What are you using to form up for pouring pewter nosecap

[mikeyfirelock]

I am contemplating pouring a pewter nosecap on the half stock I am building. I did this once before years ago, but had more material to work with and less curvature involved,   Can’ I use a card stock type of paper for a form ?  Any other suggestions for form material that would be reasonably flexible yet able to stand the heat ?    ( it will be a pretty thin small nosecap )
Mikeyfirelock

[Metalshaper]

card stock
Old manila folders
thin cardboard from small writing tablets
bound with either masking tape or painters tape.

I've done some pours with compound curves and such.. but they can't be shown here..( underhammers )

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

[Stoner creek]

I use paper targets. You know, like the 100 yard big bull targets that we shoot in matches. It flexes good and is thick enough to not burn through or more importantly won’t deform when you’re wrapping it.   Tape the begeezus out of it. Dam up anyplace that it might leak through with cotton patch.  Stick a big patch where the ramrod enters the stock (personal experience). Have someone lightly tap the barrel with a mallet while you are pouring to prevent air pockets.
Let er rip tater chip!!!

[Scota4570]

I'm an aluminum foil guy. 

[smylee grouch]

Brown paper bags, sometimes two thicknesses.

[mikeyfirelock]

Thanks all…. I couldn’t remember the last time I did this……….it’s been a long time.

[Dennis Glazener]

I use the outsides of sandpaper paper board. Or either folded manilia envelopes.
D ennis

[L. Akers]

Aluminum foil.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I like using manilia folders and painters tape. DO plug every crack, crevice, gap, hole that you see. I also plug the ramrod hole and barrel with cloth patch material just in case. You can heat the area/barrel up with a heat gun if you like but I found that a hot quick steady pour will be good enough. I use a cast iron ladle which will hold the heat and not cool off my melt.

[Daryl]

Cereal & beer boxes are GREAT.
The corn flakes box I just measured is .050".
The beer boxes run .020" to .030".

[Dale Halterman]

Cardboard tube from the inside of a toilet paper roll. Plenty thick enough and already curved.

Dale H

[DavidC]

My hands, because I'm a man. 

I use cut up cereal boxes while the burns heal.

Be mindful your makeshift mold is straight. If the mold is tapered you will create a cavity bigger than you expect, this forced me to do my first nosecap in two pours and left a seam I had to hide with a soldering iron and careful sanding.

[Dphariss]

I am contemplating pouring a pewter nosecap on the half stock I am building. I did this once before years ago, but had more material to work with and less curvature involved,   Can’ I use a card stock type of paper for a form ?  Any other suggestions for form material that would be reasonably flexible yet able to stand the heat ?    ( it will be a pretty thin small nosecap )
Mikeyfirelock

4-5 layers of cardstock.
Did MANY, sometimes 8-10 at a time, pewter tips for Shiloh Rifle Man. Years ago. I use Silvabrite 100 solder. Its one of the old lead free pewter mixes and has good color and will not darken like 50-50. Its a little higher temp to pour though. You will likely have to melt off the first one and repour unless you have poured with real pewter before.
Make sure the barrel is too hot to touch where the tip will be. Its a massive heat sink otherwise.
Dan

[Shopdog]

I use manila folders cut to fit and secured with painter's tape.  I have cut off sections of barrels kicking around and prefer to use these in lieu of the actual barrel (makes for easier clean up if there's an accident    To prevent said accidents I use modeling clay to seal around the base and the ramrod pipe/barrel lug holes and ramrod hole and when pouring the stock is leaned slightly to allow a potential spill to flow away from the barrel channel.  Finally I pencil the surfaces of the inlet to fill.  Maybe all this is overkill but it works for me and beats pickin excess pour out of places it shouldn't be.
Joe

[577SXS]

I use sheet copper and clay to fill any voids. Use a hose clamp to hold in place. I always warm the barrel and wood with a hair dryer or heat gun before pouring. I also heat my pewter in a toaster oven so that when I torch it I have to use little heat to melt it. This way I'm sure it's not hot enough to burn the wood. I love pewter caps.

[Ky-Flinter]

If you use clay, make sure it is for real, actual clay.  Wal-Mart sells some "clay" that is actually plastic and it melts in a heartbeat.  Don't ask me how I know.

[Marcruger]

Listen to Dan Phariss. I have one of his pewter tips, and have held two others.  They are crisp and perfect. The results speak of his methods.  God bless, Marc

[moleeyes36]

Cereal & beer boxes are GREAT.
The corn flakes box I just measured is .050".
The beer boxes run .020" to .030".

Beer tastes better than corn flakes; I'd go with the beer box.   

Don Richards

[Tim Crosby]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=4669.msg43674#msg43674

[mikeyfirelock]

Many thanks to all who replied.   Successful pour this afternoon…..minimal leakage (used Manila folder material that was at hand). And had a short section of cutoff barrel which I taped securely.  ( NEVER throw anything away!)
Three 1/16 ‘’ holes in the flats provide a secure hold for this short fore end.     Ow onto the shaping tomorrow.
( my wife says she’s glad it’s done and that I won’t be stressing about it anymore)

[Shopdog]

Great job Mike!  The hardest part is the prep.  Once done it's fun.  Well... as long as you don't have alot of excess to scrape off.  Looks like you did a great job. 
Cheers,
Joe

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I have never tried foil.  I bet it is a lot easier to get it to form around the shape you need.

Cory Joe

[Dphariss]

Just  a couple of comments.
1/16 holes to hold it are too small and they need to be 1/8" and counter sunk.
I also cut a channel in the barrel channel to get some metal back the bottom flat hole (or the side flat holes if the web is shallow) to form a better lock.
On a Sharps I used to drill anchor holes and cut the entire barrel channel out since the recoil is pretty substantial in these and the tips are heavier and tend to come adrift if not well secured. Also cutting it back to the anchor hole for the "ball" helps fill this part of the casting. Learned from a co-worker at C. Sharps having "issues" with one he did 40+ years back.
Light caliber MLs especially have far less recoil impulse and the finished casting are much lighter so there is less problems. Still I don't want one getting bumped and coming loose.

Dan

[mikeyfirelock]

Dan’s suggestions are excellent advice, and I concur, and appreciate them.   Anyone doing this should follow his advice.  (In my defense I will plead that this gun will only see offhand use at our club range, and I am working with some pretty minimal material in the forend.   ( I did see the hole size issue, so I placed the holes 120 deg. Radially …1in each bottom flat.)