What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[WALT53]

I just stay home when the humidity is really high. At my age I can't take it any more.

I’m not there yet but getting close but when it’s really hot I stay home cause I can not take the heat and sun .

 

[Terrier]

Sanded the mountain pistol stock to 220. I’d love to have the grips checkered but don’t have the tools or skills, so I looked into other options and learned about Stippling. I have seen pictures of some really nice examples on stocks. So I did a test piece on a piece of red alder. I made a paper template to trace the shape of the grip. I traced it on the alder, stabbed in the outline with inlet chisels, used a utility knife to create the groove and got after it. I put a coat of Birchwood Casey walnut on it followed by one coat of true oil. I like it and think it would work on the grip, what are your thoughts?

No idea how it relates to authenticity to a period, or if that even matters to you,

That looks pretty cool! I like it. What tool(s) did you use to create the stipples?

 

[Rebel bull]

welded up and then re drilled and taped a Ardesa (cva style ) bolster that was striped out. installed a new nipple and now just need to proof it. I used to make new bolsters but this works as well maybe better as the weld is a harder steel

 

[Polecat_Tom]

Thanks, yeah I definitely need much practice, my biggest problem is not going deep enough into the leather when using the lazy stitch method, I beaded my Mocs once and it just came off the top, I need a lot of practice. That and I have glovers needles for big stuff, I have no clue what needles are needed for seed beads or where to buy them from.

What I use for beading needles are usually John James short sharp beading needles for my lazy stitch and applique projects. I typically use a number 11 beading needle as on some of my #10 beads the #10 needle won’t go through. I don’t like using the #12 needle as it tears up my fingers. The longer needles are for loom work which I don’t do. The needle size is and approximation for the size of the needle you will want. I say approximation, because I use a mixture of beads consisting of old (older than 100 years), vintage (older than 50 years), and modern and from different manufactures.

I typically use number 10 and 11 seed beads. You will find that the bead size will very between manufacture even though they are sold as the same size. I have found that the hole size is not consistent in the old beads and with many of the low-cost beads.

I think that if you purchase good modern beads, you won’t have this problem and you will find it much easier to keep your rows straight and level.

In some cases, I need to go to a number 12 needle in order to load some old #10 beads. Also, when making several passes through a bead, as in when I make rosettes, I will use a #12 needle.

For thread, I use Nymo thread Size B thread. According to Crazy Crow, “Size “A” or “00” Nymo is best for 13/0 and smaller beads; Size “B” is good for 11/0 and 12/0 and size “D” works well for both 10/0 and 11/0 beads. Size “F” is quite heavy and is good for 5/0 & 8/0 pony beads.”

One of our forum members, Waksupi, has said that he uses cotton wrapped polyester for his beading projects.

I purchase my supplies from local bead shops, Shipwreck Beads out of Lacey, WA, and Crazy Crow. You could probably get the needles from Amazon, although I try to avoid in favor of local stores.

I hope this helps.

 

[wiscoaster]

To the range today with my 1805 Harper's Ferry repro to try shooting paper-patched and dip-lubed round balls with 30 gr 3F powder charge.

Remembered to take my iPad but forgot to take a pic until only one ball left:

Paper-patched and dip-lubed .570 round balls worked very well. Easily and quickly prepped beforehand, easy to load and ram (pigtail twist down toward breech, in case you wonder), with no adverse effect on accuracy (what passes for that in this gun), better if anything, and much better than spit-lubed cloth patch wrt to reducing bore fouling. I'm theorizing that the pigtail paper and lube smashes down and compresses against the powder charge much like a wad to make a good gas seal, and also that the lubed paper surround squishes into the rifling grooves much like a cloth patch.

I'm quickly becoming a fan of paper-patching. Historically correct or not, it seems to work well.

 

[Polecat_Tom]

Completed a bag for a forum member. This bag was made to hold a Ted Cash tinder box with lens.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Filled my horn and restocked my bag. Shooting tomorrow.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Well I figured out my layout for stippling the mountain pistol and got after it. I would love to have it checkered but it’s just not in the cards. I think it’s gonna finish out well. It has a very good feel in the hand.

 

[Century to late]

Well I figured out my layout for stippling the mountain pistol and got after it. I would love to have it checkered but it’s just not in the cards. I think it’s gonna finish out well. It has a very good feel in the hand.

That looks great! I inherited a nice checkering set a few months back but I can't bring myself to try on a muzzleloader. What's your method?

 

[Daryl Crawford]

Got the start of a set of knapping tools at the Kempton Gun Makers Fair. More stuff to find yet.

 

[Gtrubicon]

That looks great! I inherited a nice checkering set a few months back but I can't bring myself to try on a muzzleloader. What's your method?

Thanks CTL, after the outline I stab it with an 1/8 inlet chisel to create a groove. Then I work the groove with a utility blade to create a v groove. I used an 1/8” round Diamond burr grinder in a Dremel for the stippling. Then pointed up the edges with a 1/16” round Diamond burr bit. I will detail the outline with a fingernail sander to clean it up a bit.

 

[Century to late]

Thanks CTL, after the outline I stab it with an 1/8 inlet chisel to create a groove. Then I work the groove with a utility blade to create a v groove. I used an 1/8” round Diamond burr grinder in a Dremel for the stippling. Then pointed up the edges with a 1/16” round Diamond burr bit. I will detail the outline with a fingernail sander to clean it up a bit.

Thank you for the information. Post more pictures as you progress.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Thank you for the information. Post more pictures as you progress.

What are your thoughts on trying Aqua fortis on the cva beech wood?

 

[Century to late]

What are your thoughts on trying Aqua fortis on the cva beech wood?

It's a crap shoot my friend. I've some turn out beautiful it tends to be darker then maple. And I've had others total rejects. Might think about using dye possibly.

 

[Gtrubicon]

It's a manure shoot my friend. I've some turn out beautiful it tends to be darker then maple. And I've had others total rejects. Might think about using dye possibly.

I had a hunch, I think I’ll avoid it. I have a lot of hours in this stock and really don’t want to gamble at this point.

 

[deerstalkert]

well it was one of those days. Started to dress up the molding around the lock on the Kentucky.
using a 1/8 inch gouge. got muscle spasms just as i got to the top of the molding and hooked a splinter out of the top. OK says I, after some other verbiage that got me a stink eye from the bride, I can just glue that 3/8 long by 1/64 th wide sliver back and no one will ever notice. the sliver was laying right there in the barrel channel. did I ever mention that I am a slob that never really has a clean work space?
well this week i scraped about 3 pounds of walnut off the butt, and never cleaned up the inch layer of shavings that lay under the vise i had the stock in.
anyway i glued the eetsy bitsy tiny sliver in perfectly. then while it set i thought i would work on the front of the lock panel. bumped the sliver, it went down into the weeks worth of shavings.
spent an hour on my knees looking for it. then another half hour praying for help in standing back up. made it and finished the day in my recliner.

 

[Norman Brooks]

Ramrod pipes and nose cap installed. Started shaping the area around the cheek piece and lock area. Last thing to inlet is the patch box when thing get close to final shape.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Shot my Frontier caplock this morning, had a great time, lots of steel with new dents in 'em.

Ps no bouncing the ramrod today…haha

 

[Gtrubicon]

I browned all the steel for the mountain pistol, I cleaned and scrubbed all parts with dawn, dried and wiped with acetone. Some turned out great some I’m not happy with. Does plum brown have a shelf life? I went ahead and tried the Aqua Fortis on the ramrod, it didn’t look bad at all so I went ahead and applied it to the stock. I think it will finish out pretty nice. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Psycho Mike]

Well, I'm barely walking compared to Pathfinder's warp speed in horn artistry...but I finished horn #1 today. It's not perfect, but it is together and water-tight like a beavers butt.