And Again...

Note: Most of these pictures have been cut off in uploading, so click on them to see the whole thing. I'll try to fix it.

First, here I am cutting the old bolt handle off:


Then I set it up in a jig for welding:



After welding:



This is the old school trigger guard I'll be using:




I then drilled and tapped holes in the top of the receiver for the scope bases.



And then shaped the bolt handle roughly.


Pay close attention to the safety sticking up out of the bolt in the back. It'll go away rather soon.

I then barreled up the action and installed the aftermarket trigger.



I got in the scope rings and had to put them on to see the look.

They'll turn out just beautifully.

I then had to do some machining. I'm not going to use the normal trigger guard and bottom metal, including magazine box, that comes with the Mauser action. You've already seen the trigger guard I'll use, but I needed a trigger plate to attach it to. Here I am making it:

As you can see by the pile of shavings, I started with a normal piece of steel to get the finished product. I also love the smoke coming off the bit in the last picture. It comes from the cutting oil I use as a lubricant.

Here's the new safety where the old one used to be:

It allows the safety to be activated by pulling it to the rear rather that flipping the flag upward. Much more elegant.

Finally, the scope came in, so we partially mounted it and took a picture with all the metal work done. Keep in mind, there is still a lot of polishing to do, but everything is up to shape and will look pretty similar to these pictures.



So, with all the metal work done (save polishing and a little touch up), I'll start the stock on Monday. It'll be a big trip. Hopefully you stick around and enjoy.

Prepare for Picture Overload...

I realize it's been a month since I posted here. It's been a busy one. Here are more pictures for how far things have come.

This is the grip cap I'll be using.

This is a piece of ebony wood. It'll be used for the forend tip. Right now it just looks like a big hunk of plastic.


These are the gorgeous scope bases I'm using. They have such a unique form factor. Wonderful.

The real work will come in the next post.

Hopefully Epic...

I doubt many will read this due to my lack of posting, but for those that will, I hope you'll enjoy.

As many know, I've been attending the Colorado School of Trades studying gunsmithing since January. Coming up on almost a year, I'm not sure where the time has gone, but I've learned a lot. As of this morning, I completed all of my scheduled academic assignments, which puts me in this miraculous category of sparkliness called "Specialization". We call it specs. It means that for the next three months (more than two months than I'm supposed to have due to being great at what I do and also quick) I will be able to use all the skills that I've learned and do whatever I want. Which is awesome... and hopefully epic. Especially since it also comes with a great opportunity: In January the American Custom Gun Makers Guild along with the Firearms Engravers guild will have their annual show in Reno and they've provided space for us (students) to display our creations and have them critiqued by the best in the world. I'm so excited. It also means I have my work done by the 29th of January so we can go. So, after turning in my paperwork at 9 this morning, I set out to create a custom rifle for my friend's father in law (I'm way too poor to make one for myself, so this is the next best thing). And you get to come along for the ride. I'll be posting pictures as things go and explaining things so that everyone can see the awesome gun I'm going to make. Feel free to enjoy, or post rants, I don't care, just read it.

DAY 1

Today I got all my parts together (those that aren't currently being shipped and not in my possession) and took pictures.


Here is the receiver, bolt, and related parts. This is the main body of the gun, minus the stock, and where most of my work will be.



This is the stock from both sides. It's called a "blank" now, but I'll eventually be shaping it.



Here is the bold handle I'll replace the one currently on the bolt with. A little welding and shaping will make this super sweet.



Here is the barrel I'll be using. Nothing too fancy.



Here is the recoil pad. It goes on the end of the stock. You won't see this again for a while.



You'll see the sweetness come together as I get more parts and start making them all work together. As far as work went, I didn't get tons done today, but what I got done is striking. I re-contoured the receiver, making it's lines more sleek and less bulky. I'll post pictures, but it's best compared to the first receiver pic to see the difference.



I'll see if I can get some side by side comparison pictures with another similar receiver tomorrow so you can really see the difference. It makes it so spiffy.

Not much else got done. Lots of planning. A couple of blisters. All the good stuff. Check back tomorrow for more.

Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull

Thomas and I recently visited his family in Utah and while we were out there his family stocked us up with various media to entertain ourselves. One of those lovely gifts was the Fablehaven series written by Brandon Mull. This series created a world were in our modern times, fairytale creatures still existed. Most of the creatures have chosen to live on preserve all around the world in order to avoid extinction and the unbelieving society of humans. The books follow two young characters who are introduced into this hidden world by their grandparents. They are soon pulled into a battle between good and evil that threaten their lives and those they love. The events they endure leave them changed forever. I highly recommend this books not only for any children willing to pick up the books but also for adults. I starting reading them on Sunday and on Saturday I am starting the fourth out of five books. They are really hard to put down. Read and Enjoy!

Don't Mind My Impertinence...

I know it's been a while for all you blog stalkers out there, so I give you this, a quote and a poem:

"To assume is to make an enemy of exactitude."

For some reason, that reminded me of John Colton. And now for my poem, which is a stream of consciousness type poem based on the letter M (I've been watching a few James Bond movies, sorry.).



M

mulligan
mogul
mayonnaise
marzipan
mmmmm... marzipan
many
multiple
mondo
miraculous
mosey
Mardi Gras
marriage

This does not remind me of John, because he can't eat marzipan. A sad thing to say.

Hope all is well with you and yours.

Hill Air Force Base

Thomas and I had a great opportunity to go onto the Hill Air Force Base during the holidays while visiting his parents this year. Thomas's sister, Reanna, watches kids for a private contractor on the base. He is a jet mechanic and spends most of his time working on F16s and he offered to take us on base for a tour of the facilities. We were able to walk through the hanger were planes of all kinds are taken apart, maintained, and put back together again. When we were there the hanger was mostly filled with F16s and our wonderful guide pointed out the inner workings of it all. We even were able to go inside a B13, or at least I think that was what it was called, and he pointed everything out from the electrical to where the toilet goes! Unfortunately we were not able to take any photos of our tour because cameras were not allowed, understandably. He finished our tour by taking us around the base on the perimeter road and pointed out what the different buildings we could see. We were also able to see a couple of fuelling jets touch and go on the tarmac. To sum it all up it was awesome and we are very appreciative to our guide!

P.S. Patrick we were going to take pictures for you but as I said before we were not allowed to. Sorry!

I'm on the Hunt!

Job searching in this economy is a lot harder than I originally thought it would be. Employers are bombarded with applications and I am only one of them. My problem might be that my resume isn't as impressive as others. Unfortunately when you work day in and day out on the family farm until you go off to college it doesn't give you a lot of experience. I am confidant that I could do any of the jobs that I applied to because I am a fast learner, intelligent, and determined. I am just praying that some employer will see my potential.