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Author Topic: RR thimble question  (Read 3133 times)

Offline wvmtnman

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RR thimble question
« on: October 15, 2008, 03:05:41 AM »
On the last few rifles I made I have been making my own thimbles.  While at Dixon's a couple years ago I bought a couple sheets of brass for this purpose.  Now, I am out of sheet brass and need to order more but I can not remember what thickness I need.  I am building earlier style rifles, where flats are shaped/filed on.  I thought it was .050 but could have been .040. 
     What do you guys use?  I want to order some and don't want to order the wrong thing.
                                                              Thanks, Brian
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Offline Jim Filipski

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Re: RR thimble question
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2008, 03:59:37 AM »
Brian,
.040 is good .050 isn't necessary. I have made them from .030 to .062
The reason thinner works is the flats are near an illusion. yes they are sharp where the edges meet but most of the flat is really a slight convex so your not really filing off a bunch of metal ( it just looks that way)
Jim
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: RR thimble question
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2008, 04:59:00 AM »
Anywhere from .025 to .04. if you need to do much raising of beads or forming of the skirt, consider .03.

You gotta anneal the brass as you work it. Anneal as it hardens or gets springy.
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Offline wvmtnman

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Re: RR thimble question
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2008, 05:18:02 AM »
Thanks guys, I thought it was .040.  I just did not want to go through the whole mess of ordering the workng thing.  I have one small piece left over from past progects but had no way to check it.
                                                                Brian
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