Lehigh catch for patch box

[FALout]

I’ve seen quite a few pics of catch’s but have a few questions.  First, is a good source of metal to make the catch.  I don’t have any spring steel the size needed, source or some suggestion on something to repurpose?  Second, do you finagle the spring thru the hole you cut into the butt plate?  I’ve seen pics where it looks like the end, outside of the buttplate is missing, was it a separate piece attached in some manner (after the BP was installed)?  And help appreciated.
Bob

[J. Talbert]

You probably don’t even need spring steel.  Mark Wheland told me a long time ago that he had forged them from a big old spike nail.  This had enough spring in it with no tempering to get the job done.
And yes they do get inserted thru the opening in the butt plate.

Jeff

[rich pierce]

If I was forging one, I’d forge the button then reduce and put any bends in from there. If I did not have forge access, a long carriage bolt, a lot of filing, and some bending is one approach. Good bolts have some carbon and enough spring could be gained, if any was really needed. For the tiny movement over a long spring, dead iron might work. A spike (not railroad, but a big long nail) could also be a starting point (I see same suggestion above).

[FALout]

Thanks, as I’m looking at this more, it’s not really as big in size as I first thought.  I don’t have a forge so will likely have some cutting and file work to do.  I’ll be getting back to this after Christmas with family. Thanks once again.
Bob

[canadianml1]

If you are considering a "nail" in a hole latch you do have the option of making an "L" spring design that would also work and allows adjustment after installation.(Not sure of the design of your patch box.) If the 'L' spring can be adapted, note it is PC and can be made of 1/32 inch brass and blackened. Don't know if this helps.

[Dennis Glazener]

You probably don’t even need spring steel.  Mark Wheland told me a long time ago that he had forged them from a big old spike nail.  This had enough spring in it with no tempering to get the job done.
And yes they do get inserted thru the opening in the butt plate.

Jeff

I made a couple out of large spike nails and also two using a door hinge pin that I split with a back saw. Did not harden any of them. Worked fine.
Dennis

[Dave B]

Here are some shots of release springs for the lid. I have made several rifles with this type of release used in the  Berks Co, Lehigh valley schools. I pounded out mine from from some cold rolled 1/4" rod from Home depot.  The diagram shows the cross section for the spring and the point at which you having slid the spring through the slot in the but plate will rotate the spring in to position for nailing down to the north side of the sinkers bar cavity. Some later Lehigh catches didn't have a head on the spring just a stud that poked through the butt plate slot. You don't need a forge but a propane torch and the back side of your vice will do to pound things out.








the top photo is from a Adam Figthorn rifle the bottom is of a Alomenganal Lehigh school rifle attributed to Hess. The latter has the spring catch driven into the wood as a nail. I hope this helps

[FALout]

I guess I just assumed that some originals lost the knob on the end, didn’t know they made them that way.  Always learning something on this site, thanks.
Bob

[Dave B]

I think and Eric K. can elaborate to his experience that the lack of the Head on the Nail as it were tends to be an early feature they disposed of that feature in the late period it would seem. I only comment on what I have seen only on a couple originals. No where close to some on this board have personally seen.

[Jerry V Lape]

I recently made the catch in the diagram. Don't have a forge so I made a two piece assembly.  Filed up the button and then drilled and filed a rectangular hole through it. Filed the hole to have a little draft on the outside and riveted the end of the spring to fill the hole before soldering it together. The spring is made from another piece of annealed 1075.  Pay attention to the cross sections of the spring as they enable you to insert and rotate the spring through the butt plate.  Biggest problem was to get the button close to the butt plate without dragging on it.  The butt plate is not flat under the button so minimize the button's length as well as the vertical length of the slot through the butt plate.  I made the bottom of the button a little bit of a rocker shape to help it clear the plate as it moved.