Original Blunderbuss Copy- Barrel inlet complete

[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.....

[davec2]

I really dislike installing a butt plate.  The only part I dislike more is installing a rear ram rod pipe.     At any rate, I spent WAY too many hours installing this butt plate even after band sawing the stock very close to the shape of the plate.  I did the bit where the hollow of the plate remains filled with wood.  Unless there is some trick I am missing, I can't see any 18th century gunsmith spending this much time to install a plate like this.

However that may be, it's in.  I wanted to add a lug to the front portion so I could pin it through the stock.  So after the plate was in place, I cut some 1/8" brass sheet into a small lug and filed a square tenon on the top edge.  I filed a mating hole through the return on the butt plate, peened the lug into place and then silver brazed it for good measure.  Shouldn't go anywhere.

[davec2]

I was getting ready to bend the breech plug tang and was tired of doing it the same way I have always done it with a lead hammer and on a lead block.  It works but is not a very controllable process in the greater scheme of things.  So I stopped long enough to make these magnetically attached brass bending "bars" (for want of a better description). Brass 7/16" round stock is silver brazed to a brass arm made of 1/2" x 1/8" flat stock.  A strong magnet is then screwed to the other end of the arm.  These can be positioned easily on the vise and allow complete control of how much and where the bend occurs.  Much better than whacking things with a lead hammer.

[Daryl]

WOW- so cool!

[JTR]

You should make up some sets of those benders, and sell them!
John

[davec2]

Had a chance to start in on inletting the barrel.  Used a ball cutter to remove the bulk of the wood and will finish the inlet by hand. I don't mind in this case since the barrel is only 12 inches long...

[davec2]

With most of the wood removed with the ball cutter, it only took a short while to finish the barrel inlet with hand tools and a Frank Mittermeir barrel rasp I bought 50 years ago....Also got the ram rod groove and hole drilled.  As noted previously, since the barrel is only a foot long, all of this goes much quicker than it does on a long rifle....

[davec2]

Breech plug tang inletted and flushed.  Also got the "LONDON" engraved on the barrel.....