AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: Jerry V Lape on February 19, 2019, 08:10:56 PM
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What are you using for the rivets to attach the muzzle cap. Until now I have used copper rivets but l would prefer making a more HC solution if there is one.
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I use copper leather rivets. They have a relatively thin round head that I file square and inlet into the bottom flat of the barrel channel. They are dead soft and easy to rivet into a slight countersink in the cap. I have also used brass brake shoe rivets too, but prefer the copper leather ones.
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Forge a rivet from a piece of annealed copper electrical wire. It only takes a small scrap.
Bob
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I have two original longrifles with copper rivets holding the nosecap on, so unless you are replicating a specific gunsmiths style, you should be good Togo with a copper rivet.
I’ve used copper harness rivets with the head spun down in a drill motor, with a file. And have used bare electrical ground wire annealed with a head hammered on one end, mostly for small rivets on pistols.
Hungry Horse
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I use copper tacks from the hardware store.
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Forge a rivet from a piece of annealed copper electrical wire. It only takes a small scrap.
Bob
ditto
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Thanks for the input guys. You confirmed that my copper wire rivets are acceptable. I will check out the copper rivets for leather too.
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I also use bare electrical ground wire and form a small head on it. Used to use copper leather rivets, but like the smaller dia. and head of the wire. Doesn't take much to secure the Mcap.....Fred
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For those that use copper wire for rivets I am interested in how you forge the head of the rivet.
Dennis
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For those that use copper wire for rivets I am interested in how you forge the head of the rivet.
Dennis
I cut off a short chunk, squeeze it in my vise and peen it till it makes a head. Takes about 15 seconds.
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For heads I heat the copper wire in a MAPP gas torch. The end will bead-up before it totally melts and falls off. Once the bead has formed I remove the wire from the flame. I have a counter-sunk hole in a swage block. I just cut off the wire about 1/4th inch from the bead, stick it in the hole in the swage box and mash the bead with a hammer. I get a flat-head rivet. I countersink the rivet hole in the barrel channel enough for the barrel to support the rivet. I put the barrel back in and pean the end over.
Best Regards,
JMC
John Cholin
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I assume you need a blind hole the diameter of the wire, then maybe a smaller one going all the way through so you can use a smaller pin to knock the rivet out once its head is formed?
Dennis
For heads I heat the copper wire in a MAPP gas torch. The end will bead-up before it totally melts and falls off. Once the bead has formed I remove the wire from the flame. I have a counter-sunk hole in a swage block. I just cut off the wire about 1/4th inch from the bead, stick it in the hole in the swage box and mash the bead with a hammer. I get a flat-head rivet. I countersink the rivet hole in the barrel channel enough for the barrel to support the rivet. I put the barrel back in and pean the end over.
Best Regards,
JMC
John Cholin
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My little die I made to make rivets out of electrical wire. Oil the hole before peening the head and just push out with a punch. There are 2 holes, the one on the right has wire waiting to be peened
(https://i.ibb.co/YNFwhXn/FB-IMG-1550795147801.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Twxdt1j)
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My little die I made to make rivets out of electrical wire. Oil the hole before peening the head and just push out with a punch. There are 2 holes, the one on the right has wire waiting to be peened
(https://i.ibb.co/YNFwhXn/FB-IMG-1550795147801.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Twxdt1j)
I did not understand why you did not need a blind hole else the wire drove through the hole, then understood the purpose of heating the end until you get the ball on the end which keeps it from going through.
I see you use the anvil to stop yours from going through.
Thanks
Dennis
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Hi Dennis. I cut the wire just a little longer than the hole to allow for the head. Oiling the hole prevents the rivet from seizing in the hole.
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Thanks for the suggestion on the swage, guys. :) I just finished doing a Beck nose cap with 3 iron rivets using small nails as base stock, and then delicately filing them down in little rivets. Forming them in a mandrel would have been much better.
Richard
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You can find copper harness rivets at a decent hardware store. They're dirt cheap.
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rick,
Your set-up is almost identical to mine! If you de-burr and polish your countersunk hole you might get away from needing oil. I don't have any problem with the rivet sticking in the forming hole but mine is de-burred and polishes some.
Best Regards,
JMC
John Cholin
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Thank you John. I will do that. I just drilled the holes and countersunk them. Never thought about polishing it. ......... I met you at Dixon's this year after one of your seminars on Saturday about fixing inletting mistakes. I believe we were talking about old jeeps.
Rick Craft
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Dennis....I drill and ctsk a 1/8" thick steel plate and use a 1/2"-5/8" length of copper wire which protrudes from the top surface enough to form a head. The bottom length is just clamped in the vise w/ the plate laying on the vise jaws.....never had it slip because I use very light taps w/ the hammer. I don't anneal the copper wire because it's very soft as is......Ferd
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Thanks to every one for their way of making copper rivets out of electrical wire.
Dennis
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I confess that I make mine out of 8 gauge copper wire too. Hard to find harness rivets here, though I haven't visited a tack shop lately. Maybe the local Tandy Leather would have them, but I just never checked because I make my own. Nice to see how everyone else does it, though.
Matt
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Tandy has all manner of copper rivets. I checked there today. But you have to buy a package of 50 for about $25. I will continue to make mine from copper wire.
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I make my rivet header by taking 2 pieces of steel about 1/4" thick, and squeeze them together in the vice, and drill the a hole through at the intersection....the diameter of the rivet shank. Also countersink the hole for the rivet head. That way you can cut the length of copper, put the 2 pieces around the copper in the vise, swage the head and end up with a nice clean shank.
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I have only used copper up till now and use the split steel forming die previously described. I have seen now a few originals in person that have used Iron rivets that were set into the oblique flats of the wood and brass muzzle cap not in the bottom of the channel. Two that come to mind are a JP Beck with an oct-rnd barrel and a Peter Barry also an oct-rnd I should think that the same tooling would work just as well using mild steel rod or 8 d nails.