Author Topic: A pair of nice Rayl pistol barrels (Read 10710 times)

smart dog · « **on:** April 26, 2009, 10:47:16 PM »

Hi Folks,
I thought some of you might like to see the finished barrels that I am using for my dueling pistols. They are 50 cal rifled and swamped barresl from Ed Rayl. The tangs are basic hook breech tangs from TOW. I just modified them a bit and did some engraving. I hope you enjoy the photos.

dave

Brian · « **Reply #1 on:** April 26, 2009, 10:49:52 PM »

Wow! I'm sure as heck impressed! NICE barrels. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Rolf · « **Reply #2 on:** April 26, 2009, 11:11:20 PM »

Those barrels are beautiful!!!! How did you get the damascus effect??

Best regards

Rolf

caliber45 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 27, 2009, 05:05:25 AM »

I second Rolfkt's compliment. And his question. How DID you get the nice damascus effect? I've had decent luck with coppersulfate dissolved in sulphuric acid, but haven't figured out how to get the lines as close together as you did. -- paulallen

LynnC · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2009, 01:06:39 AM »

I'll 3rd the interest in your Faux Damascus finish - Man it looks good! I've got a derringer barrel that needs finishing. Thanks............................Lynn

smart dog · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2009, 02:44:05 AM »

Thanks folks,
The "twist" finish is easy in concept but tedious in execution. I studied many photos of English twist and stub twist barrels and selected a Manton pistol barrel as a model. I polished the barrels with 1500 grit paper and degreased them. Then,using the Manton barrel as a guide, I carefully painted the inverse of the pattern on the barrels with etching resist (standard asphaltum ground from jewelry suppliers). I practiced a bit on another barrel to develop the skill to mimic the real pattern. I used several brushes of different sizes. Once the ground was painted and dried, I sealed the muzzle with a cork and painted it with ground and then painted the breech plug. I placed the barrels in a glass baking dish and covered them with Ferric Chloride (circuit board etchant sold by Radio Shack). I soaked them for 30 minutes, then washed with water and again with water and baking soda. The resulting pattern was beautiful and could be used as is with no browning. In fact, if you just apply cold bluing to the barrels and sand it off the high spots, the result is spectacular. Next, I browned the barrels using Dixie's browning solution, which produces a much redder, coppery color that any of the other solutions. I carded the barrels using 1500 grit paper wrapped around a block of wood to remove rust from the high spots but keep the color in the low spots. After getting a light coppery color, I washed the barrels in water and then put them in the oven at 475 degrees F to deepen the bronze tones. After that, I rubbed beeswax on the warm barrels and buffed them. The brown may not turn out to be really durable but it doesn't matter because the underlying pattern is really nice without any browning and as it wears they will assume a nice old rubbed patina. Before choosing this method I experimented with a number of techniques. I can tell you emphatically that painting the whole barrel with resist or some other coating and then scraping in a pattern is a waste of time. The resist doesn't scrape away cleanly, it is hard to follow the pattern around the barrel, and it almost always looks too machine like to be real.

dave

sydney · « **Reply #6 on:** April 28, 2009, 02:50:35 AM »

Very nicely done--How about a picture of the engraving?
Thanks Sydney

smart dog · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2009, 03:51:14 AM »

Hi Sydney,
Sure. Below are some photos of the tand engraving before color casehardening.

dave

sydney · « **Reply #8 on:** April 28, 2009, 04:33:12 AM »

Hi--Thanks for the pictures
Please post more pictures as the project advances
Sydney

larrydavid · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2009, 04:58:35 AM »

Dave

Excellent work! I was at the gunsmith's shop at Colonial Williamsburg a couple of weeks ago. Here is a picture of a pair of pistols that they were building. Your workmanship appears to be just as good.

Larry

smart dog · « **Reply #10 on:** April 28, 2009, 05:12:59 AM »

Hi Larry,
Thank you. That is high praise indeed. Coincidentally, I am also building a case identical to the one pictured. My guess is that the handle for the case you photographed was of the classic Chippendale type that sit on top of the lid. They are using the correct round washer type nuts to hold the handle on. Very well done and thank you for the picture. I broke one of my frizzens (too hard and I didn't temper the toe enough) so I am waiting on a new one from Blackleys. Otherwise my pistols are done. In the meantime, I am building the case and accessories. I did a bit of research on cases for British pistols and am recreating a case from the 1790's. In fact, I just came in from my shop after inletting the case lock. I am actually going to put together a tutorial on case building for ALR. I am photographing each step. Thanks again.

dave

Rolf · « **Reply #11 on:** April 28, 2009, 09:53:06 AM »

Dave, I look forward to your tutorial on making a pistol case. The hooked breeches you used, were they modified from TOW Hawken Pistol Flint hooked tang?

Best regards

Rollf

smart dog · « **Reply #12 on:** April 28, 2009, 05:00:56 PM »

Hi Rolf,
The breeches were American fowler 1 1/8" hooked breeches from TOW. I just wanted a plug with a hook not the patent breech assembly that the Hawken pistol breech has. I actually used the well fitted breech plugs that Rayl supplied and cut them into hooks that fit the tangs from TOW rather than waste time fitting the plugs that came with the tangs.

dave

sydney · « **Reply #13 on:** April 28, 2009, 05:03:14 PM »

Hi--I look forward to your building of the pistol case
Thanks Sydney

Daryl · « **Reply #14 on:** April 28, 2009, 05:23:09 PM »

Stunning!

larrydavid · « **Reply #15 on:** April 29, 2009, 03:06:30 AM »

Dave,

The baize that you see in the Wiliamsburg case came from Peter Dysen in England.
However, if you really want to use what the old English case makers used you can get the
baize from the original manufacturer named Abimilech Hainsworth. Here is the website
for them. They have been making baize for the gun trade in England or over 200 years.

www.abimelech.co.uk

I have been collecting and restoring English rifles for over 30 years and this is the baize that I use in a case. They are very nice to work with and they will send you samples.

Larry

jerrywh · « **Reply #16 on:** April 29, 2009, 03:22:26 AM »

Dave.
That's a nice job on the Engraving also.

aap2 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 29, 2009, 11:24:16 PM »

Dave: Your engraving as well as your treatment of the hooked breeches is really outstanding. Your pistols are the most beautiful flintlocks that I have ever seen. Thanks for posting the pics.

smart dog · « **Reply #18 on:** May 01, 2009, 06:00:41 PM »

Thanks to all of you for the encouragement. Jerry, thanks for the note. I appreciated it. Aap2, thank you but I don't know what to say. I am a rank amateur but I try very hard. I think the learning part is what attracts me the most to this business and these dueling pistols have been a learning experience from day one. I finally feel able to successfully combine woodworking, metal working, engraving, design, and historical knowledge into my work. Larry, thank you very much for the tip on the baize. I contacted Hainsworth immediately. I may still purchase the cloth from Dyson because they offer some colors that are muted. My wife had an old blanket made from green boiled wool. The color looked like a slightly faded version of the holly color fabric by Hainsworth. The pistols jumped out surrounded by that color. It was amazing how the color made them look really authentic. Anyway, I will explore my options. Thank you for again for the tip. It was worth going to Hainsworth's web site just to read about their 200+ year history.

dave

larrydavid · « **Reply #19 on:** May 03, 2009, 04:23:00 AM »

Dave,

I have been admiring your engraving. Was the engraving your work? I have wanted to try engraving for a long time, but haven't the confidence to start. How long have you been engraving? How were you taught?
I don't think that I have very much artistic ability, should I even try to do it?

Thanks,

Larry

smart dog · « **Reply #20 on:** May 03, 2009, 05:04:57 AM »

Larry,
There is a tremendous amount of information on this web site about engraving. Jerry Huddleston, Acer, Steve Lindsay, and several others are masterful engravers and have always been a big help sharing their knowledge. Steve Lindsay has a great web site www.handengravingforum.com that provides a lot of information and discussion about engraving. I am self taught and it shows. My engraving is OK as far as it goes. I think I can do justice to most 17th and 18th century firearms. I am not up to the standard of the 19th, 20th, and 21st century engravers by far. I struggled (but it was always fun) using a hammer and chisel for 2 or 3 years and did pretty well. I could certainly do as well as any of the engravers of long rifles in the late 1700s. But I aspired to make some nice English guns so I really needed to improve. That improvement really happened when I bought a Lindsay airgraver. I have been using the airgraver for 2 years. Now I can engrave anything that I can draw (and see). At this level I have discovered how important good drawing and design are, but I have some talent for those. The designs on the barrel tangs are mine but they are inspired by pistols built by John Twigg and Henry Knox. I certainly would encourage you to try engraving. It is not expensive to get started and it is a lot of fun. There are some good videos available that should help you. I have the set made by Linton McKenzie, which I found to be very helpful.

dave

Berks Liberty · « **Reply #21 on:** May 03, 2009, 06:30:11 AM »

Very sharp looking!

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Author Topic: A pair of nice Rayl pistol barrels (Read 10710 times)

caliber45

larrydavid

Daryl

larrydavid

aap2

larrydavid

Berks Liberty