Has anyone ever made silver head barrel keys?

[DaveM]

I want to fabricate, (or convert steel-headed keys) to have fairly sizable oval silver heads.  I thought about maybe hammering silver coins to somehow fit over the steel key heads, and wondered if anyone has any experience doing such a thing? 

[Stoner creek]

It would probably be easier to make the entire key out of silver.

[David Rase]

All you need to do is hard silver solder a piece of sterling silver to a steel key.  I have made these several times using hard silver(easy) and have had no problems.  It is easier to hold the head in place to the key when it is squared up vs trying to hold it with the oval already shaped.
David 

[DaveM]

Thanks Dave!

[Nordnecker]

Yes to what David said. You can bend the key to the angle of the forestock and solder the silver head on flat. Then, it's not necessary to tip or fit the head.

[louieparker]

No doubt many ways to do this.. But here is an example on a York Couny rifle.. The head was formed and then overlaid with thin silver....LP

[DaveM]

Louie, yes that is exactly the idea and result I need.  I bought steel keys from track of the wolf but the heads are too small.  So somehow looking to attach silver pieces that are a bit bigger than the steel head. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I made blind brass slides for my Kuntz effort, and hard soldered pure silver heads on them.  Like Dave, I started with a rectangular piece 3/32" thick, and shaped the heads after soldering.

[P.W.Berkuta]

Taylor - what did you use to join the silver to the brass? Low temp - high temp regular solder - special solder ?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

High temperature silver solder - red heat, and good flux.  I use the same solder sawyers use to attach carbide teeth to lumber cutting saws in mills.

[P.W.Berkuta]

Got it -- thanks - I have some high temp silver braze.