Original Blunderbuss Copy- Start of butt plate installation

[Pukka Bundook]

Wonderful job Dave, it'd guarentee you jail time back home!

Seriously good work Dave.  Beautiful job!

[davec2]

Wanted to finish assembly of the two piece breech plug today.  The barrel is tapped 1 1/8"-12 and I had machined a plug to use during the machining of the barrel.  It was the same plug I used during the proof firing.
Once the barrel tapering and proofing was done I decided to use a part of the same plug for the final breech plug.  I cut the threaded plug short and then prepared a stub that the barrel tang would be welded to.  Not filed to final thickness and shape but here is the assembled plug.  (I actually used this technique to make the breech plug for my first long rifle in 1970.)












Then I started in on the stock wood.  Band saw and then planer .....finally released a blunderbuss stock blank from the plank....

[davec2]

Richard,

Sorry....I missed your question here on making the barrel stamps.  If you are referring to my touch mark and other stamps shown in the link to the hydraulic press I built, I use various methods.  These recent proof marks were just engraved (in reverse) by hand in W-1 tool steel and then hardened.  My touch mark shown in the press link was made by cutting a positive graphite master and then I had a local shop EDM the reverse mark into a piece of hardened tool steel (usually a blank lathe turning tool).  For other stamps I have had Buckeye Stamps & Micro Stamp make tools for a reasonable price.

https://buckeyeengraving.com/custom-steel-hand-stamps/

https://microstamps.us

https://www.infinitystamps.com/

As far as the graphite master goes, many years ago now I bought a tiny table top CNC mill.  I was (and remain mostly) computer illiterate and couldn't run it so I gave it to a (smarter) friend with the proviso that he would do jobs for me on it once in a while.  I drew the master for my touch mark with a pencil (large) and then had the friend scan it and scale it down.  Since the graphite EDM tool only needed to be really 2D, he could use the scan to have a very tiny cutter cut the graphite master (dark areas on my drawing raised by ~ 0.025") and the white on my drawing areas cut back.  Very old technology now   

[Marcruger]

Fantastic David. I always enjoy your “build along” threads.  Those proofs came out super. I enjoyed the video too. 🙂 God bless and Happy Thanksgiving, Marc

[davec2]

More tedious work that I like to get out of the way first.....butt plate inleting in progress.....