I'm watching every step you do with great interest Bob! I know I'll never do anything like this, but sure appreciate what you've done and all the time taken to share it with us!

My father was a second-generation machinist, a millwright specifically, and a very, very fine one, too.  He would have absolutely loved and admired your project "diaries" and might even have had some suggestions for you.  Anyhow, keep making these very informative - and very entertaining - posts.

Bill Lawrence

The next couple posts are about cleaning up the back of the frame and tangs.

In this first picture I'm straightening up, shaping and finishing to length, the back of the frame.  I'm aligning the scribed line for machining with an end mill here.

The second picture shows the finished cut, including the radius at the top of the frame.  The arrow is pointing to the hook of metal that was left from this machining.  This hook will be removed when the top tang is machined to the finished width.

In the third picture I'm starting the machining of the upper tang width.  You can now see the hook, from the previous picture, being removed

The fourth picture shows the finished upper tang with radius's.

The last picture shows the rough filed upper tang and upper frame.
Bob

Nice file work, Bob.  I have to do both sides simultaneously, otherwise it's hard for me to keep them perfectly symmetrical.

Been working on the breech block.  In these picture I am showing some of the machine work required on the lower end.

In this first picture I am showing the bottom leg being machined.  This leg drops into the lever opening when the action is completely open, but does not show out the bottom of the frame.   

The second photo shows the leg done along with the front and rear lower end, also the link screw hole is in.  The link screw was the first thing completed since all measurement come off it and the front of the breech block.

The third picture is showing opening up the bottom for the breech block link.

The fourth picture is just showing the start of opening up the area around the link screw so there is room for the link.  This is a somewhat complicated because the link also retracts the firing pin so this area opens into the firing pin channel.  Since I haven't figured out how to drill the firing pin hole, without having the breech block completely functional up and down, I'm trying not to break into the area where the firing pin is.  But, at this point, I think I may have.  My fear being, it might be a little tough on a drill bit and reamer when I bore the firing pin hole.
Bob

So, as a refresher, the whole purpose of this action, was to make an action that the breech block tipped back and when closing would cam a round into the chamber.  This is unlike both the original Hepburn, as well as the more common Walker Hepburn.....although they are not common at all.  There are only 2 known in this configuration, so now days they are called the Patent Model Walker Hepburn.  There is a patent drawing and the two guns that were made.  None are the same, as far as the way the breech block tips.

In these first 2 pictures I am showing the frame I am building and serial number 2 regular Walker.  The reason I am showing them is because I am trying to shape the area around the breech block of my gun similar to the #2 Walker.  This is tough to do, and I will not get there 100% because of the tipping breech block and the radius on the BB that allows it to tip or rotate.  But, I think, I will come close to giving mine the illusion they are similar.

Like I said originally, at the start of this post, the reason for this action was to have a breech block roll back and then cam a round into the chamber when closing.

I got this to happen today on my action.

This third picture shows the BB closed

The fourth shows the BB half way open.

And, this last pictures shows the breech block down and tipped back.  Because the rear radius of the breech block is slightly hanging up on one of the inside frame radius's the action will not fully open yet, but tomorrow I should be able to get that cleared and the BB fully opening and tipping.

Been a long time getting to this point.
Bob

Wondrous work, Bob.  And I agree with rifleman about the good feelings the work must generate.

Bill Lawrence