My first go at a hinged patchbox

[Cory Joe Stewart]

While most of you were at the CLA show goofing off I was home being productive. 

This is my first attempt ever to make a patchbox.  I am building a mountain rifle this fall and am just playing around, but I may use this.  I was going to buy a kit and cut it out but Hershel House's DVD and Acers tutorial inspired me. 

Its a little rough.  The length is left long so I can adjust it to fit the rifle I am building. 



Coryjoe

[smylee grouch]

How thick is the material you are using for the patchbox?

[rich pierce]

Nice first effort.  You fitted the knuckles pretty well.  It would be better if the knuckles were bent up so there is kind of a sharp edge to the knuckle were it rises from the body of the patchbox.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Right at a 1/16.  I was worried about it being too thick, but it is what I had.  It does make a heavy lid.  Any suggestions Smylee?

Coryjoe

How thick is the material you are using for the patchbox?

[Cory Joe Stewart]

That is exactly what I was struggling with and you spotted it.

Coryjoe

Nice first effort.  You fitted the knuckles pretty well.  It would be better if the knuckles were bent up so there is kind of a sharp edge to the knuckle were it rises from the body of the patchbox.

[smylee grouch]

1/16 is .062 or there abouts and if you can make it work, OK. Most who make there own use a little thinner but you did a good job with what you had. It is a little easier to use just a tad thinner material but as I said you already did a good job. Smylee

[bgf]

You can dress up the hinge a little by clamping each side firmly in the vise (preferably with smooth jaws) right next to the pin.  That will give you the sharper edge/crease Rich is talking about, I think.  I think it will look good, and you did better than fine for a first try! 

[docone]

Think that is good, just wait untill you get into engraving!
The patch box looks at least as good as some original I have seen.
Keep it up.
Now on to engraving.

[Dave B]

I have been looking at original hinges for some time now and I have noted that the amount of metal on the inside of the lid is thinner than the top side on every one that I have looked at. My conclusion with this is they use a thicker metal but thin down the tab section making it easier to wrap around the pin. I have not tried this yet but next time around I will use my cross peen to draw out the tab then form the hinge. My brass box lids have normally been made using 1/16th sheet.and were massive by comparison to the originals I have. I like what you have going there, it will make a fine addition to your rifle.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Where's the pictures?

[Robby]

Coryjoe, I made this one from .032 thick mild steel. It was fairly easy to work and plenty stiff for the purpose. I did double up on the thickness at the catch, though I don't think it was necessary. I used seven knuckles for the hinge and with this thickness it has a nice low profile and seems to fit the style of gun.

Robby

[Cory Joe Stewart]

That would be interesting.  May give that a try next go round.

Coryjoe

I have been looking at original hinges for some time now and I have noted that the amount of metal on the inside of the lid is thinner than the top side on every one that I have looked at. My conclusion with this is they use a thicker metal but thin down the tab section making it easier to wrap around the pin. I have not tried this yet but next time around I will use my cross peen to draw out the tab then form the hinge. My brass box lids have normally been made using 1/16th sheet.and were massive by comparison to the originals I have. I like what you have going there, it will make a fine addition to your rifle.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Coryjoe, I made this one from .032 thick mild steel. It was fairly easy to work and plenty stiff for the purpose. I did double up on the thickness at the catch, though I don't think it was necessary. I used seven knuckles for the hinge and with this thickness it has a nice low profile and seems to fit the style of gun.

Robby

Thanks Robby, very helpful image.

Coryjoe

[McClary]

Coryjoe, I also made my first pb a couple of months ago. I had one on order for 4 months and got tired of waiting. With a couple of building books and Hershals video I got the courage to try one. It was one of the most satisfying parts of the project. Congratulations on yours!!

[Vomitus]

    rrRobby, Does it hurt when it smacks you in the cheek? doh!

[Robby]

Not a smack in the pack Letherbelly!
Robby

[Don Getz]

Next time try this.    Use 1/16" thick metal for the lid and head of the box.  Then make the hinge out of 1/32" thick metal.
Roll the thin stuff around the pin to where it butts down against the base.    Leave a base of about 1/2" or 3/4" and solder one under the lid, and one under the head.   Real easy to do and is almost undetectable..........Don

[Vomitus]

   rrRobby  Ya,I know it's flopped,jus pullin yur whizzer.

[Harnic]

Where's the pictures?

Me too Taylor, no pix show here!

[Rich]

A good way to get the sharp edge where the knuckle comes up is to use a hinge former. It is a piece of flat steel plate. At the top edge, a 1/16 inch overhang is made by soldering a piece of pin stock to it or just pean it over. To form the hinge, put a 90 degree bend in your patch box, then put the bend under the 1/16 overhang, clamp it in your vise and form the knuckle around the form. I also cut the knuckles after the box is bent to the shape of the stock.

[SuperCracker]

A good way to get the sharp edge where the knuckle comes up is to use a hinge former. It is a piece of flat steel plate. At the top edge, a 1/16 inch overhang is made by soldering a piece of pin stock to it or just pean it over. To form the hinge, put a 90 degree bend in your patch box, then put the bend under the 1/16 overhang, clamp it in your vise and form the knuckle around the form. I also cut the knuckles after the box is bent to the shape of the stock.

Wouldn't happen to have a picture would you?

[bgf]

Check this tutorial:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22371.0

The vise alone (with the hinge pin in place) will work, but the former should make it much faster and even neater.

[Dennis Glazener]

Check this tutorial:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22371.0

The vise alone (with the hinge pin in place) will work, but the former should make it much faster and even neater.

I am sure the "former" works great, but here is what I did, after you bend the metal 90 degrees, use a piece of music wire the diameter that will be used for the hinge pin, (I used .0625) to form the knuckle instead of the former that Acer made. Here is how I did it:

Put the short side of the 90 degree bent (door/finial) in the vise then raise it up enough to slip the music wire underneath the long piece. Make sure the long piece is down tight against the music wires (in other words use the music wire to form the channel for the hinge pin). Tighten the jaws of the vise then use a metal or hard maple block to form the knuckle, make sure the music wire stays tightly against the short piece (I used a long screwdriver blade to push it back) then finish up in the vise like Acer shows. The former probably works better but for those without a milling machine to make the former this worked very well for me (I have a mill but was too lazy to make the former).

Just be careful to put the "knuckle" on the long side not the short side or it will be on the bottom of the lid and not the top where it belongs (don't ask me how I know)!
Dennis

[bgf]

Dennis,
That works too and is how I do it more or less (I was just supplying a reference to the former), although your account is more organized than my memory of the process !  One trick I also tried (and I think it might have been something I saw here) was to use a slightly bigger "pin" when folding over the hinge.  For example, I believe I formed the hinge around 1/8" stock and then used 3/32" stock for the final.  That gives a little margin for when you bend the hinge and box to the stock contour -- still will be plenty tight.  I guess if you want to end up with 1/16" pin, you would start with 3/32" or so. Finally, I think it works best to put an approximate bend in the box and lid before cutting the knuckles; if you cut them straight (before bending), they will either have gaps or bind when bent.

[Dennis Glazener]

One trick I also tried (and I think it might have been something I saw here) was to use a slightly bigger "pin" when folding over the hinge

That probably works better than what I did. After I put the curvature in the hinge (to match the butt stock) I then started with a 1/16" drill bit through the "knuckle" allowing it to follow the curvature. Then I used a .067 drill bit to open it up a little more. Then used a piece of 1/16" drill rod for the hinge pin. I sharpened one end like a pencil to help it around the curve! I tried to use a piece of 1/16" music wire but it was too stiff/hard to follow the curvature.
Dennis