Photos of wood patchbox, for barebackjack

[LRB]

This shows the dovetail fit, the spring catch, and the closed lid. This lid is one piece, and the box recess is routed. This gun is a Tip Curtis "in the white" that I am carving and engraving. I had to make the plate and a new spring for the lid. Most often the springs run down the center of the lid, but Curtis does them this way. The angle of the dovetail is not as much as I like. I like them formed with the angle of a tri-corn file. They are much more positive. I also like to make the lid 2 piece.

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[barebackjack]

Thanks much Wick!

Like they say, a picture does speak a thousand words.

Beautiful carving job there on the lid!!!

Why is the release spring set into the lid at an angle?

Thanks again
Boone

 

[LRB]

Tip does his spring this way because he uses a cast spring that has the thumb piece at 90o to the spring if viewed from the top. The spring has to be mounted at an angle to the flow of the lid, to match the curve of the plate. Most originals seem to be mounted in a down the center fashion, which is what I do. In doing it this way one has to put the thumb piece on an angle, but I find no problem with this as I make the thumb piece separate, and silver braze it to the spring, which by the way, is not tempered. There is no reason to temper these "springs" as the distance of movement is so short as to not require doing so. One could use brass as the spring if desired, but I don't know of any originals in which brass was used, but it is certainly possible.

 

[MSW]

wow! ... i gotta admit, your blob beats my blob hands down!

great!

msw