Custom Gunmaking Seminars 2021
I am now scheduling Montana Summer Custom Gunmaking Seminars for 2021. This is the ninth year and they just keep improving and getting more enjoyable. Because of cancelling last year (2020) there is a lot of interest in the 2021 Seminars. I will be offering two classes:

Metal Preparation and Small Shop Rust Bluing the third week in July 19-23, 2021

Stockmaking the first week in September 6-10, 2021

As I have COPD and am particularly vulnerable to infection. I have been fully vaccinated and I’m hoping that all traveling here from distant places can be vaccinated for the Covid virus before leaving home. As I am mainly retired and have health issues this may be the last year, I offer these classes?

Each class will have a maximum of four students and will meet M-F, 9-5 with an hour break for lunch. Because of Covid concerns we will probably be keeping distance and wearing masks, but we often do that anyway when working with walnut dust or polishing or carding rust bluing. Please bring a week’s worth of 1095 (7) masks.


We will meet back in the workshop Tuesday and Thursday evening from 7:30 - 9:00 for Show and Tell where we will examine and discuss custom, vintage antique and interesting firearms with hand-on examination. Students are encouraged to bring examples for Show & Tell.


Projects for Metal Prep. should be a handgun, shotgun or rifle action, barrel and assorted parts for hand polishing and bluing. I also encourage you to bring a set of gun screws for nitre bluing. We will also examine small shop finishing techniques and how they have held up under decades of usage of my own custom guns and rifles.

We will focus on grit paper hand polishing but I will also demonstrate recontouring with files, file techniques, polishing with stones and burnishing. I will be possible to completely hand polish a gun in class and at least partially rust and nitre blue some parts. I will focus on teaching how you can set-up for rust & nitre bluing your own workshop.

I have a great deal of experience teaching Stockmaking and many students want to learn how to shape a stock from the blank with hand tools. Projects are limited to classic stock design as I have no experience with thumbhole or “modern” stock design. For student projects, I am open to bolt action, pump, auto and single shot rifles, repeating shotguns, certain double and o/u shotguns with individual approval.


I am very open to students’ special projects although many want to shape a Classic Mauser or M-70. For Stock Shaping, I want you to have your metalwork completely inlet and installed in the blank as it will take the whole week to shape the stock and maybe longer.

Others Stockmaking projects can to focus on inletting and installing the metal into a stock blank or pre-machined stock. Some professionals want to learn specific details of shaping or inletting, (installing steel buttplate, skeleton butt plate, skeleton grip cap, shaping cheekpieces, English stock design, full stocks, etc.) I’m open to most student projects.

I am very careful to make sure students pick a project they can mainly complete in 5 days in class. Please let me know what you have in mind for a project when registering. I spend lots of time with students on the phone so their project is ready to jump in when they arrive.

Seminars are limited to 4 persons and I have 2 booked for each Seminar leaving just 2 open workbenches for each. I may offer another Section of Stockmaking if demand warrants. Serious students should contact me as soon as possible by calling 406-222-9377. Please leave a message if I am out.

Many thanks,
Steven Dodd Hughes

See you this fall!

The Seminars cost $1650 for 5 days in the workshop. Student stay in locals Motels and eat at local restaurants. I have begun taking deposits for 2021 Seminars and it would be good to contacting me immediately. The Deposit is 50% $825 down and I request the balance $825, 30 days prior to class. Deposits are not refundable, except if class is cancelled or when I can fill a vacancy, as I have had a problem with cancellations in the past.
Students are confirmed on a first come basis so please don’t hesitate, call (406-222-9377) in the afternoon and let me know that you are serious.
Many thanks for your interest. One fellow (Terry) signed up for Stockmaking this morning.

That would be me. Looking forward to the class.

quote:

Originally posted by Tlbeynon:
That would be me. Looking forward to the class.

Thanks Terry, we will be talking about you Stockmaking project shortly~~

With Terry committing to the Stockmaking Seminar and Matt wanting to reshape a Fox boxlock action in Metal Prep, only one place is left open in each Seminar.
If you have ever thought about attending this may be your last chance? A week in a Professional Custom Gunshop working on your chosen project is sure to elevate your entire notion of custom gunmaking. A week in Montana in the summer time is generally considered an enjoyable experience. My shop in Livingston is just 50 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.

Wayne, fitting a steel buttplate

I'll shortly be working, via phone and email with each student to make sure their project is ready to work on when they arrive in MT.
Stockmaking: September 6-10, 2021
Metal Prep and Rust Bluing: July 19-23, 2021
Cost $1650

Nitre Bluing at 600*

The 2021 Stockmaking Seminar is full with 4 students from around the USA ( VA, PA, Ohio, IN).

There is one workbench open for the Metal Finishing/Rust Bluing Seminar scheduled for July 19-23, 2021. One student has elected to learn how to re-shape a Fox SXS action as seen in my Double Shotguns book.

If interested in attending, now is the time to contact me.

Thanks to all who have contacted me about these Seminars.
Steven Dodd Hughes