1740 Gunsmith Tools

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Pilgrim
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I am a new member of this group and while I have spent a short time looking around, I am going to ask the questions anyway. I volunteer at both the National Park Service Castillo de San Marco and the Florida Park Service Fort Mose in Saint Augustine, Florida. I reenact, along with the Saint Augustine Spanish Garrison, the Spanish 1740 time period. I am looking for information to put together a gunsmithing tool kit that would approximate the same time period (1740's) and would like any information that might be provided in this area. I have no intention of building a time period weapon from scratch, just to provide a demonstration of such work for the 450th anniversary of Saint Auguistine which occurs in 2013-2015. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
There are several inventories of gunsmith tools from probate records but seldom many details.

Usually the following wood cutting tools:
saws, chisels, gouges, planes, spokeshaves, and scrapers.

Drill (often a bow drill) with bits, gimlets, sheet metal shears, screw plate and taps, vise, hand vise, workbench, tongs, forge, anvil, swage block, bellows, hammers and cutoff tools.

Screwdrivers, files, rasps.

Then you need iron, sheet metal, and spring steel.

To do demonstration work you may only need part of a tool kit. For example, if you were inletting a barrel or lock, use only the appropriate tools for that job.
 
Hi Larry,
Three things to do. Get a copy of "Espingarda Perfeyta" which should be available from amazon.com or some of the out-of-print booksellers - AbeBooks for example. It is a late 17th century gunsmith manual written by Portugese smiths and translated to English. It will help you develop a list. Next you might want to contact James Levy who is a state conservator in Florida ([email protected]). He works with colonial weapons and tools found in shipwrecks off Florida and other sites. Next contact Gary Brumfield at flintriflesmith.com. gary used to work at Colonial Williamsburg and is an excellent resource for historical information about the trade.

dave
 
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A excellent source on early tools is Eric Sloane's book "A Museum of Early American Tools". Check with your local library they may have a copy. It will help in recreating tools from the era.
 
Also a tumbler mill, lathe and a barrel gringing machine for grinding the flats. Also booring tool and rifling bench. A pan cavity grinding tool would also be nice to have.
 
Yes, that is true. Actual building would not have been of high importance. Most weapons would have been imported from Spain, France, or Cuba. Trade with the British and the American Colonies also provided weapons for La Florida. Repair work would have been most important, although much remanufactoring of essential parts was done.
 
jerry huddleston said:
Also a tumbler mill, lathe and a barrel gringing machine for grinding the flats. Also booring tool and rifling bench. A pan cavity grinding tool would also be nice to have.

I could use one of those pan cavity grinding tools. I assume they were turned steel tools with cut working edges like a ball mold cherry?
 
The pan cavity grinding tool consistred of a devise that looked like a breast brace type drill.
The one I saw had a piece that rested against a persons stomach or chest and was strapped on by a belt that went around him. it looked like a old fashoned drill brace. In the chuck was what looked like a rotory file. There was a cord that hooked to the brace and went down to a foot pedal devise on the floor. The operator could put downward pressure on the rotory cutter by stepping on the foot pedal while he turned the hand brace. The lockplate was placed in a vise while this was done.I hope this is understandable.
 
I have ordered the suggested books and have contacted the suggested folks. I wish to thank all who have helped. Your assistance was greatly appreciated.

Larry
 

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