New .36 cal Rifle....Patch Box Engraving Done...well...almost

[Daryl]

OVER THE TOP, Dave, over the top. WOW!

[davec2]

Finished the assembly of the door / hinge / finial of the patch box.  Finished shaping the finial after cutting it out.  Then burnt off the pattern and annealed the brass.  By hand bending and the use of a small rubber hammer, I contoured the finial roughly to the stock shape.  Filed the second half of the hinge to fit the curve of the finial plate and then hard soldered the hinge half in place.  With all the parts made, I can start the inletting of the box......always fun !

[davec2]

Always tedious to inlet complicated brass patch box parts....but a little at a time it gradually gets done.  Door and finial in....side plated are next....then the latch assembly.

   

[davec2]

Always tedious work.....at least for me.....

[P.W.Berkuta]

Dave - do you do all of the engraving on the gun or off?

[davec2]

P.W.,

I always engrave the box off the gun.....along with anything else I can.  The thin brass parts will need to be well supported to keep from deforming them so I usually attach them to wood blocks with "cold cure" dental acrylic or just super glue them to well fitted hardwood blocks.  Either will release quickly with a little heat.  Like these photos from Reply 113 on a past topic of mine.....https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=61759.100

[davec2]

Patch box parts fitted and then removed from the stock for mounting and engraving.....




Also installed the patch box closure spring in the stock and mounted the closure stud on the door lid.  Cut a square hole in the lid, filed a square shank end on the stud, and then peened the stud into the hole.  Also silver soldered the stud on the underside of the door.....







Back to engraving.....did the layout dye thing and then sketched the general outlines (very lightly) with a scribe point.....Started in on the side plates.  Not done with all the details yet but have the general outlines and some shading done.  Will get the finial and door to the same place and then go back for the finishing touches.

[Daryl]

Dave, your work never ceases to absolutely amaze me.

[tunadawg]

Wow!!!

[JBJ]

My goodness, that's stunning work! Beautiful!
J.B.

[davec2]

Thank you all for the kind words.....Here is the finial for the box.....almost done.  Still some details to go.  On the door I will probably do an engraved silver onlay.  Haven't quite decided yet...

[Daryl]

I think it takes a rocket scientist to do work like that!

[Bill Raby]

I need to do a lot more engraving practice.

[Craig Wilcox]

Once again, David, your work totally astounds me.  Great precision throughout.  Thanks for sharing!

[davec2]

Got the bulk of the patch box engraving completed today including sweating on the sterling silver onlay.  Still some details to attend to and the photo below of the whole box is just loosely placed on the stock.  The final fitting still needs to be done.  Need to plan out the rest of the engraving on the trigger guard, toe plate, ramrod pipes, etc., and get those done.