forged butt plate help

[SHARPS4953]

Im just getting into blacksmithing, Im building a full stocked Hawken gun and want to try my hand at making a scratch but plate. My question, I gonna try brazing it with brass so how does one go about it? I mean do you rivet the two pieces together with a brass sheet sandwiched between and then lay it on the coals until it flows. Can someone explain the process?

Thanks
           Scott F

[Darrin McDonal]

Personally Scott, The way I have done it up to this point is I would file the two pieces until they mate up very tight, Then drill & rivet them. Coat hanger works great. Heat them up being very careful in your handling of it before its brazed and sprinkle the borax liberally in the pocket ie. stock side of the joint. Now you could now either cut some brass strips or pieces and lay them carefully in the pocket, or use a stick of brass. Then heat it from the outside of the corner until the brass flows through the joint rocking it slightly to distribute the brass along the whole joint.
Darrin

[SHARPS4953]

Thanks Darren, I think that answers my question

Scott

[smylee grouch]

I have made them with silver solder joint but I wonder if an empty brass cartridge case thrown in the pocket would work also.

[Clark Badgett]

Anybody got pictures of one of these forged, riveted and brazed buttplates?

[David Rase]

You do not want to sandwich a piece of brass between the joint.  If you do, when you heat up the buttplate the brass will melt ad the joint will loosen up and move around.  Holding the 2 pieces together while brazing or silver soldering is the hardest part of the whole job.  I just did one last week for my current project and tried a new method that worked very well.  I drilled a #36 hole through both the buttplate and the buttplate return were the rivet normally goes when you are going to braze the two pieces together.  I then opened up the hole in the butt plate to 1/8".  I then tapped the hole in the buttplate return with a 6-32 tap.  I then threaded a 6-32 nut to a 6-32 screw that was about 1" in length.  I inserted the screw through the clearance hole in the buttplate and threaded it into the buttplate return.  I then tightened up the nut, drawing the two pieces together nice and tight taking care to make sure everything was aligned properly.  Now I could add a bit of flux the inside of the join and start heating it up.  Once the water evaporated from the flux I added the brass rod and brazed the two halve together.  After everything cooled down I was able to back off the nut and remove the 6-32 screw.  Since I was careful with the fluxing and brass I was able to remove the screw with minimal effort.  Now all I had to do was run a 1/8" drill through both existing holes, counter sink and peen a rivet into place.
This method worked well and I did not have to worry about the rivet bending in the unsupported middle while peening or having the buttplate loosen up when I heated it up to braze.  I will definitely use this method again.
David

[Mark Elliott]

I do it pretty much the same as Darrin except that I put the whole assembly in the forge until the flux and brass flows.   I turn off the gas and let the brass solidify in the heel.

[smylee grouch]

Great idea Dave, I will be trying that on my next one. Thanks for the tip.

[Dennis Glazener]

I have made them with silver solder joint but I wonder if an empty brass cartridge case thrown in the pocket would work also.

I save all the good brass filings, clippings, small pieces etc. Keep them in a coffee container until I need to braze a BP, never had a problem with using good brass cartridge case trimmings.
Dennis

[rich pierce]

I think I read that Hawken butt plates were copper "brazed".

[Scota4570]

Hershel House show how to do this in his video about building a Hawkin Rifle

http://www.americanpioneervideo.com/bkr.html