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Author Topic: Dolep Brace  (Read 2062 times)

Offline helwood

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Dolep Brace
« on: January 20, 2023, 10:03:07 PM »
Greetings,
This is a project I finished the end of December  started it in January.   Starting with two very nice lock Casting from Jim Kibler.   I have assembled many locks and these were great.  Since I had the Dolep locks I wanted something in the same spirit so I went to Great British Gunmakers 1540-1740.  Nice photos of an original Dolep except it had Silver Furniture.   I decided to go with Iron/Steel to be a little different.   Then i purchased some beautiful European Walnut from Ron Scott.  The figuring is something.  The Barrels, Trigger Guards, and Pommels came from MBS.  The rest I made.     Hank













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Offline Seth Isaacson

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2023, 10:22:12 PM »
Those are beautiful.
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Offline Grischi

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2023, 10:31:11 PM »
Really, really breath taking beauties.
Christian
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Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2023, 10:58:27 PM »
I don't know much about those types of guns but I do know that I like those two.  :)
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Offline Hank01

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2023, 11:20:00 PM »
Absolutely gorgeous!
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Offline Clark Badgett

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2023, 12:07:36 AM »
Jim Kibler sells lock kits?
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Offline smart dog

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2023, 02:20:23 AM »
Hi,
Nice Helwood!!  Those are a magnificent brace.   Hank, you must have chiseled those side plates.  What steel did you use?  Chiseling iron is one thing but steel is another completely.  Why did you choose the British military trigger guard? 

dave
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Offline RAT

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2023, 02:44:44 AM »
Quote from: Clark Badgett on January 21, 2023, 12:07:36 AM
Jim Kibler sells lock kits?

Inquiring minds want to know.
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Bob

Offline helwood

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2023, 03:54:19 AM »
First let me thank you all for your kind words.     As far as I know Jim made the molds and castings my guess is about 5 years ago???   The thing is he went the extra mile building up his patterns so they wouldn't be too thin in critical areas,  really nice work.  I don't think he has made any more castings.   Dave Mr Dolep was instrumental in making the original Long Land Bess.  I bought the closest lock I could find that looked as close to the small pictures I found in Neal and Back's book.   Yes, I  made the Sideplates I  used 1018 1/8" flat stock.  The 5/16" Balustrade Pipes  took longer, they took 3 months to figure out.  I didn't want to just file them out of heavy stock.  I  made a Die and Pressed them in my Hydraulic Press.    Hank
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Offline smart dog

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2023, 04:14:08 AM »
Hi Hank,
Yes, Dolep's early patterns for the British musket had significant influence and also the 15 or so patterns presented to King George I in 1722 were all made by Lewis Barbar.  It is ironic that 2 immigrant gun makers, both persecuted as foreigners by the London Guild, had so much influence on the iconic British musket of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

dave
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Offline wogden

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2023, 04:37:07 AM »
Wow, Hank.  That’s really nice work!
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2023, 05:40:53 AM »
Marvelous work!!! :o :o
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Offline James Rogers

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2023, 05:52:52 AM »
My kind of pistols! Thanks for sharing them.The only place I have seen a trigger guard for that period is Blackley and I doubt they have had any available for a long time. The only other alternative I could think of would be to carve one out and cast it.
I really like your pipes. Can I ask what insde diameter you made them?



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Offline helwood

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2023, 06:28:05 AM »
Thanks James,
The ID was 5/16" for the pistol.  Cast pipes were usually 3/8" for Trade Guns.  In the past I had used .05" brass flat stock to make the Pipes then File the Balustrade shape.   But I  was looking for a more correct way to make them.  I started my surch with Repousse  but realized very quickly that that wasn't  it.  Then I started thinking about the use of a press, and what time periods.   I found that a Screw Press had been around for a long time and that Drop Presses had been around since they made coins.  I used copper and brass as my prototype  material then went to .o20" 1010 Shim Stock for my working material.  It was a fun project could use more R&D but close enough for government work,  so far.







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Offline Curtis

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2023, 06:59:50 AM »
Excellent work and a fantastic post Hank!  This just goes to show what can be accomplished when one chooses to go the extra "miles" to make the finished product right.

Thanks for posting!  I always enjoy seeing your work (and watching you work!)

Curtis
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Curtis Allinson
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Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Fly Navy

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2023, 08:38:54 AM »
One of the nicest sets of pistols I've seen. Really well done!
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Offline Rolf

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2023, 01:22:36 PM »
Impressive work and really beautiful pistols!! Are you going to case them?
Best regards
Rolf
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Offline alacran

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2023, 04:17:53 PM »
Those are stunning. Very impressive work Helwood!
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Offline Ed Wenger

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2023, 04:56:36 PM »
Beautiful work as always, Hank!  Love the effort with the pipes, and results, along with the overall attention to detail.  Superb brace of pistols.  Thanks for posting!    Best,

     Ed
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Offline James Rogers

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #19 on: January 21, 2023, 05:03:37 PM »
Hank your extra mile on the pipes was worth the hike. Thanks for sharing your process.
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Offline Old Time Hunter

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #20 on: January 21, 2023, 05:30:53 PM »
Very nicely done! Beautiful work! Thanks for posting!
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Offline acorn20

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #21 on: January 21, 2023, 05:44:56 PM »
Those sir, are a most handsome brace of pistols.  Your technique for the thimble manufacture is quite interesting.  Thanks, Hank, for posting.
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Dan Akers

Offline Bob Gerard

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #22 on: January 22, 2023, 03:23:45 PM »
Amazing and Beyond words…
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Offline Dave B

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #23 on: January 22, 2023, 10:31:41 PM »
Hank, I love your work. The press method of forming your pipes is very cool and I believe not far off the mark as to how some of the pipes were made back in the day using thin sheat sock to start with. What is that material in red. I asume its a rubber block of some kind that will flow under compression to fill the negative space you have made in your master form. What is its density?
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Dave Blaisdell

Offline helwood

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Re: Dolep Brace
« Reply #24 on: January 22, 2023, 11:44:18 PM »
Greetings Dave,
You have a good eye.  The Red Block is 1"x2"x3" of Urethane sold by Rio Grande. It has a Durometer of 95.  It's  used as the "Force".   But to tell you the truth  I  also used Pure Lead and stacked pieces of the Cardboard backs of Note Pads.  At first I was worried if the would bend the parts of the Pipe in the wrong direction but it turns out it started my bends in the correct direction.  After each time I worked the 1010 Steel I  Annealed it.  One of the things that got me going for this technique were YouTube videos by Kevin Potter he is mainly focused on Jewlery but it works for me.    Hank





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