Starting my winter pistol build early

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Began doing the more detailed shaping\sanding. Not in anyway the final sanding at this point. Just moving closer to that. The third pic I've started shaping the forestock.

It's getting that time to be very careful of handling the stock. With no furniture pinned and screwed in and the barrel not screwed and pinned it, the stock is very light and easy to crack something you don't wanna crack!!


ww5ma3kl.jpg
2UUmljQl.jpg
4pLJy6sl.jpg
 
I have the pistol to the "almost" ready to stain\finish. Now "stuff" sort of happens to me....where I've fitted a piece, moved on, and now upon a complete assembly, the piece isn't quite right.

This time it's the buttcap. I don't know if the few gaps formed when I was sanding or finishing the brass. Matter's not as I have to either leave it alone (not an option) or address it. I have a gap on the right and left side in the "big curve" part of the buttcap\stock. I'll have to think about the approach.

Critique if you like.

I'm going to test some different ratio's of stain on some scrap wood. Aquifortis, LM Nutmeg brown stain and LM Cherry stain. I want to have some "red" in the color. I do realize I have some "clean up" sanding to do. The RR in this pistol doesn't belong to this build. I just took it from my other 50Cal pistol for reference.

The trigger will need to be moved back a bit as my fat trigger finger just fits. Not sure if I will cut down the top of the trigger, or simply drill a different hole and move it back.


7B2aRZ4l.jpg
E5cqFs2l.jpg
HHFOG3Gl.jpg
Mx8N7Xjl.jpg
WbRRI0xl.jpg
tCOKKgWl.jpg
wIuM80rl.jpg
naXNFPyl.jpg
UB0zMHPl.jpg
ZG4znrLl.jpg
 
Nice project. Love seeing the progress.
I tried your stain combination trying to get more red tones and found the nut brown was overpowering any reds. Or was it the aqua fortis? I did try some lighter LM honey brown once and was able to get the red better.
Can't wait to see it oiled. That is when you'll know you hit your mark.
 
Nice project. Love seeing the progress.
I tried your stain combination trying to get more red tones and found the nut brown was overpowering any reds. Or was it the aqua fortis? I did try some lighter LM honey brown once and was able to get the red better.
Can't wait to see it oiled. That is when you'll know you hit your mark.
Yes. I tested this combo on a scrap first. I had a piece with just AF, then AF and Cherry, then AF, Cherry, and 2 coats of Nutmeg Brown. Then just a heavy coat of True Oil to see what it would look like. Although I doubt I'll use True Oil for the finish coats. I think I have enough Chambers to do that.

The two coats of Nutmeg sort of drown the red down to very little. I was looking for more red, so I went with one coat of the Nutmeg over the Cherry.
 
I watch you guys build these almost from the ground up and I am in awe. I barely have the patience to do a Pedersoli kit let alone all of that. Yes I'm exaggerating but only slightly.........
 
I watch you guys build these almost from the ground up and I am in awe. I barely have the patience to do a Pedersoli kit let alone all of that. Yes I'm exaggerating but only slightly.........
Thanks kje54. Believe me, I’m just an amateur. If I sold the pistol for $1,000 (it’s not for sale) I’d probably have wage & hour raid me for making a negative hourly wage!!

And back a few post I mentioned I had the buttplate inletted nicely. Then I drilled the hole for the screw. Then my BP was off. Well, it ended up that my screw hole in the wood was slightly off center. So, I drilled the hole bigger, glued in a maple plug, redrilled the hole and it worked as it should.
 
Last edited:
There are some things I'd like to try but they're going to have to wait. I have to save up the money first. After I finish with the carving issue on my Pedersoli I'm considering using all the hardware on my H&A Minuteman and transferring it a Pecatonica Transitional Kentucky. Maybe even have the barrel bored out as much as possible mainly to lighten it. Could be a while before I get to that though.
 
There are some things I'd like to try but they're going to have to wait. I have to save up the money first. After I finish with the carving issue on my Pedersoli I'm considering using all the hardware on my H&A Minuteman and transferring it a Pecatonica Transitional Kentucky. Maybe even have the barrel bored out as much as possible mainly to lighten it. Could be a while before I get to that though.
Weigh your options on having the barrel rebored. I’m not saying don’t do that, but you may be able to get a new quality barrel in the caliber you want, and sell your existing barrel to help offset the cost.

Compare that “net/net” to the cost of a rebore.
 
I got the first coat of Chambers finish on the stock. I took pic's of the left and right hand side, but the RH side pics had poor lighting so I'm not posting those.

But here's the first coat. Now,, the finish was still tacky and I haven't rubbed it down yet. But I do like the finish.

tYEv88Pl.jpg
gKQk5byl.jpg
 
Moving along with Buttcap #2. This buttcap is rather deep...at least I think so. From the lip (not the tang) to the bottom of the bell it's .900. That's pushing a lot of metal around.

I've learned from the first. I now have bigger diameter Dapping punches and once the bottom reached .030 in thickness, I'm not touching it anymore. The original sheet brass started at .080. Right now the edges are at .090....as the lower metal gets pushed up.

I measure the depth and when I get it "taller" than I want by .100, I take a file to it and knock it down.

ZHbcYSLl.jpg
DZ8Glo1l.jpg
5u7dIDgl.jpg
Great Work C.J. !!

Brass forming tip for other builders to consider;
I recently completed fitting a similar 'cast' butt cap on a pistol build:

After 'annealing' the casting by heating the casting to cherry red w/ propane torch & quenching in water I used
a small 1/2 ton arbor press to do the forming & lessen work-hardening by hammering.
Used various diameter metal balls in my scrap drawer to do shape most of the butt cap contours,
the short pieces of metal pipe are used to stabilize the ball in position.
Looking forward to seeing the finished pistol !!!
Relic shooter
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3409 Arbor press.jpg
    IMG_3409 Arbor press.jpg
    651.4 KB
Great Work C.J. !!

Brass forming tip for other builders to consider;
I recently completed fitting a similar 'cast' butt cap on a pistol build:

After 'annealing' the casting by heating the casting to cherry red w/ propane torch & quenching in water I used
a small 1/2 ton arbor press to do the forming & lessen work-hardening by hammering.
Used various diameter metal balls in my scrap drawer to do shape most of the butt cap contours,
the short pieces of metal pipe are used to stabilize the ball in position.
Looking forward to seeing the finished pistol !!!
Relic shooter
That pistol i see on the side looks very nice. Your buttcap came out great using that press.
 
I finished the pistol today. Well, 99.9%. I need to wait a few more days for the Chambers finish to completely dry and I'll then touch up a few spots that need taken care of.

Here's my final product....mistakes and all. Mistakes can be found easy enough......but I'm very happy with the outcome,

2IZyoVJl.jpg
SFk4l9Ll.jpg
M3fVMCwl.jpg
Jd0hkNbl.jpg
b2rBZwal.jpg
vuwvjDAl.jpg
1UwlwkJl.jpg
H1zLf2zl.jpg
 
Wow! And to see the first page of this thread that this beautiful end product started as rough cut plank and pencil markets. Congratulations, Sir. You can sure be proud of that result.
 
I finished the pistol today. Well, 99.9%. I need to wait a few more days for the Chambers finish to completely dry and I'll then touch up a few spots that need taken care of.

Here's my final product....mistakes and all. Mistakes can be found easy enough......but I'm very happy with the outcome,

2IZyoVJl.jpg
SFk4l9Ll.jpg
M3fVMCwl.jpg
Jd0hkNbl.jpg
b2rBZwal.jpg
vuwvjDAl.jpg
1UwlwkJl.jpg
H1zLf2zl.jpg
Nice figure & job of inletting !!
Can be proud of this build :thumb:
 
Thanks kje54. Believe me, I’m just an amateur. If I sold the pistol for $1,000 (it’s not for sale) I’d probably have wage & hour raid me for making a negative hourly wage!!

And back a few post I mentioned I had the buttplate inletted nicely. Then I drilled the hole for the screw. Then my BP was off. Well, it ended up that my screw hole in the wood was slightly off center. So, I drilled the hole bigger, glued in a maple plug, redrilled the hole and it worked as it should.
True you can never make a profit on these. All you can hope for is enough $$ to buy that box o' parts to build the next one! They are a labor of love.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top