Attaching brass to a colonial patch box

[The Deacon]

I've been working on 54 Cal Kibler colonial stocked in Cherry. This is my second Kibler kit ( there may be a third, a 54 cal woods runner, in the future) , the first was a 45 cal. SMR also stocked in cherry.
Everything on the colonial coming together, so far, as good as the SMR.
However, there is a little more wood and metal work to do on the colonial then on the SMR and I've had a few mistakes but I hope no one notices them .

I've already fitted the patch box to the butt plate and I'd like to add brass on the end of patch box.
My question is, how do you attach the small brass plate that's included in the kit, I assume that's what it's for, to the end of the wood patch box ?
I've already filed the patch box end to accommodate the plate with the catch.
I know it's screwed on.
But, What holds the plate in place while you drill the screw holes ? Would you advise epoxy the plate on, then drill ?

Is there a video or tutorial somewhere on the forum ?

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

I have used a dab of cyanoacrylic - super glue - to hold brass to wood for drilling screw holes. Some heat, as from a hot iron, will pop it loose.
You will need to remove some wood from the PB lid - the thickness of the brass.

Was polishing a side plate that I had super glued to a piece of wood, using my Foredom - plate got hot enough to free itself from the wood very quickly!

 

[waksupi]

I measure the width needed for the holes in the brass, then drill. Hold in place on the lid, mark the locations with a pencil. Then file the brass to match your contours.

Not a Woodsrunner, a rifle I built a few years ago. This is what could happen when I get carried away with brass. There is no reason a person couldn't tart up a Woodsrunner like this,.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Beautiful, Ric - very nice work!

 

[Phil Coffins]

There was a thread that included this, maybe by Dave person. It is very helpful if you can track it down.
It inspired me to add one to mine.
AED881B7-0627-49A0-9145-2187E52C78EC by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Brokennock]

I think either @rich pierce or @davec2 has a topic/thread on the subject. I will see if I can track it down.

 

[Brokennock]

Oh, look at that, I scrolled down after typing the above and what did I find???


https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/a-peripheral-part-of-a-kibler-woodsrunner.162580/

 

[LRB]

Epoxy to keep it in place while fitting to the dovetail, then drill and counter sink for screws. Go slow and keep side loads and heat to a minimum.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Epoxy to keep it in place while fitting to the dovetail, then drill and counter sink for screws. Go slow and keep side loads and heat to a minimum.

View attachment 295995

VERY nice, especially the file work on the latch.

 

[LRB]

VERY nice, especially the file work on the latch.

Thanks, I left out that I always left the plate a tad oversize, a few thousandths, then once the epoxy was well cured I CAREFULLY/GENTLY used files to make it all evenly fitted. At least as best as I could. Time consuming but worth the result.

 

[The Deacon]

Thank you all, this information is a great help,

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

There is no reason a person couldn't tart up a Woodsrunner like this ...

If that is a 'tart' sir ... I want one!

 

[waksupi]

If that is a 'tart' sir ... I want one!

Some don't realize what Kibler provides is a base for building a rifle, only limited by your own imagination.

 

[Psycho Mike]

Some don't realize what Kibler provides is a base for building a rifle, only limited by your own imagination.

That is the truth, for sure. When I get there with my Colonial, I hope to do that piece justice.

So far, though, that buttplate is taking a bit of time to get looking pretty (sprues were easy enough to file out....but mine had a few stray sand grain inclusions that are taking longer to get rid of).

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

I've already fitted the patch box to the butt plate and I'd like to add brass on the end of patch box.

I was going to recommend doing this but I see you're smarter than I lol. I'll move along now and hold my head down.

 

[Psycho Mike]

Here's hoping I can learn from your wisdom

 

[Psycho Mike]

I managed to give my "fancy" lid a brass back end....but I realized I had ended up taking a bit too much off in the fitting stage. Mine back end has some small gaps between it and the butt plate when installed (D'oh!). Still, considering this is my first kit and I'm pushing myself from the get-go (carving, molding lines, insetting and this brass work), I'll gladly accept a few growing-pain lumps along the way

Still needs polishing to get the last of the marks off it, but....

 

[waksupi]

I managed to give my "fancy" lid a brass back end....but I realized I had ended up taking a bit too much off in the fitting stage. Mine back end has some small gaps between it and the butt plate when installed (D'oh!). Still, considering this is my first kit and I'm pushing myself from the get-go (carving, molding lines, insetting and this brass work), I'll gladly accept a few growing-pain lumps along the way

Still needs polishing to get the last of the marks off it, but....
View attachment 299731
View attachment 299730

Wipe a bit of Titebond II across the gap, and sand with fine sandpaper. The gaps will disappear, and stain fine.

 

[Psycho Mike]

Wipe a bit of Titebond II across the gap, and sand with fine sandpaper. The gaps will disappear, and stain fine.

If the gaps were just in the lid/brass connection (which is actually quite tight....most of the line is due to it getting dirty as I worked on it) or that couple of little tear-outs I managed to make, I'd be happy.... No, I overcut the dovetail when I made sure it wouldn't stick, so as a result I have a couple small gaps (one on each side) between lid and buttplate (I matched the brass end plate to the dovetail, so it carried through). Live and learn.

 

[The Deacon]

Gentleman, I took the advice giving by several of you. Thank you.
This is the result.