a re-make of an oldie or more generic of the type?

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onondaga posted this 05 December 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=2514>tturner53

The Traditions Frontier Flint rifle is a period generic style muzzle loader.  The style period it imitates is a frontier rifle at the end of the flintlock era when hooked breeches were popular on flintlocks.

This is to be a sporting field rifle for me to use Deer and Bear hunting,  and for recreational shooting. It is a basic flintlock rifle and is also considered an entry level flintlock.

Some reviews,videos, information, etc about this rifle:

https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&biw=1366&bih=657&sclient=psy-ab&q=traditions+frontier+flintlock+rifle&btnG=&search_plus_one=form&oq=traditions+frontier+flintlock+&gs_l=serp.12..0.19524.33542.0.37372.16.16.0.0.0.2.184.2639.0j16.16.0.msedr...0...1c.1.58.psy-ab..11.5.815.mWTw44FvpzA&pbx=1>https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&biw=1366&bih=657&sclient=psy-ab&q=traditions+frontier+flintlock+rifle&btnG=&searchplusone=form&oq=traditions+frontier+flintlock+&gsl=serp.12..0.19524.33542.0.37372.16.16.0.0.0.2.184.2639.0j16.16.0.msedr...0...1c.1.58.psy-ab..11.5.815.mWTw44FvpzA&pbx=1

The Traditions Frontier rifle is also available in a percussion kit version and both are available as finished rifles too.

Gary

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delmarskid1 posted this 05 December 2014

Looking good. Better pace yourself...or buy another!

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onondaga posted this 05 December 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=348>delmarskid1

The tenon for the barrel wedge is next and this is a key part that has to be fit very well. I am using magnification and evaluating the tenon, it's dovetail and the dovetail groove factory cut into the barrel. This will take thoughtful sanding/filing of the part to get it in 2/3 of the way and down all the way. When it is fit that far,  the last 1/3 of the way is drifted in with a punch from right to left.

An airspace between the bottom of the tenon dovetail and the bottom of the barrel groove is a sloppy fit that won't hold up in use. This part has an important function to retain the barrel wedge and secure the barrel down to the stock and hold the barrel back into the tang for the breech hook.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 06 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

The barrel tenon is a meat  of the project part. I use a granite floor-tile for a flat work surface, 180 grit Aluminum  Oxide cloth on the flat and hand hold the part for stroking to reduce the bottom of the tenon's dovetail till it will start in the dovetail slot in the barrel.

Initial trial showing large space indicating approximately how much metal needs to be removed from the bottom of the Tenon dovetail.

250 strokes and it doesn't fit, Tomorrow I will try my Craftsman Table sander and post a picture of the part fitting 2/3 of the way in. The part won't be drifted all the way in till after the barrel is finished.

My arm and fingers hurt!!

Gary

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onondaga posted this 06 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

It didn't take power tools to get the Tenon to fit.

The flash hole plug fits nice and nearly flush with the barrel flat. So check fit is good. It will be installed when metal finish is done. I use Never Seize thread grease on these for regular removal/cleaning.

The Tenon and Flash Hole Plug fitting took 3 hours work.

Next will be trial fitting of the barrel under rib and the brass ramrod thimbles.

Gary at 6.5 hours

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onondaga posted this 07 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

Next I polished a few of the Brass parts. I use a 2 speed Baldor Dental Bench Motor with a Jacobs chuck. I have a tapered spindle that holds muslin buffing wheels and I used regular Jewelers rouge to polish at high speed on the motor.

The 2 ramrod thimbles and the forend nose cap have their final finish now and these three parts took 1/2 hour to polish.

 I also rounded the sharp edges of the steel on the steel barrel under rib with a 3M Cratex wheel  at that time.

Gary  at 7 hours

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onondaga posted this 07 December 2014

My dining room is now a total disaster with the kit building, but you can see the Baldor bench motor and dust catch on the table.

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tturner53 posted this 07 December 2014

Looks good so far. The flash hole plug picture reminded me of a TC Hawken I got long ago. It is a kit gun, already finished, nice enough, but is convertible from flint to percussion by changing out the plug for a bolster and switching locks. It's a very early TC .50 and shoots great either way.

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onondaga posted this 07 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

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Maven posted this 07 December 2014

Excellent job thus far, Gary!  :)

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onondaga posted this 08 December 2014

Pencil marks:

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onondaga posted this 08 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

I got industrious and fit the breech tang by sanding down the stock using the pencil marks as a guide. the tang also needed to be inlet farther back toward the butt to align the Flash Hole on the barrel with the fire-hole cutout on the lock plate. It took considerable scraping with small bottoming files to get the tang set back another 3/32” to mate up.

The fitted tang in it's set back position and with stock tapered to the height of the tang. The tang is now back, down and solid when screwed through to the trigger assembly and barrel try-in is good also.  This step of the woodwork took 3 hours and the wrist of the stock has been blended in and is ready for final sanding before stain.

The brass barrel wedge plates were also removed to refine their factory inlet and the brass will be polished, that is the next step.

Gary at 12 hours

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onondaga posted this 08 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

The balance of the brass parts have been polished. The edges were smoothed with the Cratex wheel. These were stamped parts with sharp edges and I pre-buffed the edges with Tripoli on a muslin buff and buffed out scratches before a high shine with rouge on another muslin buff. I also buffed the 4 small brass screws for the barrel wedge plates. This was 1 hour work at the Baldor bench motor. These parts were all rough factory stamped unfinished parts that shine now.

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onondaga posted this 09 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

I Pulverized my Poison Sumac pods and simmered the stuff in Alcohol:Water at 1:1 for 1/2 hour. It boiled down more than I excepted so I had to add more Alcohol and simmer a few minutes more. It actually looks like crimson cream of wheat hot cereal in a bowl. This is my stain for the stock. I tried it on the butt stock in the area under where the butt plate goes and the stain is much more red than the last time I made it. It must be due to how late in the late season that I picked the Sumac this time. It is very red.  So, I will have a very red rifle. That is fine, the color will always be a conversation starter!

The time spent on making the stain was too much fun to count in my total hours on the build.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 09 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

All the parts have been finished and fit except the nose cap and sights. I will fit the nose cap with the very little final sanding that is needed and stain the stock. The nose cap has to fit with the barrel in place so the screw pilot holes for the nose cap can be drilled and screws placed while verifying barrel fit to the nose cap.

This is worse than it sounds and a mistake would mean filling the holes with wood putty and starting again on the nose cap fit.

I had planned on using Birchwood Casey Plumb Brown on the barrel but have changed my mind. The steel parts and screws with the kit are pre blued, so I will go with blue for the barrel. I have some TetraGun Liquid Blue that has worked well before for me on small parts and touch-ups.

The list goes on, the frizzen that looks case hardened, failed the pin scratch test so I will have to case harden the frizzen before I set a flint and try the spark.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 09 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

The final sanding was finished and I applied the stain and one coat of hand rubbed Birchwood Casey True Oil.

The color of my Sumac stain calmed down drying and isn't so very red. When the stain was wet on the wood, it looked primary Crayola Red like I had colored the stock with a crayon.

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Longone posted this 09 December 2014

Gary,

Did you use any sealer pre or post stain?

Longone

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onondaga posted this 09 December 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6699>Longone

No sealer was used pre or post stain. The Sumac stain is literally loaded with Sumac dust and looks like crimson mashed potatoes. After dry it has to be wiped but does leave some filler dust in the wood. My first several coats of TrueOil are only very lightly sanded when dry. This fills the wood and will gradually completely fill the wood surface at about 8-10 coats. After the wood completely fills I will only use steel wool between coats to deepen the finish. After the last coat, of 15 or 20 coats, I rub the last dry coat  finish to a dull egg shell matte appearance with pumice and water on a rag. Then I wait 2 days and wax with Johnson's Paste Wax.

Well that is the show presentation finish I have done many times, finishing with pumice last then waxing. I don't professionally finish stocks anymore but had a good time with that for a bunch of years.

Fortunately, each coat of TruOil dries pretty quickly, about 1-2 hours, as I apply a few drops at time and hand rub till warm and tacky before moving to the next area.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 10 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

Now at 4 coats of hand rubbed TruOil with sanding between coats using 400 grit paper. The wood surface is beginning to fill and get smooth. 4 hours.

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onondaga posted this 10 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

Trigger work:

Triggers were in the white and only factory adjusted.

Trigger assembly completely ready, 2 hours. There is a little wobble in the rear setting trigger, I may shim it later, but this is a decent field trigger as it is now. After setting, the front trigger breaks cleanly at 1 pound.

Gary at 22 hours

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onondaga posted this 11 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

Under-rib:

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onondaga posted this 11 December 2014

Build continued

Stock finish is now at 6 coats hand rubbed TruOil, nearly completely filled and glass-like. That was 2 more hours work for 2 more coats with OOOO steel wool rubbing then oil rubbing and the stock is starting like to look like one of mine. The amber color of the Birchwood Casey TruOil has evened the color somewhat and the wood beauty is coming up. Four to six more coats will do the job. So, coats 1-4 were sanded 400 grit after dry and coats 5-6 steel wool rubbed to an even dull when dry. The remainder of coats will be steel wooled except the last coat will be gently wet rubbed with gauze, water and flours of pumice to a matte finish then final waxed with Johnson's Paste Wax.

Gary at 25 hours

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onondaga posted this 12 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

The rear and front sights have been fitted, this took 2 hours.

Here it is in fully in position.

The front sight dovetail base was ground so that the sight will slide 1/2 the way in. The front sight will drifted to center after the barrel is blued.

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Longone posted this 12 December 2014

Gary,

Did you have to draw file the barrel? Or was it finished from Traditions less finish? Have you decided on a blueing product yet? I have looked at several, Perma Blue is what I have on hand and have tried it on some metal scraps. The results were really a Black blue, six coats were applied per the instructions. Birchwood Casey also has two other products which produce more of a blue than black finish (according to their site), Brownells also has Oxpho-blue which gets good reviews, and then there is Vans blueing.

So many choices so little time. BTW, I have about 4 1/2 hours in the trigger guard alone to get it cleaned up to the point that I wanted.

Longone

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onondaga posted this 13 December 2014

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6699>Longone

The barrel in my kit was nicely finished to about 200 grit. I completed the surface finish with 200 grit sanding pads today about 20 strokes on each flat refined the surface and removed a few minor scratches.

I have used Perma Blue before, but for this barrel I have used Tetra Gun blue, it is much darker and more scratch resistant than Permablue.

Gary.

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onondaga posted this 13 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

The finish was finalized on the barrel, barrel blued and all barrel parts fitted.

The bore at the muzzle was supported by a brass rod in a vice and the breech plug at the other end was supported on blocks. I used this support arrangement for both sanding and bluing. Pictures above are raw metal before sanding and blue.

Finished Barrel:

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Longone posted this 13 December 2014

The barrel came out very nice, is the Tetra blue more blue than black? In the pic it looks like a nice “blue” non streaky finish. I am hoping for a “Black Blue” which is most likely why I'll end up with Perma Blue or Super Blue. Now all I need to do is find some local so I don't have to pay more for shipping than the cost of the product.

Longone

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onondaga posted this 13 December 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6699>Longone

The TetraBlue can go all the way to black if you want that. I applied 4 times to my barrel, if you do it about 8 times it will go black. Every application gets darker but after each application you have to repeat the same steps, it is NOT fast. you have to rinse with water, rub gently with 0000 steel wool, degrease with denatured alcohol, dry and then apply the next application. Timing is important with the TetraGun, you have to time 60 seconds after application then immediately rinse and keep going coat by coat. At the 60 seconds, the metal surface flash dries to a haze. That haze has to be rinsed off with a clean towel and water, then the steel wool...etc.. till you get the color you want.

I like the color at 4 applications but you can go a lot darker if you wish. I could go back and DE-grease and make it darker if I want. The finished barrel picture is a flash picture and the barrel is much darker than it appears in the photo.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 13 December 2014

BUILD CONTINUED

Hit a snag. On a trial assembly the ramrod binds on the Barrel Tenon and won't go past. The only way I can figure around that is to enlarge the Ramrod hole. I will have to devise something to do that. Maybe, a slotted dowel with sandpaper...I hope so. It only has to be enlarged beyond that point for about 3 inches. The hole will need to be 1/32” larger there.

I believe this is a flaw in the factory drilling of the stock for the ramrod hole.

The snag worked out fine...a little work with a round file did the job on the ramrod hole in just a few minutes...wheeeew!

Gary

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onondaga posted this 13 December 2014

BUILD COMPLETED !!!!!!

Gary

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Longone posted this 13 December 2014

Gary, Looks good, but winter isn't even here yet so you better run out and grab another one for the months ahead.

I ventured out today in search of cold blue for my project and I had to hit 3 gun stores before I found some. Sad that no store can carry any product today.

Good luck with it when you get to sight it in.

Longone

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Brodie posted this 14 December 2014

That is beautiful work Gary. Brodie

B.E.Brickey

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pat i. posted this 14 December 2014

Nice work Gary it looks great.

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delmarskid1 posted this 14 December 2014

Nice! Make 'er bang!

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onondaga posted this 14 December 2014

I had a chance to beat on some pieces of Onondaga Flint from my yard and got a gun-flint made to check out the frizzen and see what kind of spark the lock makes. The frizzen functions well and the steel is harder in use than I expected. The lock makes good sparks and likes the free from my yard local Onondaga flint just fine.

Gary

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Longone posted this 14 December 2014

Rock and steel, gotta love it. How much snow do you have on the ground?

Longone

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onondaga posted this 14 December 2014

Longone

 Just a few inches snow at home but the range at my club is a boxed in pen and the snow is 2 feet there.

The lock sparks well and I am continuing to make some more gun flints. I have a lot of what is called “debitage” from my flint knapping hobby, that is the flakes, some large and some small from making other flint projects. I save the bigger flakes and they are different kinds of flint from America and around the globe. So I have an extensive inventory of rock suitable for gun flints.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 21 December 2014

Here are the Agate gunflints I got. I put one in the lock and it sparks great. You can see my new TC flintlock pan primer and my favorite tool I made for pressure flake work on the gunflints.

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Longone posted this 22 December 2014

Gary, looks like your just waiting for some snow to melt to give it a go. Have you tried lead or copper to hold the flints in the jaws?

Longone

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onondaga posted this 22 December 2014

Longone

I have tried lead sheet in several thicknesses but find I prefer leather. I think copper would crack the flints upon tightening the jaw screw as tight as I can with leather.

Gary

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