Easy way to cut out underrib for ramrod pipes

[WV_Mountaineer]

Anybody have any suggestions or tips on how to cut the underrib out to fit round bottom ramrod pipes?  Would like to maintain the curve for a tight fit on the pipes.  Have done it before, but forget how I did it.  An age thing!

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You don't create a curved cut out for the thimbles.  The concave of the rib is filed to a flat surface the length of the pipe, and a corresponding flat is filed on the pipe.  The two surfaces are 'tinned' and soldered together.  The effect is that the pipe appears to have been inlet into the rib, and the concave of the rib is continuous right through the pipes.  The ramrod lays in the concave so that no light appears between it and the rib.  There's short tutorial somewhere ...

[WV_Mountaineer]

Thank you sir, just what I needed.  Must have been a mental block (lapse)!

[Acer Saccharum]

Couldna said it better!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

These two photos may help to explain.  The steel rod through the pipe really helps to align and hold the two thimbles to the rib for soldering.  Clean up solder overflow with scrapers, files, and abrasive paper/cloth.  Check with cold blue to ensure it's all gone.

[Acer Saccharum]

Check with cold blue to ensure it's all gone.

THAT is brilliant, Taylor. One of those little tricks that can save hours of frustration.

[T*O*F]

THAT is brilliant

I thought everyone did it that way.

[Acer Saccharum]

No, Dave, not everyone...until now.

[SuperCracker]

cold blue on the rod will help keep you from accidentally soldering it in place.

[Acer Saccharum]

'nuther brilliant suggestion!

jeweler's rouge also prevents solder from running onto areas you don't want it.

[T*O*F]

No, Dave, not everyone...until now.

Tom,
There was this ole southern boy who got a job in New Yawk.  After a while, he developed a powerful taste for some good, old fashioned country ham on a biskit.  He went into one o' them there deli thingies and asked for one.

The New Yawker looked at him and said, "Don't all ham come from the country?"

[Dphariss]

The last 4 I have done I did like the English did and cut a groove in the pipe and fit it over the rib. These are best silver soldered.
If doing it the way Taylor has, and he always makes me feel inadeguate,  and want to use silver solder its possible to drill holes or cut grooves to hold silver solder wire then flux and heat with the rod to hold it. Use a very small amount of solder and there is very little clean up.  Me? I always seem to use too much.

Dan

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I learned the technique when I had a muzzle loading English shotgun in for a rib repair.  The thimbles were attached as I described.  But I have also seen them as Dan has described.
On the last Hawken rifle I made, I riveted the hollow rib to the barrel, so soft soldering the thimbles on later was easy, and very strong.  I use silver bearing electrical solder for this job...flows beautifully and is easy to clean up.