What's more difficult?

[Russell420]

Which is the more difficult from a builder's perspective: creating a wooden patchbox or a brass one (not considering carving or graving)?

 

[rootnuke]

Brass is harder. But, IMHO, I would not base my choice on brass or wood patchbox in terms of ease.

Nothing easy is ever worth it.

:hmm: wow thats deep...

 

[Russell420]

Rootnuke,

I agree with your deep thought and am planning to try a wooden patchbox for my TOW 1770 Bivins flintlock kit that will be arriving tomorrow. I understand you've been building one too. I'll probably be pestering you on occasion for info since this is my first gun I have ever tried to build. Have you finished yours yet? Thanks for the info.

Russell420

 

[rootnuke]

Rootnuke,

I agree with your deep thought and am planning to try a wooden patchbox for my TOW 1770 Bivins flintlock kit that will be arriving tomorrow. I understand you've been building one too. I'll probably be pestering you on occasion for info since this is my first gun I have ever tried to build. Have you finished yours yet? Thanks for the info.

Russell420

I probably have 5 more week-ends and it will be done.

One whole weekend for final carving
One whole weekend touch-up sanding and fitting
One whole weekend for all metal parts surface detail, touch whole liner and muzzle cap
One whole weekend for staining
One whole weekend for assembly, screw replacement (hardening) ...final touch-up

Then I have to get it clamped to the firing bench, load it, attach a 100' trigger string and see if it blows-up. :crackup:

I will be posting my pictures which I have been taking as I have progressed. I got tired of posting to my website as I built because I kept having to change it.

If you have a ? send me an email if need be. I don't get into the forum everyday so I won't see a forum msg in a timely manner.

 

[albert]

I have done both and I can do a wooden one a lot easier that building and inleting a metal one. In the book "Gunsmith of Grenville County" by Peter Alexander there is a good article on doing both.

 

[brushbuster]

i recently finished a lancaster with a brass patch box and building a york with a wood patch box the brass patch box was pre inlet so it wasnt too difficult with the exception of hinge clearence.for me the wood patch box was more difficult but this was more to my not paying attention to what i was doing and distractions .
i some how mis measured the length and cut it a little short and forgot to mark the stock contour making the patch box lid a little too square ,then broke the the latch pin(nail)in the lid witch was a !@#!@#!#@ to get out !!!! :: :curse: :boohoo: :results:
i am hopeing to finish this rifle by christmas but i amstarting to wonder if i got the "slow poke curse" :: :crackup: :crackup::results: