Domed patchbox construction?

[Scota4570]

This is my first domed patch box.  Never saw one first hand.  The end that blends with the but plate has a little 90* bend.    Should I retain the lip or should I flat off the end to remove the lip? 

[J. Talbert]

Remove the lip.  Match the contour to the butt plate.
On most the edge of the butt plate is notched to receive the lid.  That's what you'll want here.  So that the two blend together as one on the rear edge.
Jeff

[bama]

I normally do this after I have fit the box to the stock to make the end of the door lines up with the edge of the butt plate

[flehto]

Shown are the form blocks for a domed lid. I retain a short length of "lip"{ 1/32"} and file a flat surface into the Bplate. The end piece {1/8" thick} is contoured to the inside curve of the lid w/ the short lips which reinforce the flat lengths on both sides of the dome. . This way the hi temp silver soldered line isn't evident when viewing from the top. After using the form blocks. a steel parallel w/ a sharp corner  is used to sharpen the  outline   of the dome while on the male form block......Fred

[wmrike]

Nice job on the shaping.  It's going to look great.

I would do the same as what Jeff suggested, remove the tab and leave a contour that matches the buttplate, then recess it into the butt until the lid itself is flush with the stock.

[Scota4570]

Thanks,

I have a plan to move foreword.

I cheated and bought a patch box kit, I can't take credit for shaping the dome. 

Scot

[Mr. Bubbles]

Is simple vice pressure enough to get you good forming on the lid?  I imagine that needs to be annealed a few times during the process.  I cheated on my last domed PB and bought one that was already pre-formed.  I won't do that again this time.

[flehto]

For the domed lids .04 sheet brass is used and an initial annealing of the sheet brass is sufficient.  Yes....a large vise and a large mallet supply  enough force to form the dome.  The parallel w/ a sharp corner easily outlines {sharp corners} the dome and is touched up w/ a riffler file while the lid is on the male form block.  The excess width is removed after forming and outlining of the dome.  The hinge knuckles are formed after the dome is formed and outlined.

The end cap having been made from .1/8" brass provides some leeway when  aligning the end cap w/ the Bplate.

I hi temp silver solder the end cap which has the inside contour of the dome and side flanges  and doing this only requires a flat recess in the  Bplate.  If the lips for the side flanges aren't wanted, the brass end plate can be butt soldered to the lid and then a curved contour can be filed in the Bplate recess......Fred

[Scota4570]

"The end cap having been made from .1/8" brass provides some leeway when  aligning the end cap w/ the Bplate."

I have mine  inletted.  IT turned out ok.

Regarding the above statement, I whole heartedly agree.  So much so that if I do another I will cut off the preformed end piece and use a separate one.  Having to make the end land just right was a major pain.   The edges around the dome near the end piece are not perfect and can not be fixed easily.