Jim Kibler has a video showing how he tweets one for his Fowler before shipping. Might help.
Changing pitch of cast buttplate
- Thread starter WonkyEye
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really after working as a jeweler and 21 years at federal cartridge running brass lines. even as cast, brass when working it does need to be annealed periodically for it to remain workable. bending cast leads to work hardening and cracks. can it be done? yes but for a novice why not error on the side of caution.
A LOT of the early 60's - 70's and 80's "brass" cast butt plates and trigger guards were not pure brass. They were some sort of an alloy some were all bronze and dickens to file. I've bent a few very small amounts to get them to fit the contour of a stock but not a lot. I did not have to anneal them when I bent them.
I would re-profile the wood to fit the butt plate and bend the butt plate a SMALL amount to get the final fit if needed.
I would re-profile the wood to fit the butt plate and bend the butt plate a SMALL amount to get the final fit if needed.
As I said, if it's uncomfortable, you're holding it wrong.
I believe Jim was referring to the need to water quench after heating. That part was not true. Brass can be heated and allowed to air-cool to anneal.
I was just cleaning up a "brass" trigger guard and it snapped at the end of the trigger bow. I attempted to solder it back together. Map gas on high for over 5 minutes and the "brass" never got red, never changed colors, and of course, would not solder.
I'll make my own brass TG.
I'll make my own brass TG.
Been there, done that, see post #18 above. My fix: ordered parts kit with new trigger guard.
I decided to just make my own TG from sheet brass. I watched a step by step on the "how to". I can silver solder and have brass silver solder on hand.
After hammering out a buttcap for my pistol, the TG will be a piece of cake. (Yeah.....cake?)
Purchase a different style butt plate like a shotgun, smoothie flat style. Or as mentioned above don't hold on your shoulder. Like a suppository firearm
It’s doesn’t take much heat to solder. You definitely don’t want the metal to change colors
will it be softer without water quenching to some degree it will be softer........but if you want to have it be as soft as possible quench while its still red hot
LOL
Ok, Jim - since you're the expert here (not being snarky), please enlighten us. How come we've broken brass parts (I broke a dragoon brass backstrap) and you've never had a problem?
My guess is he's working with pure brass castings, whereas us guys that have bent and broken are working with some kind of alloy. Waiting to hear definitive answer from the metalurgist .....
I have know idea what was wrong with your castings and why they broke. What I do know is that water or air quenching work equally well on proper brass. As mentioned, yours may have been some bronze alloy, might have had defects where they broke etc. Hard to know...
Okay I also am not trying to be snarky but how many hats/diplomas are you claiming? Master gunsmith, machinist, engineer, and now metallurgist ? And then you claim that I know nothing about the working of metals? I graduated from Minneapolis technical school with a certificate in metal art ( jeweler) in 72. Enlisted in the Navy as a aviation structural mechanic (AMS 2) in less than 3 years. Attended the Dunwoody institute for Auto body finished12 months of a18 month course ( because of a industrial accident) back to school (part of settlement) graduated as a electrician. Worked as a security technician from 82-02 CMS, JST. With 5 kids and the wife not having a high skilled job I started my 21 year career at Federal Cartridge in 94 working nights I have been certified to weld exotic metals by the navy, gas and arc both stick and wire feed by the companies I worked for and have passed the test to weld in the nuclear power plant here in Mn. So I do know how to work on/with metal and brass, bronze, copper, silver, gold, all work better when annealed and then quenched in water.
And when it comes to metal that is cast by what ever process is chosen you can never be absolutely certain that it has no porosity or stress cracks in it and there for may break when bending
And when it comes to metal that is cast by what ever process is chosen you can never be absolutely certain that it has no porosity or stress cracks in it and there for may break when bending
Agree.
This was cast "brass". Examination of the break showed 50% of it was air. No surprise it broke. But it for sure isn't brass.
My point was if you hold a map gas torch on the alleged brass for 5 minutes, it should get redder than a ripe tomato. This didn't. And no matter how much acetone cleaning or flux applied, solder would not stick to anything.
This was cast "brass". Examination of the break showed 50% of it was air. No surprise it broke. But it for sure isn't brass.
Look, if you would like to see my diploma, I would be happy to share it with you. I don't really care about your background... What I do know is that on yellow brass there is no significant difference between water quenched and air cooled during an annealing cycle.
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Put mapp gas on brass that long and it will melt.
You do not need to quench annealed brass in water. It will be just as soft either way. Yes, I do work with various types of brass in my professional life, as well as the hobby side.
