Nose cap question

[Brian Jordan]

I have my nose cap fit, but need to finish the stock profiling. My question is when do you guys pin the cap on...before, or after the finish is applied to the stock?

[Rolf]

Before applying finish.

Best regards
Rolf

[Curtis]

What Rolf said +1.

Curtis

[Brian Jordan]

Thanks guys! That's what I was hoping for.

[mountainman70]

Ditto Rolf. I usually have an iron cap same style as finish cap, that stays on while building, finishing, then I put the finish cap on, and rivet as required at that time.
I am too lazy to rework file, sanding marks from the finish cap. Doesn't cost that much to have build caps. Nice inlet job, btw. Dave

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Yup, very nice job.  Now, polish it up, rivet it permanently, and carry on.

[Justin Urbantas]

Yup, very nice job.  Now, polish it up, rivet it permanently, and carry on.

What is your riveting technique for a brass cap, Taylor?  I am about to start inletting a nose cap on my current build. Previously I attached them with acraglas

[Black Hand]

Make or buy a rivet with a large, flat head (the head looks like a copper harness rivet or roofing nail), flush inlet in the barrel channel and the end is trimmed and peened to hold the brass nosecap (hole drilled and slightly countersunk in the nosecap). Some rifle styles apparently use 2 rivets from the sides. Dress off the extra pin flush with the nosecap once peened.

[smylee grouch]

If you don't have a copper rivet you can make one from a stub of copper wire in a pinch.

[Terry Reynolds]

I made a jig to make my rivet/nails out of 12ga electrical wire.

[Joe S.]

Please forgive me for not being historically correct but......I was at a bit of a crossroads as to how I was going to finish my nose piece.Mine is iron but did not want to commit toanything finish wise so....I put threads on the rivet,cut a shallow slot in the head put threads in the hole in the cap and screwed it on.When I finally get her done I will file the slot off and call it a rivet again.

[louieparker]

Sometimes you find a nose cap attached with a screw and a small metal plate inlayed in the barrel channel with a threaded  hole to fit the screw...  LP

[dlubbesmeyer]

Well thank you all for the posts. I am at the same muzzle cap stage in my build and
Simply reading the books wasn't working for me to visualize. digger658 jig Photos really helps. Well it does make a difference to my brain anyhow.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Justin:  as has been well described by Black Hand, I use copper harness rivets.  Having fit the nose piece to the stock, I drill through both the cap and the wood with a clearance drill bit.  I file the head of the rivet square just to make it easier to inlet in the barrel channel.  Once inlet, the rivet passes through the wood and cap, is cut off and rivetted into a slight countersink in the metal cap, then filed flush.  The cap is now permanent.  If your inlet for the cap to the stock is not perfect, some epoxy can be used as filler, but you shouldn't need it.

[Black Hand]

I cheated a bit - I inlet the round head of the rivet so it was flush then threaded the shank and the hole in the nosecap (I did a slight countersink on the exterior hole). This way it was possible to grab the excess shank with locking pliers and screw everything tight, remove the excess shank, peen to fill the countersink then dress flush.

[yip]

 for what it worth i glue the nose cap and rivet when the glues dry. i use Alexanders way by using a 1/4x28 screw, thread the cap and insert the screw and cut to fit then peen the end to contour the cap. finish the rifle with cap on. ain't no pro thats the way i doze it. hope it right...........yip