JP Beck build - wood patchbox help

[archer829]

I have a bit of an obscure question.  I'm still working on the JP Beck rifle, and I've just about finished the wood patchbox, but I'm not sure about how the spring was attached on the underside of an original Beck patchbox lid.

Does anyone possibly have a picture of the underside of an original lid?

Also, I'm getting ahead of myself a bit here, but how much of the original lid and patchbox cavity was actually stained and sealed?  Dovetails?  Bottom of lid?  Inside of cavity?

Thanks for the help!

Jeff

[rich pierce]

I cannot comment in JP Beck wooden patch boxes but on most originals I’ve seen the cavity and underside of lid are not stained. Of course lids are sometimes replacements.

[Lucky R A]

      I like Rich have not  examined a wooden box on a Beck.  I have seen the spring attachment on a fair number of his brass boxes and the spring is driven into a projection of wood that is left inside the box for this purpose.  Most early colonial period wooden boxes that I have examined had the spring chisel pointed and driven into the wood.  When I do this I usually burn in the cavity for the spring and then drive the box spring in securely.  The spring is not nearly as thick as those commercially supplied.  They are easily made from a 16p spike or the like.  The spike will already be headed...Ron

[BOB HILL]

I would definitely seal, if not humidity will have a great affect on the fit of your lid.
Bob

[Mike Brooks]

I have never seen any evidence of stain or finish in the box cavity, bottom of lid or dovetails on original guns. The spring is driven in a slot like a nail. Like Lucky, I often use a 16p nail.

In fact, I have never seen any evidence of stain or fish on inside surfaces of old guns....under buttplates, sideplates, triggerguards, barrel channels, none of those places had finish on them on old guns.

[timM]

Archer, definitely no finish in JP's boxes and as Mike B pointed out, I don't recall seeing finish in PB cavities on old rifles. 

Search Frasier museum Beck on this site.  Years ago someone posted a bunch of photos and specifications of the George Washington inscribed JP Beck that resides in that museum.  Old wood PB lids can easily be replacements but there was a view of the cavity at least.

If you don't find it click on my profile for my email and I will look to dig em up. tim

[E.vonAschwege]

In the images I've seen of the underside of a Beck wooden box, the spring was inlet into the underside and driven into a recess, as Ron and Mike described.  The box still had rough plane marks on the bottom, and had no stain or finish (lots of dirt and grease residue perhaps).  The stock is stained to the edge of the cutout for the box, but everything inside is left alone.  Why waste stain/finish on something that's rarely seen.  Still, today I always at least seal the inside of the box and underside of the lid anyway, then give it a coat of wax to help prevent binding if things swell up too much in the summer. 
-Eric

[VP]

Here is a photo of a J. P. Beck wooden patchbox lid, both sides.
VP

[rich pierce]

Well there you go. Where else on the world can you get that?  Our members are very generous.

[BarryE]

From the "Washington" Beck.

[archer829]

Wow!  Thank you to everyone for taking the time to help me!  I think I've been dreading the patchbox construction more than the carving, but so far it actually hasn't turned out to be as bad as I imagined.  I'll post pictures as soon as I'm done with this part.

Thanks again!
Jeff