Thumb piece inletting

[WestBranchSusquehanna]

Current build is a fowler and with such, I am not adding a lot of relief carving but installing a nice silver thumb piece.  Question:  How were some of these more fancy pieces attached? As you can see, I am taking advantage of the sprue and tapped it and just under the trigger plate, drilled a hole up to the sprue and am holding it in place that way.  Hence no drilling into the piece and blending in the nails.  Was this ever done in old guns?

[Eric Kettenburg]

Yes that is a very common method of attachement.  Looks fantastic.

[Jerry]

PM Sent.

[Jim Filipski]

I would second Eric's comments....Nice job

[smart dog]

Hi,
On many English fowlers that screw also anchors the end of the trigger plate.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=52639.0
Just about everything you need to know about building an English fowler is described in that 8-part tutorial and much more detailed information about British fowlers is provided in the series of tutorials titled "Understanding the British Fowler".

dave

[Bob Gerard]

Dave, have you given thought to publishing a resource book? Your information is extreme helpful and having it available in a bound volume with color plates would be a lot of work I am sure but would be a treasury of experience and working knowledge.
Just a thought (and maybe a little nudge).
-Bob

[Craig Wilcox]

Dave, I will second that.  Your tutorials could form a very well done and much needed resource, not only for the novice builder, but for all of us.

Your width and breadth of knowledge of all the nuances that make a good piece into a great piece would be of benefit to all of us.

On this, and other forums always gives me a jolt when I see your byline.  Would love to be the owner of one of your works - an old disabled vet is just not quite capable at this time of coming close to your skill, workmanship, and abilities.  Shoulda started a couple score of years past.

You write, I will edit.  One thing I can do very well.

[Dwshotwell]

Here here.

[rick/pa]

I too, would second that idea of a book.  Your posts are a wealth of information for all of us. Even though I will never rise to the level of artistry that you have shown, I've gleaned many tips that I would have never realized on my own.