Wallace Gusler Rifle Making

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Roy G

Roy
Senior User
I was looking through the channels last night and found a show that was running a Colonial Williamsburg video of Wallace Gusler making a rifle. That was fascinating. Started with making the barrel out of a piece of flat stock. I never knew they made a tube and forge welded it into shape. After the barrel was made and proofed, they went on to the rest of the rife. Making everything was starting with a piece of something and hammering, cutting, filing and fitting. The amount of work that went into the stock was amazing. And it was all by hand. It showed him casting all the brass parts in a sand mold and fitting them to the stock and filing them smooth and then he engraved them. He even did some relief carved on the stock of the rifle. His finish was one I hadn't seen before. He used a solution of nitric acid with iron filings and then applied heat to the stock to turn it a deep brown. Then he topped it off with several coats of linseed oil. I was blown away when they said he spent 300 hours on that rifle. It was a work of art and it showed him firing it, making bulls-eyes every time.

Roy G
 

SteveHall

Steve
Corporate Member
I watched the same broadcast, as glued to it as you.

Even though I've seen it many times before, having worked at Old Salem as a blacksmith. It is one of very few shows/movies I can't turn off. Colonial Williamsburg produced a sister movie on musical instrument making that is equally engaging.

I'm sure most of us here feel the same about watching a craftsman working raw, natural materials into beautiful finished objects. It takes years, even decades of practice to get to that skill level, so it is a treasure to be allowed to watch so much learning in action.
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
If either of you see either one of those shows is going to be on (DirecTV) again please let me know - I'd love to see either one myself.
 

SteveHall

Steve
Corporate Member
WUNC-DT4 (DTV 4.4, UNC's NC channel) is re-airing this show tomorrow morning (Saturday, Sept.3) at 9am.
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
If either of you see either one of those shows is going to be on (DirecTV) again please let me know - I'd love to see either one myself.

Ken I have the dvd and the vhs tape from 30 years ago. If you would like to borrow one of them, let me know. I have several cd's that cover rifle making. The Wallace Gusler in the film is 20 years old and recently dropped out of high school. Years later Wallace has been teaching at William and Mary. The guy has a photographic memory as well as the hands of an artist.

By the way.. he's still building rifles at a slower pace.

Here's a rifle by Wallace's old friend Gary Brumfield. Gary passed away a few years back but he came down from the western part of VA and took over as the Master Gunsmith when Wallace moved up in the administration at CW

This is a virginia gun and one that would be considered very fancy for the period.

cheeksidecarving2008_4web.jpg


Boxside2008_4web.jpg

 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
I was looking through the channels last night and found a show that was running a Colonial Williamsburg video of Wallace Gusler making a rifle. That was fascinating. Started with making the barrel out of a piece of flat stock. I never knew they made a tube and forge welded it into shape. After the barrel was made and proofed, they went on to the rest of the rife. Making everything was starting with a piece of something and hammering, cutting, filing and fitting. The amount of work that went into the stock was amazing. And it was all by hand. It showed him casting all the brass parts in a sand mold and fitting them to the stock and filing them smooth and then he engraved them. He even did some relief carved on the stock of the rifle. His finish was one I hadn't seen before. He used a solution of nitric acid with iron filings and then applied heat to the stock to turn it a deep brown. Then he topped it off with several coats of linseed oil. I was blown away when they said he spent 300 hours on that rifle. It was a work of art and it showed him firing it, making bulls-eyes every time.

Roy G

Roy
I don't make barrels anymore after two group efforts. My arm hurt for a week after that. I do make most everything else. Last few years, I have let a man up in Walkertown pour the brass castings from my wooden examples. Its just too much work when you can get the brass piece for 10 bucks and file it to fit.

The other stuff is just fun to do. If you want to come by and put your hands on a rifle I'm over in Durham. In the gallery you can see a couple of Hawken style rifles and some longrifle work in progress. Not much interest here on longrifle building but there are lots of methods used in rifle building that are helpful in general wood working.

Some photos of other stuff made by Wallace if you are interested. I'll post a few.

Dan
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
Ken I have the dvd and the vhs tape from 30 years ago. If you would like to borrow one of them, let me know. I have several cd's that cover rifle making. The Wallace Gusler in the film is 20 years old and recently dropped out of high school. Years later Wallace has been teaching at William and Mary. The guy has a photographic memory as well as the hands of an artist.

By the way.. he's still building rifles at a slower pace.

Here's a rifle by Wallace's old friend Gary Brumfield. Gary passed away a few years back but he came down from the western part of VA and took over as the Master Gunsmith when Wallace moved up in the administration at CW

This is a virginia gun and one that would be considered very fancy for the period.

cheeksidecarving2008_4web.jpg


Boxside2008_4web.jpg


Dan, I'd love to borrow the DVD if you can bring it to the next Raleigh Lunch in September. I'd hate to borrow the VHS tape as they are way more fragile. I do still have a VHS player that can record to DVD but I'd hate to risk something like that. Also wouldn't do it at all if it is somebody else's copyright material. But I'd love to borrow the DVD, watch it, and return it to you. Thanks much for the offer. I love to watch traditional craftsman at work, whether it be new work or reproductions.
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
http://www.craftsmanslegacy.com/user/login

I love to watch traditional craftsman at work, whether it be new work or reproductions.

You have probably seen this guy as he visits all kinds of craftsman. If not take a look.

I hope to get to the Sept lunch if I am in town. I think I will be heading back up to New England after all the tourists are gone. The fall season is my favorite time to go back up and visit friends and family.

If I am leaving before the friday meet I might ask Mark Johnson to bring you the video. Soon.
 

Richo B

New User
Richo
If you like his gun making you should see W. Gussler's carving techniques. The conservator that taught me to carve was taught by Wallace Gussler. Its all about repetition. Like carving 11 ball and claw feet when he only carves one. Amazing craftsmanship.
 

TENdriver

New User
TENdriver
Interesting, I've been hearing about this movie for decades but I've never seen it. Looks like it's extremely well rated (44 reviews for a 4.9 of 5 stars rating) on Amazon. Very few of the products I've bought are that highly reviewed.

Sounds like I'll need to tack one of these DVDs onto my next Amazon order.
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
Interesting, I've been hearing about this movie for decades but I've never seen it. Looks like it's extremely well rated (44 reviews for a 4.9 of 5 stars rating) on Amazon. Very few of the products I've bought are that highly reviewed.

Sounds like I'll need to tack one of these DVDs onto my next Amazon order.

You will not regret getting a copy of this man at work. I have watched it so many times and I made all my kids watch it with me when they were young. They all ask me if I am still watching Wallace Gusler and Jeremian Johnson? Always.

Here's one of Wallace's rifles from a few years back. He's gotten into wire inlay in a big way

dist0216_gunsmith_103.jpg


Here's a photo of Wallace. He's still at it today.

131217_DM18985.jpg



 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Google "Colonial Gunsmith" for a few previews to whet your appetite. There are several videos that show the process from A-Z.
 
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