Sliding BRASS patchbox

[James Rogers]

Has anyone ever seen a replacement lid for a wooden box made of brass, domed and designed to slide in the old box grooves?

I am trying to find some ideas of making a replacement type cover other than another wooden one.

Any other ideas are welcome!

[Jim Kibler]

Not of solid brass.  It's not uncommon for European rifles to have metal overlays at the front and back of the lid.  Perhaps some version of this theme may work?

[Jerry V Lape]

Have seen some contemporary guns with bone or ivory covers and I believe some old European guns with wood cover almost totally covered with bone inlays. 

[James Rogers]

Thanks for the replies fellas.
I did not word my OP as I should have.
I am trying to come up with a cobbled up replacement. Something that may have been contrived by the owner or a local mr. fixit who may have been just a little skilled at making a square peg go in a round hole and it be functional. 

I have seen some rough replacement wooden ones in the RCA books but was wondering if some of the late guns from the south may exist with a metal replacement for a box that originally had a sliding wooden cover. I had thought of a brass cover that was domed to replicate the look of a wooden box and slid in the grooves of the old cover.

I do seem to vaguely remember an old piece that had a leather cover that rotated on a screw or nail at the top. 

[Acer Saccharum]

You could make a wooden dovetail piece, then nail a brass dome on top.

I like the suggestion of a swinging leather or sheet iron replacement.

It depends how crude you will go with it.

T

[Jerry V Lape]

Lost me on that last curve.  If you are looking for a replacement a farmer may have cobbled up, having lost his lid, the greatest probablility would be another wooden lid.  Easiest thing for a someone to make with minimal tools and any old piece of wood at hand.  After that a conventional one piece hinged brass lid to cover the old hole would be easiest for a handy man to achieve.  A domed lid is not easy to make so I don't think your handy man would go that direction. IMHO  

[Stophel]

You think brass is expensive now!  It was more so in the 18th century!

[Stophel]

I remember somewhere there is an old gun that has a replacement box lid made of yellow poplar....

[David Rase]

Here are a couple of pictures of one I made for a Jaeger rifle.  I think this is what Jim and Tom were talking about.
DMR

[rich pierce]

I think you could do it with sheet brass domed and folded over on the edges, with dovetail rails bent into shape.  Cut the brass to shape with extra "wings" to fold into rails.  Maybe you could make the zig-zag folds of the "wings" portion to fit the rails then dome it.

[44-henry]

I don't see any reason why something like this couldn't have been made with a sand casting, though it would seem like a more difficult route than just making it out of wood. The dovetail would, of course, have had to be cut by hand afterwords.

[James Rogers]

I think you could do it with sheet brass domed and folded over on the edges, with dovetail rails bent into shape.  Cut the brass to shape with extra "wings" to fold into rails.  Maybe you could make the zig-zag folds of the "wings" portion to fit the rails then dome it.

Rich, that's the way I had it laid out in my mind.

To be honest, the replacement cover deal was suggested to me and I have been floundering on it due to the fact I have only seen ONE "mountain"  sliding metal patchbox. It was on the gun Jim Webb details on pages 38 and 39 of his Rifle gun, Triggers book. I am not so sure the cover is not out of a more modern alloy. I am also really finding it hard to justify such a large piece of brass in the period to make-shift something that could be made for nothing out of wood in the mid 1800's.  

Thank you all for your opinions and assistance. Just needed to hear some other views of the forest from a different tree.  

[Majorjoel]

James, do you have a copy of the book "Flintlock Fowlers The First Guns Made in America" by Tom Grinslade? Take a look at the British Style fowler #12 pictured in the center color section page 123 and page 184. This example uses sheet brass utilizing two straight side plates nailed parallel to the sliding cover which slides through them. A very simple utilitarian fix for the loss of a wooden box lid.

[James Rogers]

Ah! I thought I had ran across another one somewhere. Thanks! Going to the bookshelf now!

[Stophel]

James, do you have a copy of the book "Flintlock Fowlers The First Guns Made in America" by Tom Grinslade? Take a look at the British Style fowler #12 pictured in the center color section page 123 and page 184. This example uses sheet brass utilizing two straight side plates nailed parallel to the sliding cover which slides through them. A very simple utilitarian fix for the loss of a wooden box lid.

I've always wondered what the latch mechanism was on that gun....if there even is any!  I can't see anything on it.

[Bill of the 45th]

Jim, this spring at the Norris show there was a rifle there that had a curved iron lid that was kept in place with two or three oversized iron staples that the lid slid under.  It looked darn good.  It was on a Southern rifle, and I think it was a modern build, not antique.  It would look good in slightly domed sheet brass with rounded front, with a narrower staple as a stop.  Just a thought.  Depending on the period, brass would be the choice over sheet iron for the lid.  Don't know if it was a fix or poor boys sliding box.  Wish I took som pic's.

Bill