putting a curl on triggers

[yip]

  i'm making a single pull trigger from scratch and wondering whats the best way to put a curl in the trigger

[Bob Roller]

Remove every thing that is straight would be A way...maybe.Heat the tip of the trigger to bright orange and then curl it quickly with needle nose pliers would be a way.
Bob Roller

[Jim Kibler]

Pliers that have rounded tips (scrolling pliers??) work best.  I ground some needle nose pliers to this configuration.  I believe you can purchase them too.

[Scota4570]

My local art mart places have pliers with tapered round jaws. 

[Ross Dillion]

No need for special tools. Find something in your shop the diameter of which will give you the desired radius.  Socket, piece of pipe, etc.  Heat your trigger up and tap it around with a small hammer.  Super simple. 👍🏻

[wormey]

Watch Wallace Gusler`s video: The Gunsmith of Williamsburg.  Very detailed and everything you need to know.  Wormey

[Ross Dillion]

If you’re wanting to put that little decorative curl on the tip of the trigger then a pair of needle nose pliers would be best like Jim suggested.  They make those pliers in lots of different configurations. You might be able to find a suitable pair without a whole lot of modification.

[smylee grouch]

Go to a pawn shop or good will store. Sometimes you can find junk tools to modify

[flinchrocket]

Heat the end up and using a light hammer tap straight down and it will curl right up.

[Curtis]

I often use a pair of round-tip snap ring pliers, they work like the modified needle-nose Jim mentioned.


Curtis

[P.W.Berkuta]

Round needle nose pliers can be had at jewelry supply stores or electrical component supply stores not the house wiring stuff but the places that sell components to build boards for models and radios and such.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Flinchrocket has the right idea.  It is surprising how long the trigger shoe needs to be to add a curl like the one on this Verner rifle copy.  Secure the trigger in a machinist's vise, heat the long end of the shoe red, bend it over gently with a light tap, then with the shoe still red, continue tapping gently straight down and the curl will form naturally.

[yip]

  this ain't the best but i tried! its a little over sized

[yip]

  i watched Hershel House cold bend a trigger on one of his dvds, amazing.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Here is one way to do this.

Jim

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=26419.msg252079#msg252079

[yip]

     #2 attempt at making a trigger now to add the curl, wish me luck

[mgbruch]

I put it in a vise, heat it up to red, start the bend with needle nose pliers, and finish with my chasing hammer.

[yip]

  goof up!  got to try again

[Joe Stein]

They look good, just maybe not what you are aiming for. As long as you heat it to red and slow cool, you can keep working the same trigger until you get what you want.
If you don't want what you made, put them up in the for sale section. Maybe there is someone who can't make their own who will buy or trade for them.

[Jim Kibler]

Making a trigger isn't the easiest thing.  You really need a good trigger to have in your hand so you can use it as a guide.  Our Colonial kit uses a nice single trigger that we sell individually.

Jim

[kutter]

I like the curl to be very small and tight. So to get this I wrap the thinned trigger around a very thin piece of round stock.


Put the round stock you are using for the forming mandrel in a vise and secure it horizontal.
Heat the trigger red.

Clamp and hold the very tip of the trigger onto the mandrel with a smooth jaw pliers. Just grap the very tip of the end of the trigger.

Then quickly wrap the trigger around the mandrel tightly but in a spiral pattern like a ribbon so you don't over lap . Instead you climb or move up the mandrel with a turn or more.

This allows the curl to be very small and tight and the pliers is not in the way of the curl.
The curl will 'uncurl' just a little ways as the metal is cooling as you are bending it and that is good.
That will leave some very slight room betw the curl(s) for the next step.

Remove/slide the mandrel off of the curled trigger tip. The end is now curled but pulled out to one side as you formed it on the mandrel.
Reheat to red and with the smooth jaw pliers carefully collapse the coil back into position with the main portion of the trigger.

This also works with a larger dia 'mandrel' if you want the curl to be bigger in dia.

[Adrie luke]

Yip

Make the trigger hot, take needle nose pliers and roll the tip of the trigger, continue to roll the curl by tapping it with a hammer.

[JH Ehlers]

I think everyone must find a way that works for them, sometimes it takes a couple tries to get the results you are looking for if it's you first time. I make triggers from 3/8" stock, hacksaw and files remove the bulk of material, no heat. Like Jim said it helps a lot to have a nice one on hand to get proportions just right.

[JH Ehlers]

Circlip pliers for inside circlips



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[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Mr. Ehlers, you are pretty handy with a file Sir.