Sheet brass buttplates

[rich pierce]

I make sheet brass buttplates as needed for special projects. I’ve used as thin as 0.050” thick to 0.080” thick depending on what I have and the application. I know some do it freehand using a block of lead or sewage blocks but mine always get crooked and wonky unless I use forms. I have some super dense pignut hickory plank I use for forming. I just keep modifying it as needed. I find if I screw the buttplate to the form through the lower buttplate screw hole then it’s easier to do controlled forming.


















How do you do it?

[smylee grouch]

Hi Rich, how many times did you have to anneal the brass for that butt plate or did you not anneal it at all?

[smart dog]

Fantastic Rich!  We may all have to make our butt plates that way if the supply of castings keeps declining.

dave

[rich pierce]

Fantastic Rich!  We may all have to make our butt plates that way if the supply of castings keeps declining.

dave

Brooksie is getting quite a selection in stock but for one-offs this works.

[bob in the woods]

That is a cool method and I will have to give it a try. Do you or have you ever fluxed and filled the dome with lead ?   I did that on the last one I made , just because it seemed like a good thing to do.

[rich pierce]

That is a cool method and I will have to give it a try. Do you or have you ever fluxed and filled the dome with lead ?   I did that on the last one I made , just because it seemed like a good thing to do.

Bob, I’m going to do that with buttplates where it fits like the Marshall rifle and the Tulip rifle.

Looks like sometimes they didn’t even bother to anneal.





This is wider than the original. I can always trim some off.
 

[Mike Brooks]

Nice woik. With a bit of skill you can make just about anything. I have made sheet brass buttplates in the past, I need to do more of it. I think I'll have to make one for a Buck-an-ear I have coming up.

[t.caster]

They look darn nice, Rich!
I saw one of your completed rifles on FB this week. Why didn't you post it here too?

Tom C

[rich pierce]

Tom, still messing around with wood and metal finish on Fainot #2. Should be ready to “show” in a few more days. I’m using a tung oil finish that dries slowly.

[Daryl]

VERY nice work, Rich.

[flehto]

Rich....looking forward to seeing your Fainot…..also, really nice work on the Bplates. I imagine the area  around the heel requires a few anneals. I can see using .06 sheet , but 1/8 sheet must be a lot more difficult and require much more heat? Good idea using the lower hole....Fred 

[rich pierce]

3 anneals, Fred. The trick is to have it just a little work hardened when finished because they are not as rigid as thicker buttplates.

[J. Talbert]

Slick work Rich.
Real nice results.  What do you heat with for annealing, do you have a forge?

Jeff

[rich pierce]

I make a little brick cubby and use a propane torch. I had a forge for the first 10-15 years here in the suburbs with a yard 75 feet wide. Neighbors not enjoying it. Reporting fires and whatnot when I was coking coal.

We are hoping to relocate next spring/summer to Vermont, get some land, outbuildings before I’m too old to set up the forge. Have a good sized anvil, fine swage block, leg vise, lots of hammers, tongs, hardy tools.

[Elnathan]

Charcoal is another option for urban forges, as it doesn't make more of an olfactory footprint more than cooking out. Some folks here have complained about how fast it burns away, but I've never had a problem with that. I use a hand-pumped bellows as an air-source and a side-blown forge, though, and just don't pump when I am not heating steel, plus I don't add charcoal to the fire unless unless I need fuel or insulation....I think that those that end up using 25 pounds in an afternoon are piling it high like coal in need of coking and running an electric blower at full blast the whole time they are working.

[Dave B]

Nice work Rich. I think there are a number of originals that have butt plates formed from sheeting.  I have seen pictures of the heel worn clean through. I like the use of the forms. I ran across a reference to using a chunk of oak stump much like a swage block having various divots and pockets for working nonferrous metals. Are you using a regular peen hammer for driving in the heel contour? It is impressive some of the things they did out of a single cast sheet. Here is a butt cap from a horse pistol that was pounded out the same as your butt plate, with just a lot more pounding.

[rich pierce]

I customize my ballpeen hammers. Most are too pointy On the peen end as delivered. I have one where the hammer face is quite round (not talking about the peening end). It’s my favorite for this kind of work.

[Dave B]

Thanks for the picture of your hammer that's exactly what I needed to see.  It makes perfect sense to have the contour as you have them for doing this kind of work.

[Curtis]

Nice job, and really great swages you made there too!  Good prep like that makes for great results.

Curtis

[k gahagan]

They look great Rich

[rich pierce]

Ken, working up to making an early, long HVF buttplate!

[k gahagan]

Can't wait to see that how about getting it done by the CLA

[rich pierce]

Dang Ken I ain’t even started. Better get going I guess

[k gahagan]

c'mon man!

[Ed Wenger]

Nice, Rich!  That turned out great!


          Ed