WOODBURY Hes on a first-name basis with Mel Gibson. It took a bit of serendipity for that to take place. Woodburys Frank House is an extra in The Patriot, which opens nationwide Wednesday. It was Houses talent of making replicas of old guns that led him to Hollywood, where he was befriended by Gibson, who stars in The Patriot. Houses connection with the movie started in the early 1990s when Randy Wilkens bought a flintlock rifle, made by House, and porcupine quill powder horn strap, made by Houses wife, Lally, at a National Muzzle-Loading Rifle Association show in Friendship, Ind. Wilkens later went to work for Sonys art department in Los Angeles. When Doug Harlocker, property master for The Patriot, was looking for props, Wilkens showed him Frank and Lallys gun and powder horn strap. Gibson wears the strap throughout most of the movie. Sony Studios called Frank House in May 1999. The studio wanted to buy some items and enlist Frank House to teach Gibson and other actors how to shoot long rifles. Columbia Pictures owned by Sony Studios asked Frank House to make two silver mounted .65-caliber holster pistols and a 1770s long rifle for Gibson and another pair of pistols for Jason Isaacs, who plays the part of Colonel Tavington. They asked Lally House to make a hunting-bag strap for Gibson. Frank House was originally hired for only three days. The studio kept him on the set for 10 weeks between October and January. Gibson fell in love with Frank and decided he had to be in the movie, Wilkens said. With his long, brown pony tail and demeanor, he seems like someone right out of the 1770s – perfect for the film. Columbia Pictures sent Frank House tickets to Tuesdays preview of The Patriot in Nashville. Frank fell victim to Gibsons incorrigible prankster antics more than once during the filming. Gibson was constantly pulling my pony tail and asking if it was real, Frank House said. When we were filming the movies trailer we had a couple of misfires the day before. The next day Mel shot about 10 times. Everything worked perfect and I was tickled to death. I asked Mel if I was back in his good graces. I was putting the gun back in the case and the director said we had some daylight left so lets shoot some more. Mel shot the gun and it misfired. He started saying, Ah Frank, do you know how much money you have cost this movie company today? Everyone of these takes is thousands and thousands of dollars. I guess well have to take it out of your check. Frank House responded: With what you are paying me, Im gonna be here a long, long time. Well take it out of your savings, Gibson said. Frank House responded: Im white-trash Mel, we aint got no savings. Lally House said they went to Barnes & Noble Booksellers to buy the official companion book to The Patriot. The book has a picture on Pages 54-55 showing Frank standing next to Gibson. The woman at the counter said there is some guy from Woodburn in that movie, Lally House said. I told her thats Woodbury, not Woodburn, and the guy is right here beside me. Frank House also is pictured beside Gibson on the cover of the June 2000 Smithsonian Associate magazine. He is also mentioned on The Patriot Web page at http://www.thepatriot.com/html/artofthe/primage5.html. After Frank House finished The Patriot, he was asked by Harry Lu, the armorer on the film, to work on an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie being filmed in Czechoslovakia. He was also asked to work on a movie being filmed in Honolulu about Pearl Harbor. I said not just no, but hell no, Frank House said. I love living here in Woodbury and I love living with Lally. We get along good and I dont want to be gone from home for six months at a time for all that.