Simple Brass Powder Measures

[davec2]

A fellow on the board here asked me to make him a couple of powder measures.  I'm sending them out tomorrow but thought I would post a picture before they go.  The smaller diameter one is for a .45 and throws 65 grains of FFFg.  The larger diameter one is for a .54 and throws 90 grains of FFg.

[Tim Crosby]

 Nothing you do is simple, now if they weren't tapered maybe Neatly done.

   Tim

[Pukka Bundook]

Very attractive work, Dave!  Very nice indeed.

[hanshi]

They are very attractive and certainly desirable.  I might try one using cartridge brass.

[davec2]

Thanks for the kind comments.  Yes.....cartridge brass works great.  Just looks a little on the modern side...   These are made from commercial brass thin wall tubing of a size appropriate for the bore diameter, but on occasion I hand make the tubing out of silver or copper and, in one case, 18 karat gold.

Hand made copper tubing.......I took a picture of a tube with a soft soldered seem that is not complete so you can see how the tube is made up.   You must cut the sheet material to a precise width.  Too wide and it will wrinkle going through the die.  Too narrow and it will leave a gaped seam that will be difficult to solder.  If the tubing is hard soldered, as I do with silver and gold, you can make the tubing oversized to begin with and then draw it down to different sizes just like you would draw wire.  Depending on how thick the sheet is and what diameter tube you are making, you may have to fill the precursor tube with lead or, better , cerrosafe / cerrobend to keep the finished tube from wrinkling as you draw it down.

[Pukka Bundook]

Dave,
I made one the same for use with a "Jaeger " rifle.
It's made of copper, and came from the roof of Neuschwanstein  castle in Bavaria.   The roof was re-coppered many years ago, and an old friend from Schwangau, (the village just below the castle) got hold of a good amount and gave me some. 
It seemed fitting to make  a measure for a Germanic rifle from a piece of it!

Again, very nice tidy work!!

R.

[Craig Wilcox]

David, are you using "pulling pliers" such as you would use for sizing wire through a draw plate?  And do you round off the jaws so that you don't mess up the newly drawn tube?
I used to use the draw plate, etc., for wires at my friends gold smith shop.  Once he asked me to draw some gold down to almost filament size.  Dadgum wire came out about 50' long!  I believe it was around 32 gauge.
Fascinating things that you make!  And always so precise and neat.  Thanks for showing us the powder measures.

[45-110]

davec2
what kind of hard solder are you using and having the best luck with on brass? i tried what i had this week and it did not go well, the melting point of my solder seemed to be about the same as my brass sheet.
thanks kw

[Marcruger]

Like most things you make Dave, those are elegant and crisp.  Great work as usual.  God Bless,   Marc

[davec2]

Thank you all for the kind comments. 

Craig....Yes, I use pulling pliers but do not form them to the tube.  I leave a long "tang" of material on the tubing and cut it off when I am finished drawing the tubing.

45-110....I use several different types of hard solder because, in complicated assemblies, I have to start with higher melting temperature alloys and then use lower temperature alloys as I make subsequent solder joints.  However, this alloy from Rio Grande may be a help to you.  The melting point is a fare amount lower than the melting temperature of brass but it is much, much stronger than silver "bearing" solders or lead / tin based soft solders.  It melts at ~ 1150 degrees F.

https://www.riogrande.com/product/Silver-Wire-Solder-20-Ga-Extra-Easy/101705