What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[TDM]

I polished up the internals too. Now a Kibler lock doesn’t really need this, they’re just about perfect out of the box. You won’t find tool marks or casting flash that will be on lessor locks, but a nice polish helps and it’s noticeable. You never want to remove metal, only polish. I start with my fine honing stones and finish with a wool buffing tip on the dremel with a little polishing rouge. There’s a couple of before photos of the sear and tumbler. Any surface that touches another surface I polish.

 

[BackDraft]

Looks very nice!

 

[BillyC]

I recently antiqued an Altoids tin to hold wool blanket shooting patches for my trade gun. I used a blowtorch to burn off the paint, a ball-peen hammer to tap out the “Altoids” lettering and dome the lid, and japanned the tin with the blowtorch and a rub down with oil:

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Works great and holds about 20 greased blanket patches.

 

[BillyC]

I recently antiqued an Altoids tin to hold wool blanket shooting patches for my trade gun. I used a blowtorch to burn off the paint, a ball-peen hammer to tap out the “Altoids” lettering and dome the lid, and japanned the tin with the blowtorch and a rub down with oil:

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Works great and holds about 20 greased blanket patches.

What is “Japaning”?

 

[longcruise]

Can’t really give any useful advice since I’ve yet to use my stuff, but how or what are you using to hit or push the dies with? Don’t know how it’s going to work, but a few months ago I bought a 2 ton press mainly to use for cap making whenever I finally get around to it.

I'm using a medium weight plastic mallet. I think it came from Tandy. Use it for rivets and snaps. I use it with one mild strike. It takes more force with the copper but not much. How hard it's hit doesn't seem to make much difference. I hit it with just enough force to cut and fold the cap.

 

[TDM]

I'm using a medium weight plastic mallet. I think it came from Tandy. Use it for rivets and snaps. I use it with one mild strike. It takes more force with the copper but not much. How hard it's hit doesn't seem to make much difference. I hit it with just enough force to cut and fold the cap.

Sounds fine to me but hopefully someone with experience will weigh in.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Tried the concept of lubing the copper strips. I used the Imperial sizing wax, WD 40 and the Costco version of Pam. None of the three had any positive effect on the process. The three photos below represent the three different lubes. No point in identifying which is which because they are pretty much the same.

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But my little brain did (finally) recognize at least part of the problem. Notice where the punch is right at the edge of the strip and how it's rougher and sometimes broken through. This is where the strips have been hanging up.

I was able to improve the process by being certain that the strips were pushed all the way to the back of the slot and by leaving a little more space between the cutouts.

Under the best of circumstances, the aluminum is the better option. The copper is softer and tends to follow the punch a little and is easily hung up.

The manufacturer could possibly improve the design by by cutting the slot a little deeper so the punched hole is a bit further from the edge.

Could also be user modified but I'm not planning on doing it. Will focus on improving technique.

was hoping it would work, O well time to put on the thinking cap again.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I wonder if TDMs ideal of using a press would work better than smacking the die with a mallet, I would think the press would give you better control over the process, delivering a controlled pressure throughout the forming process. Kind of like an extrusion process.

 

[TDM]

I had been wanting an arbor press anyway, but in some of the older cap making threads they were being used with success. Some guys were using an RCBS press too and some used a drill press. The arbor press should allow for more even pressure to be applied, but it’s theoretical for me at this time.

 

[Colonial Boy]

Cast some .590 balls for the Austrian tube lock ; used a Dixie Gun Works mould, works well but the 1/4” sprue is a bit of a chore to cut off, but I suspect that it’s the reason the balls cast so well.
Altered the cutter, which I’d just bought from the Reject Shop, so that the sprue would fit into the cutout in the blade, found out that the straight section did a better job.

 

[Terrier]

What is “Japaning”?

I’ve heard the term used in a couple of different ways. One is to describe painting metal with a design, and the other is to describe burning the painted design off the metal. 30 years ago when I learned the term, it meant burning off the paint, but that was before the Internet made us all smart guys. The real definition is painting the metal to protect it.

In Mountain Man / Buckskinner circles, japanning refers to burning the metal off of a painted tin in order to make it look more rustic

I have some of the older Altoids tins that don’t need to be hammered out after you burn the paint off. Icebreakers used to make a nice metal tin that you could burn the paint off easily. I use one of those for my pre-cut ball patches. Too bad they’re plastic now.

 

[Terrier]

I wonder if TDMs ideal of using a press would work better than smacking the die with a mallet, I would think the press would give you better control over the process, delivering a controlled pressure throughout the forming process. Kind of like an extrusion process.

I’ve seen a couple of folks remark in other places that easy tapping with a mallet made for a better formed cap and lessened the possibility of having the material jam up the die.

Disclaimer: That’s second hand info… I have no real experience with it.

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

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I sure hope the muzzle doesn't slop off your toe at the last second. Semper Fi.

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

I completed another musket today. .62 cal. smoothbore canoe gun. Semper Fi.

 

[Terrier]

I completed another musket today. .62 cal. smoothbore canoe gun. Semper Fi.

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That looks very nice... Mighty pretty wood for a "Canoe Gun".... Don't those oftentimes double as a paddle?

 

[pacanis]

Before investing in a press, just to see how it works, hold the cap tool sideways in a vise.

 

[longcruise]

Before investing in a press, just to see how it works, hold the cap tool sideways in a vise.

This! In fact, before investing in any special device just try with a plastic or wood mallet. If it's speed you are after, you will find that most of the time involved is in positioning the strip of metal. The bump with the hammer is I'm sure faster than operating any type of mechanical press.

 

[TDM]

Didn’t get much accomplished today, but I did reassemble the Woodsrunner lock. It’s done.

 

[Tradbow]

Didn’t get much accomplished today, but I did reassemble the Woodsrunner lock. It’s done.

That’s looking great.

 

[TDM]

That’s looking great.

Thanks!