Making Tumblers
- Thread starter tiriaq
- Start date
Inspected carefully, the plugged holes from the frizzen spring can be seen. Had a #### which stopped against the flash pan fence. The little depression from repeated impacts can be felt. Would have been a waterproof pan, given the styling of the fence.
I don't think that a photo would have much chance of picking up the plug. Takes careful inspection in really good light. Whoever did the conversion was good. I suspect the little bit of engraving was touched up after the holes were filled. The drum is barrel shaped with little edge mouldings and the touch of engraving. I suspect that he was a real gunmaker. Not the usual just get it done and out of the shop conversion.
The ramrod is a bit unusual. I made the replacement starting with a red oak 36" dowel from Lee Valley. The surviving pipe is about 3/8" ID. The blank I started with was 3/8" diameter. Tapered it gradually, trying it into the hole in the stock, until it bottomed out. By the time the rod fit the full length of the hole, it was .27" diameter at the tip. Quite slender. I have read that some British sporting guns used ramrods made of baleen - so-called whalebone. Given the rather small diameter, I wonder if the original might not have been baleen. Strong and flexible. Turned the tips from brass rod. Usually I would make the small end tip with a capped screw for drawing wads to unload the gun. I didn't even try with this diminutive size. Drilled and tapped the tip 8-32 so a screw can be installed if needed.
Baleen is part of the upper jaw of a baleen whale. The whales are filter feeders and the baleen is a filter mechanism. Might have originally been baleen but, as I recall, I have restored at least three British fowlers with similarly tapered ramrods. Made tips with capped wad screws for two of them and need to make a couple more. You are correct. The small size is a bit of a challenge.
Don't recall who made your fowler, but wonder if it might have gone back to the builder for conversion. I understand that was a common occurrence.
Don't know how you feel about it, but I get a lot more satisfaction from bringing one of these old girls back to life than I do building something new
Don't recall who made your fowler, but wonder if it might have gone back to the builder for conversion. I understand that was a common occurrence.
Don't know how you feel about it, but I get a lot more satisfaction from bringing one of these old girls back to life than I do building something new
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
I would be interested in your method of making the threaded portion of the wad puller. I have only made one (for the sxs flint I made years ago) and, while I don’t recall how I made the patch puller, I do recall it being something if a PITA making those threads.
I have made wad pulling screws by digging through an assortment of wood screws to find an appropriate one, cutting off or turning down the head and then threading the shank. The cap and base piece are straightforward lathe jobs. If diameters are such that standard thread sizes can be used, it is easier to do.
With respect to baleen - years ago I could have acquired a piece from the first bowhead whale taken in the Eastern Arctic when whaling was restarted. As it happened, I armed the grenade fired from the whaling gun used to harvest the whale, and had an invitation to go on the hunt. Couldn't do it because I had non-refundable tickets to leave for our holiday.
I think that a ramrod that tapers right down would work for shotgun use because less force is required that seating a patched ball.
I, too, enjoy working on antiques at least as much as scratch building. The challenges are more varied. And nowadays it would appear that a manufacturer's license would be needed to make a cap gun, although longarms with touch holes are still OK.
The lock on this gun is signed I Whitehouse. Tiny London on top of the breech. Post 1813 Birmingham proofs on the bottom of the barrel along with IW (Isaac Whitehouse) and Stubbs.
Sometimes guns were returned to the maker for percussion conversion, or to another gunmaker, rather than a gunsmith. Not unusual for the conversion to be a remanufacture, rather than a simple conversion. Knew a chap who had a cased Joe Manton 20ga made in 1812 than had been redone. If Manton's shop didn't do it, it was a shop capable of work of the same high quality. New patent percussion breeches were fitted and the locks were reworked to suit. Beautiful little gun.
With respect to baleen - years ago I could have acquired a piece from the first bowhead whale taken in the Eastern Arctic when whaling was restarted. As it happened, I armed the grenade fired from the whaling gun used to harvest the whale, and had an invitation to go on the hunt. Couldn't do it because I had non-refundable tickets to leave for our holiday.
I think that a ramrod that tapers right down would work for shotgun use because less force is required that seating a patched ball.
I, too, enjoy working on antiques at least as much as scratch building. The challenges are more varied. And nowadays it would appear that a manufacturer's license would be needed to make a cap gun, although longarms with touch holes are still OK.
The lock on this gun is signed I Whitehouse. Tiny London on top of the breech. Post 1813 Birmingham proofs on the bottom of the barrel along with IW (Isaac Whitehouse) and Stubbs.
Sometimes guns were returned to the maker for percussion conversion, or to another gunmaker, rather than a gunsmith. Not unusual for the conversion to be a remanufacture, rather than a simple conversion. Knew a chap who had a cased Joe Manton 20ga made in 1812 than had been redone. If Manton's shop didn't do it, it was a shop capable of work of the same high quality. New patent percussion breeches were fitted and the locks were reworked to suit. Beautiful little gun.
