Author Topic: Lock polishing contest (Read 31049 times)

B Shipman · « **Reply #25 on:** January 04, 2009, 09:17:57 AM »

God, that's a lot of work. But that's about the coolest Tulle lock I've ever seen.

Long John · « **Reply #26 on:** January 11, 2009, 01:07:32 AM »

A couple of you have mentioned "stoning" the lock and I presume you don't mean that in the biblical sense. I have always used files and then silicon carbide paper wrapped around a file of particular shape. When you "stone" a lock part are you rubbing it with a whet stone of sorts?

Best Regards,

John Cholin

I got another couple of hours before my entry is ready for a photo. Too much travel!

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #27 on:** January 11, 2009, 04:50:33 AM »

Yes, John, it's actual stones we are talking about, but not the kind you throw at huses.

See this topic for stones: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2585.msg24681#msg24681

Long John · « **Reply #28 on:** January 11, 2009, 05:16:04 AM »

Friends,

Well, thanks to the snow, I finally had some time at home and I got to working on my lock. Here it is, so far. It is a slightly restyled Chambers Deluxe Golden Age lock. I have reprofiled the lock plate and the cock.

It is on a rifle that is my delusion of what William Antes might have made BEFORE he built RCA 53.

I also want to announce that I have finally gotten me an apprentice! I think that this will speed up my progress on the many projects that I have, including a commission (Yes! a REAL PAYING CUSTOMER) to build a rifle for a member of my ML club. So meet my new apprentice, Ollie!

I am sure I will get this rifle done by the summer now!

Best Regards,

John Cholin

Clark Badgett · « **Reply #29 on:** January 12, 2009, 10:06:59 AM »

Well John that is a real handsome apprentice you have there.

rich pierce · « **Reply #30 on:** January 12, 2009, 06:42:09 PM »

John, I'll be very interested in this rifle. Did you make the buttplate or did you modify an available one? How wide is it? And about when would you date the rifle you're building? Tell us more!

Old Ford2 · « **Reply #31 on:** January 12, 2009, 07:35:29 PM »

It was very nice of you to raise the floor for Ollie.
Now he can reak\lly get his hand ( paws) on things.
Old Ford

Long John · « **Reply #32 on:** January 12, 2009, 09:35:03 PM »

Rich,

This rifle is inspired by RCA 53, the William Antes rifle and RCA 52 by an unknown maker. If there is any single old time gunmaker I wish I could spend a day with it is William Antes.

But there are 2 things that have always "bothered" me about RCA 53. (Keep in mind I have never seen the rifle except in pictures so I am sure that I am about to make some comments that will demonstrate a sever lack of knowledge.) First the cock does not fit the lock right. Second, the brass patchbox is crammed in between the but plate and the arcs that extend the volute on the right side of the wrist/butt. The rest of the rifle is beautifully designed and executed but the cock and the patchbox don't seem to reflect the same level of design and execution. They don't fit the rest of the rifle. This leads me to suspect that they might hve been later revisions to the rifle. But what do I know - I have never seen the rifle in the flesh!

So, I am making a rifle that is a fantasy gun. I am pretending that it is a rifle that William Antes might have made before he built BEFORE RCA 53. We know William Antes was born in 1734 (I think, I don't have my references with me.) which means he would have been a journeyman in 1755. So, I am imagining a 1760 time frame. I am making it with a wooden patchbox. I modified a Chambers lock to make it look more handmade but kept the bridaled frizzen because by the 1750s locks were being made with bridled frizzens. The butt plate is 2 inches wide and is a modified plate sold by TOTW. (I can get you their part number when I get back home; I am on the road again. It is made of that real hard bronze.) The buttplate is patterned after the plate on RCA 52. The trigger guard is also from TOTW. Ditto on part number and material. It has also been modified some to get as close to RCA 53's TG as I can. The trigger, trigger plate, side plate etc. are all home-made. I have been learning how to make triggers and this one is the best I have ever done. I like the scroll terminus of the triggers from historically later Bucks County rifles so I decided to use a little poetic license and use one on this rifle.

The rifle has a Getz 47 inch Dickert profile barrel in 54 calibre with radius groove rifling at 1 turn in 72 inches. Many will argue that the earlier rifles had typically shorter barrels. Typical of which school of gunmaking? There are rifles from Switzerland and the Alsace/Lorraine region of France with quite long barrels. (I saw them at the Tohusmusset in Copenhagen years ago.) Antes is a French name! Besides, the Frence fusils of the day often had 48 inch barrels. It is well known that longer rifles hold steadier for the same weight. Who is to say there wasn't an odd-ball in 1760 that wanted an uncommonly long rifle. Besides, things rarely evolve in a straight, uninterrupted line.

IThe rifle currently weighs just north of 8 pounds and balances 3 inches aft of the ramrod entry. This is the consumate hunting rifle in my view! I have the trigger letting off at about 2.5 pounds and that's before final polishing and case-hardening.

I'll keep you posted. My intention is to have it finished in ealy July. Ollie has promised to help!

Best Regards,

JMC

rich pierce · « **Reply #33 on:** January 12, 2009, 10:33:31 PM »

Sounds great. I want to make an early 1760's fantasy side opener someday but will probably go with the early concealed hinge type requiring a "gutter" for clearance like the "Deschler rifle" EK has photo'd and discussed and the Leyendecher patchbox he also photo'd, researched and discussed in detail.

I see RCA 53 as a 1770's gun, maybe to 1780, definitely pre-dating the full blown Bucks County school.

52 is sure a fascinating gun and looks like a "parts" gun to me. Some of the parts like the buttplate look quite used compared to the stock wear, etc.

Jim Chambers · « **Reply #34 on:** January 13, 2009, 12:03:07 AM »

OK guys, here's my entry in the contest. This is one of our Round Face English locks that I just finished polishing and engraving. I started with very fine needle files, followed that up with polishing stones, then went to progressively finer grits of wet/dry paper down to 800 grit, and finished up with a rubbing of Semi-Chrome. The polishing took about a week of evenings. The engraving design was drawn up in one more evening. (Yes, I'm slow on design work.) Cutting the engraving took another two evenings.
This is the latest English fowler I finished this weekend. I'll be taking it to the FEGA show in Reno in a couple of weeks. Hope someone likes it enough to give it a good home.

PIKELAKE · « **Reply #35 on:** January 13, 2009, 12:24:22 AM »

Mr. Chambers, not only is your lock impressive, I like the way you store your tools and what not. Thanks for the tip.

Paul Hamler · « **Reply #36 on:** January 13, 2009, 02:08:07 AM »

Small locks are easier to polish. The brass 1/3 scale large Siler was cut out on thr pantograph along with the stock. The lock was filed with needle files, then cleaned up with a small flexiable rubber wheel in the Dremel tool. Further detailed with 3mImperial 30 micron paper ,polished with semi chrome and then brushed with a rubber flex stone to provide a very fine satin finish prior to engraving.
the grey lock is a model that will be used to make production molds for casting in steel.
Paul

J. Talbert · « **Reply #37 on:** January 13, 2009, 06:06:18 AM »

Jim,

That's gorgeous. There are Chambers locks and then there are Chambers Locks. That's definitely the later. I just love that tasteful understated style. I'll bet the rest of the gun's not bad either.

Hey Paul,
I like the start you have on that little lock. Having seen your miniature tools at the CLA show, I'd love to see the completed lock when you finish it.

Welcome to the board.

B Shipman · « **Reply #38 on:** January 13, 2009, 09:07:06 AM »

I think Jim's the winner so far. This is an example of how long the good stuff takes, and then only when you're good enough to do it in the first place.

Over the years, I've had people tell me it took me so much time and therefore I'm charging this much. My feeling is often, "You need to work three times as fast and make it a lot better in that time". Jim's stuff is an example of really good work at a workmanlike rate of someone who knows what he's really doing and well practiced at it.

Leatherbelly · « **Reply #39 on:** January 14, 2009, 05:08:56 AM »

I'm not entering it, but Taylor S. did this one last year or was it the year before. Shines still like a bright new nickle!

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #40 on:** January 14, 2009, 05:22:40 PM »

Jim your lock is especially precise and crisp. Very hard to accomplish. Plus your engraving is excellent. Whoo-ee!

You guys ever try the Gesswein Ultra-Soft stones? They cut soooo nice and fast without scratching. Excellent follow up stone after a hard stone. Define your contours and shapes with needle files, then blend the whole surface with a hard stone to get rid of the file marks while maintaining the shapes and contours. THEN finish with the Ultra soft stones. Oh, my goodness, they finish like a Bavarian Creme Donut.

Must be coffee time.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #41 on:** January 14, 2009, 07:21:27 PM »

Cock, frizzen and plate polished, ready for engraving. This looks very exciting, so much closer to done. Step by step.....

T*O*F · « **Reply #42 on:** January 14, 2009, 07:30:46 PM »

Tom,
Your inletting is much better than the two previous examples which had numerous cases of gaposis evident.

Evil Monkey · « **Reply #43 on:** January 14, 2009, 07:39:48 PM »

my mistake

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #44 on:** January 14, 2009, 07:46:55 PM »

Sometimes it feels like I'm beatin my head against the wall.

Good to hear from you, Cody.

Actually, I will engrave, caseharden, THEN I will really polish.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #45 on:** January 14, 2009, 07:48:08 PM »

Oh, and there are gaps a-plenty in other places.

B Shipman · « **Reply #46 on:** January 15, 2009, 08:50:55 AM »

Acer, very cool looking lock.

Long John · « **Reply #47 on:** January 15, 2009, 10:01:48 PM »

Acer,

That rifle is looking SOOOOOOOO FINE!

JMC

Evil Monkey · « **Reply #48 on:** January 16, 2009, 02:53:59 AM »

again

t.caster · « **Reply #49 on:** January 16, 2009, 08:41:58 PM »

Go ahead and laugh, but this is about as shiny (polished) as it gets in my shop

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Author Topic: Lock polishing contest (Read 31049 times)

Paul Hamler

Leatherbelly

Evil Monkey

Evil Monkey