Bending a Clause Patchbox ?

[ptk1126]

I am at the stage of inletting the patch box on a copy I am making of a Nathan Clause rifle that
is on display at the Frazier Museum in Louisville.

It may be difficult to see in the photo, but the finial needs to be bent more than the lid, which
may cause problems with the hinge. I have relieved the underside of the hinges to alleviate binding.



My idea is to lay the parts on a 3" diameter pipe and use hose clamps to bend the parts around
the pipe. I do have a two piece former (press) that a machinist friend made for me but that would
make the bend too uniform. Any suggestions ?? After all the work so far, I would hate to screw up the
box.

Thanks
Paul

[tallbear]

Paul
Carve out a depression to the shape that you need in a piece of hard maple.Make sure to relieve a place for the hinge knuckle.Put the patch box face down and use a soft hammer(I use a rawhide leatherworkers mallet) and hammer it into the depression in the wood.Usually you engrave after the patchbox is inlet into the wood so you don't damage the engraveing during the shapeing and inleting.

Mitch

[David Rase]

I wouldn't get too worried about the hinge knuckles.  Once you fit the finial and door to the stock you can peen shut what ever gap you open up.  I use a combination of my vise and flat nosed pliers to tweak and form the patchbox to the shape of the butt stock.
Dave

[Dphariss]

I am at the stage of inletting the patch box on a copy I am making of a Nathan Clause rifle that
is on display at the Frazier Museum in Louisville.

It may be difficult to see in the photo, but the finial needs to be bent more than the lid, which
may cause problems with the hinge. I have relieved the underside of the hinges to alleviate binding.



My idea is to lay the parts on a 3" diameter pipe and use hose clamps to bend the parts around
the pipe. I do have a two piece former (press) that a machinist friend made for me but that would
make the bend too uniform. Any suggestions ?? After all the work so far, I would hate to screw up the
box.

Thanks
Paul

Inlet the parts that touch then bend as needed to complete the inlet and form to the stock.
This is how my "master" tells me is the best way.
His complex patchboxes look better than mine that I prebend so...
Next patchbox I will try his way. But its not going to be "complex"

Dan

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

The working part of the hinge needs to be mainly straight or your hinge won't work. You can angle the outside knuckles down a little to simulate roundness as long as they are not working knuckles. Pretty fancy patchbox. Like it.

[Dphariss]

The working part of the hinge needs to be mainly straight or your hinge won't work. You can angle the outside knuckles down a little to simulate roundness as long as they are not working knuckles. Pretty fancy patchbox. Like it.

Thats what everyone says but my bent to stock contour hinges work to my satisfaction.
Bend with the piano wire in the hole that was used to form it. Sliver solder the hinge for strength.
I  bend THEN cut and fit the hinge. Then carefully work/fit the hinge to loosen it up. Bending before cutting and fitting eliminates gaps in the hinge


They do have some "drag" after opened to 45 degrees or so but this is actually an advantage in use since the lid will not fall closed when removing items from the box.
If this is not desired then before bending drill either the lid of the final pin hole a few thousands over to create some slop.
Dan

[Pete G.]

I would try to keep the bend minimal, especially toward the center. The geometry of an arc puts a lot of stress on the knuckles and pin if it is excessivle.

[bama]

I bend the the lid and the finial seperately to the basic shape of the stock before I cut the knuckles. This helps to keep the gaps between the knuckles from opening up by fitting the knuckles before bending. Then I finish bending it to final shape during the inletting process. It is a little harder to fit and get the hinge wire back in but I like the final results better. I also engrave after the box has been inlet but not always with the box on the rifle. It is easier to engrave the box off the rifle than on to me, and after some close examination of originals I think that quite a few boxes and inlays were done off the gun. Not ALL but some, I don't want to start a war here. I also think that a lot of the engraving that we see was hand pushed and not hammer and chisel, again not all but some.

[John Archer]

Gary Brumfield has an excellent tutorial on his website. www.flintriflesmith.com
Great pictures and excellent instructions.

John

[deano]

That should be quite an impressive patchbox once it is inletted and polished.