Damascus lock

[T*O*F]

I may have posted this project some time back, but finally got around to polishing and coloring this lock plate.  I cut it from a piece of damascus bar by Kevin Cashen and filed it out using a Davis lock as a pattern.  It was 1/4" thick to start with and I milled it out by hand using my drill press and a dovetail cutter.  Then hand filed out the remainder of the metal left.



It looked like this before I started the etching process.


I hardened the plate and polished it back after doing so.  Then I used PCB Etchant mixed 4/1 water to chemical.  The remainder of the metal on this rifle will be French grayed.  Just a whim that I decided to do just to be different.  It will be my personal long range rifle.

[smylee grouch]

Nice. If you don't use it for the long rang gun you could make a Tiger hunting gun with it. 

[T*O*F]

I'd rather shoot a tiger at long range than short range because I doubt that I could outrun my gun bearers.

[jerrywh]

 The Amazing part is that you milled that down with a drill press.  How many cutters did you break?  It is neat. Good work. Another gluten for punishment.  I'm glad There are more of us.

[ScottH]

Nice!
A couple of questions:
Is the plate including the bolster all one piece or is the bolster welded on?
Did you make the hammer as well?

[T*O*F]

The Amazing part is that you milled that down with a drill press.  How many cutters did you break?

Didn't break any cutters but I learned on another project that HHS ones don't break as easily as the carbide ones.  It takes a fine touch on the cross slide not to advance it too fast.  It won't work with a regular end mill, but the dovetail cutters seem to work because of the taper.  You end up with a slurry of dust rather than any chips.

Is the plate including the bolster all one piece or is the bolster welded on?
Did you make the hammer as well?

It's all one piece, but the bolster has to be hand file finished because of the taper left by the dovetail cutter.  The hammer is a casting that has to be finished and then bent to fit in several directions.  For some reason, this one wouldn't clear the snail on the breech and I spent way too  much time getting it to clear.

[Curtis]

Looks good Dave!  It's about time you got back on the project!

Curtis

[Rolf]

Looks great!! Is it pattern after spesific gun? I hope you'll you show us the rest of the building process, Lots for us to learn here.

Best regards
Rolf

[BOB HILL]

Nice job,      Bob

[Bob Roller]

I may have posted this project some time back, but finally got around to polishing and coloring this lock plate.  I cut it from a piece of damascus bar by Kevin Cashen and filed it out using a Davis lock as a pattern.  It was 1/4" thick to start with and I milled it out by hand using my drill press and a dovetail cutter.  Then hand filed out the remainder of the metal left.



It looked like this before I started the etching process.


I hardened the plate and polished it back after doing so.  Then I used PCB Etchant mixed 4/1 water to chemical.  The remainder of the metal on this rifle will be French grayed.  Just a whim that I decided to do just to be different.  It will be my personal long range rifle.

A drill press and a dove tail cutter? Looks good to me. I just finished a "4 pin"
Rigby lock for a man in Pennsylvania and started another for him for the Alex
Henry. I have material to make these and wouldn't take the job if I hadn't

Bob Roller

[T*O*F]

Is it pattern after spesific gun? I hope you'll you show us the rest of the building process, Lots for us to learn here.

Rolf,
The rifle uses Alex Henry hardware, but not the stock profile.  It will finish out to look like a Gibbs or other English maker.  They all shared similar characteristics.  I have a propensity to use flawed wood with good character since it will be my own rifle.  This was a side slab of crotch walnut and also had an inclusion in the butt but it's on the other side and I don't have a picture of it.

[Marcruger]

Even unfinished we can see that it is going to be a beauty.  That English architecture has something just "right" about it. 

A friend took me out to a 1,000 yard longrange muzzle loading competition a few years back with US and Australian shooters competing.  There may have been others, but those are the ones I recall.  Several of the original English rifles are in use, and they look a lot like this one.  Nicely shaped sir!

On that inclusion, did you stabilize it with black epoxy?  I am guessing that it is no coincidence that the inclusion is situated to frame the escutcheon? 

That neat Damascus steel lock plate is a jewel of a project in itself.  I really appreciate your sharing it with us.  What eye candy.  After etching, are you leaving the finish as-is?  I wonder what Damascus case hardened would look like?  :-)

Lovely curl to the hammer.  It may have been a beast to fit, but it appears that it was worth the effort. 

Marvelous rifle, and thank you again for sharing.

Best wishes, and God bless,   Marc

[T*O*F]

On that inclusion, did you stabilize it with black epoxy?  I am guessing that it is no coincidence that the inclusion is situated to frame the escutcheon? 

Yes to both questions.

I wonder what Damascus case hardened would look like?  :-)

When I hardened it, it looked like any other lock.  It was blue black with some colors but I polished that off.  I don't know what it would look like if you hardened it after etching, but I suspect it would defeat the purpose of having a damascus plate.  Anyway, I got the look is was shooting for.

[Clark Badgett]

The Amazing part is that you milled that down with a drill press.  How many cutters did you break?  It is neat. Good work. Another gluten for punishment.  I'm glad There are more of us.

Ah, come now Jerry, you just gotta go sloooooowww. 

[Bob Roller]

The Amazing part is that you milled that down with a drill press.  How many cutters did you break?  It is neat. Good work. Another gluten for punishment.  I'm glad There are more of us.

Ah, come now Jerry, you just gotta go sloooooowww. 

If you use a drill press for a mill on a job like that then sloooooow is
the word.I use a drill press as a mill when I cut a fly seat in a lock
tumbler. I run it about 4000 RPM and the V shaped cut is only .075
deep in 1144 Stressproof which machines as easily as 12L14. I use an
ordinary 3/32 2 or 3 flute stub end mill and it works fine and has for
over 50 years..

Bob Roller

[Dennis Glazener]

I used to do a fair amount of milling with my drill press, mostly on aluminium blocks. Then one day the chuck came off and the endmill and chuck were dancing around all over the ship floor. Shortly after that episode I purchased a Jet mill! It was scary, I didn't know I could dance that fast!
Dennis

[Bob Roller]

I used to do a fair amount of milling with my drill press, mostly on aluminium blocks. Then one day the chuck came off and the endmill and chuck were dancing around all over the ship floor. Shortly after that episode I purchased a Jet mill! It was scary, I didn't know I could dance that fast!
Dennis

My drill press is a heavy Rockwell USA I bough new in 1964 for $160 from
J.L.Cook Hardware where I worked in the mid 1950's.I bought a Palmgren
"milling" table for it the next day at Sears for $100 and made in Chicago.
Any and all drill presses should have the locking collar chuck that solidly
locks the chuck onto its taper and as far as I know they're still available.

Bob Roller