Going on a Diet

This fowler is getting a weight reduction. I will be removing wood in many areas to give this piece a better look and feel. The original maker is unknown to me at this time. The wrist area is plenty this already but the whole stock will be scraped down and refinished. I'm aiming at smaller lock panels, a more slender forearm, less of a flat around the triggerguard and tang, and a bit more barrel exposed. More to follow.

EPR New England Fowler

     This smoothbore will be part of a grand prize for the Green Hat shoot at the 2017 Eastern Primitive Rendezvous. This Eastern is going to be held on the 22nd-30th of September in Pennsylvania. I'm told this is an absolutely great site and I know it is going to be one heck of a shooting event. This fowler will be accompanied by a handmade bag and horn as this one prize. More shoots and more prizes as well. So, if you are a shooter this is not an event you want to miss!!

Fowler specs...
-Stocked in curly cherry with a scraped finish
-43" 54 caliber Getz barrel
-Chamber's early colonial lock
-Brass furniture
-silver wrist inlay
-13 3/4" length of pull
-3" drop and 1/4" castoff

First Coat Oil

Much done over the past few days... More stock shaping, scraping, burnishing, silver wrist inlay, engraving, etc. The stock had lye applied to bring out the color, and one coat of refined linseed oil. More to follow!

More Stock Work

Going with a scraped finish on this cherry stock. A good bit of scraping and burnishing to go. Maybe some more carving and possibly a wrist inlay. Still wood finishing, metal finishing, sight/s, ramrod, engraving... Gaining!

Ramrod Pipes and More on Forend

Today I installed the 3 ramrod pipes, barrel lugs, and did the bulk wood removal from the lock panels forward. It's starting to look like something.

Trigger and Guard

The trigger assembly and guard are now installed. I will be polishing and fine tuning some at a later time. Now on to ramrod pipes and barrel lugs.

Side Plate and Trigger Assembly

Today's work included some more shaping, engraving, and inletting of the side plate. As well as making a trigger assembly. The next step will be installing and tuning the trigger, followed by trigger guard installation.

Fowler Progress

Buttplate installed and some rough shaping done. The cherry stock is starting to show some nice curl.

Knives

 These blades are all forged from 1084 bar stock, except the kitchen chopper(saw blade). All have pewter bolsters. The spiral handled knife has a steel pommel. The wooden handles are curly maple, second down is bone, and the top is thought to be African black deer. The sheaths are hand sewn vegetable tanned cow hide. Knives 1 and 2 are still for sale: see contact information if interested. 

Castings

These are French castings from Mold and Gun Shop. One of the nice things about New England fowlers is that they where a mix match of parts. It doesn't look like much in the pictures, but this is the result of hours of filing and sanding. This puts them at the rough stage: cleaned up enough to start installing.

Tang, Lock Bolts, and Side Plate

The tang is shaped and inletted, lock bolts installed, and side plate roughed out. The tang needs a bolt and some final shaping. Lock bolts will be shortened and the heads will be domed. The side plate still needs some final shaping, engraving, and inletting. I tried a little wiggle engraving to get some depth. Not sure I'm happy with it yet. The plate is thick. So there is a lot I can do with depth and molding it to a desired form.

N.E. Fowler Continued

The lock mortise is roughed in. It will require some clean up after the lock bolts and trigger are installed. I use lamp black(candle soot) to check for interference.

New England Fowler in the Making

     Here I'm starting with a cherry blank that has had the 43" 54 caliber Getz smoothbore barrel inletted and ramrod hole drilled. The web between the barrel and ramrod hole started at about a 1/4". I dropped the barrel down in the stock an 1/8". The purpose is to have a more slender piece when finished.
     Next I plan out the shape of the stock. This includes drop, cast-off, and length of pull. Bandsaw off the excess both on the sides, top ,and bottom. Plane the lock panels down to the correct thickness, and start inletting the lock(Not a bad idea to do the breechplug 1st, but I've seated the barrel back tight. So there is no gap at the breech end of the barrel). The sides of the lock plate are filed before inletting. This is a Chamber's Early Colonial flintlock.