Brass Patch Box

[Bob Rearley]

Gentlemen,

I have finished the hinge and I am well into cutting out the patch box parts.  I am using .062 brass, however this gun I am copying has a .062 lid and the other parts are .042,  I see most recommend engraving the parts after installing for obvious reasons.  How much trouble do  I encounter if I inlet, install file the surfaces flat, remove, engrave and reinstall the patch box parts?  Do those of you  who send out your engraving work send the whole gun or the parts ?. 
Thanks for your guidance.
Bob

[Cody Tetachuk]

Once my patchboxes are inlet they stay there. I tried to remove one once to engrave because it is WAY easier to engrave in the vice but it would never fit quite right afterwards so I engrave in place. The engraving on the Jakob Kuntz rifle at the Met suggests that he MAY have engraved his patch box , THEN cut it out, then inlet. Sounds odd to me but that is what the engraving would suggest. Point is there is more than one way to skin a cat, my way is to inlet and engrave in place. I've been known to engrave the patchbox before the rest of the stock is even shaped LOL.

[Gaeckle]

There shouldn't be any problem doing it this way. You may need to gently tap some edges back into place with a small hammer and a block of wood. I do exactly what you have described and haven't had any issues

[J. Talbert]

Removing the box to engrave definitely has drawbacks, but for the difference it makes in my engraving it’s worth dealing with those issues.

Jeff

[Tom Currie]

Mounting the removed brass patch box on some auto body putty like bondo, using a block of wood as a base, will help prevent any shape changes while the engraving is done . A little warm heat will release the brass afterwards.

[Cody Tetachuk]

Mounting the removed brass patch box on some auto body putty like bondo, using a block of wood as a base, will help prevent any shape changes while the engraving is done . A little warm heat will release the brass afterwards.

There is a product made specifically for this. Comes in grey sticks, melts/softens easily into a putty for holding odd shaped pieces and sets up fast and you just reheat and use over and over again. Don't recall the name or where I got it but it works very well. Any engraving supply house should carry it. Bondo works well also but takes time to set up and requires mixing and is single use.

[Bob Rearley]

I have some of the same material you mention Cody.  Your responses are pretty much what I thought I would get.  I will proceed with caution.  I think as Iget into inletting I will have a better feel for what direction I should procede in. Thanks guys for the input.
Bob

[Gaeckle]

I use bondo and the reason I do is that the bondo bed will be soft at first, allowing for the shape to not become deformed. The bondo sets up quickly, but I allow it to sit for a few hours. Once the bondo firms up I remove any that is higher than the box with an old chisel so the excess buildup doesn't interfere with cutting lines close to the edge

[J. Talbert]

Mounting the removed brass patch box on some auto body putty like bondo, using a block of wood as a base, will help prevent any shape changes while the engraving is done . A little warm heat will release the brass afterwards.

There is a product made specifically for this. Comes in grey sticks, melts/softens easily into a putty for holding odd shaped pieces and sets up fast and you just reheat and use over and over again. Don't recall the name or where I got it but it works very well. Any engraving supply house should carry it. Bondo works well also but takes time to set up and requires mixing and is single use.

Thermo-Loc by GRS

[Cody Tetachuk]

Mounting the removed brass patch box on some auto body putty like bondo, using a block of wood as a base, will help prevent any shape changes while the engraving is done . A little warm heat will release the brass afterwards.

There is a product made specifically for this. Comes in grey sticks, melts/softens easily into a putty for holding odd shaped pieces and sets up fast and you just reheat and use over and over again. Don't recall the name or where I got it but it works very well. Any engraving supply house should carry it. Bondo works well also but takes time to set up and requires mixing and is single use.

Thermo-Loc by GRS

That sounds right, Thanks.

[Mike Brooks]

I threw out my old can of bondo this morning, it was priced at $9.99. Probably had it a couple years. I bought a new can last week, it was $16.99. My math is really bad, is that close to 100% inflation?

[Gaeckle]

I threw out my old can of bondo this morning, it was priced at $9.99. Probably had it a couple years. I bought a new can last week, it was $16.99. My math is really bad, is that close to 100% inflation?

Fraid so....I was looking at my stash of black powder and I have a can priced at $3.75, Goex of course

[davec2]

Bob,

I ALWAYS pull the fully inletted and contoured patch box parts back out of the stock for engraving.  I use a variety of methods to hold the parts for engraving but most often I just screw the parts down to shaped hardwood blocks.  As was mentioned, there may be a bit of tapping required to get the parts back into exactly the correct surface contour, but that is easily accomplished with either a wood block or a fairly hard foam pad and a light hammer.  Actually, the mounting screws usually pull everything back in place for me.

Patch box parts cut out and inletted.....





Removed from the stock for engraving and mounted on a wood block......



Finished engraving of the parts.......



Reinstalled on the stock......



By the way, this box was for a much reduced scale rifle I built for my grandson.......

[Bob Gerard]

Absolutely Magnificent !

[Bob Rearley]

Beautiful engraving Dave. I think I am going to make a form same shape as the stock to use to shape the finial and lid.  and to use for some practice inletting.
Thanks for sharing, Bob

[flatsguide]

Beautiful...you really have that ‘sunburst’ down pat.
CheersRichard

[hawkeye]

Wish I have a grand dad like you.
Simply gorgeous  , Hawkeye

[BOB HILL]

Beautiful, Dave. Thanks for sharing.
Bob

[Grischi]

This is absolutely amazing. I love it.

Christian

[flehto]

Shown is my last Lancaster LR w/ what I consider a fancy Pbox w/ engraving done off the LR by Tim Adlam. He has no problems doing  so  and I don't either when reinstalling the Pbox. The .050 brass has been annealed. Zero gaps w/ the inlet but not a tight fit.,,,,,Fred