The Strauss Pirate 36 caliber

I'm thinking, boy that hole sure looks off center he is drilling---then I see what it is for a couple pictures later. :les::9:
 
Thanks guys!
July was crazy with 3 major trips out of town but now it back to pistol smithing so come back soon please.
 
More progress with the slots for the hammer and trigger milled and filed into the frame. Also milled both hammer and trigger down to .187" thick only in the areas that go into the frame. I want the trigger to be wide for a good pad and the hammer to be wide where the ignition cap surround is.

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I ordered a 1/4" x 3/4" keyway cutter and ran it around inside the frame to remove excess material with the hammer and trigger go through the frame. This also helps remove steel where the mainspring push rod in the frame all the time shedding some excess weight.

I have the sear engagment finally dialed in today. It was close work inside the frame and took about a hundred times in and out before the two components work in harmony.

I've started shaping the striking face of the hammer too.

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Looks Great, Bruce!!
Can't wait to see the final product. I'm still baffled on the blade location, but I know that it will be perfect.

One photography tip, You must have accidentlty turned the camera around in that one shot where you are sitting in the chair with your tongue hanging out waiting for Kaye to bring you your Taco Bell. (11th pic in post #42. The pink collar is rather dashing, though).
 
I'm not wild about the gap under the trigger so I made a beauty plate that actually doubles as a removeable access plate to lubricate the hammer, trigger and mainspring when cleaning after a night of gambling and pilaging small coastal villages or other ships. hehe
It also looks like the barrel will have more recoil support with this plate.


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Next comes the liners. I'm using .040" thick 410 stainless for liner material. It will allow me to drill and tap for bolsters and handle material later while closing off the mechanical parts of the gun on the right and give me a base for the folding knife on the left side.

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With the liners in place I'm working on the blade. This is a dummy blade made from mild steel. I used mylar to determine the size and shape and cut this one out. Later you'll see the liner gets replaced with a wider one because I'm having difficulty sqeezing this wide blade in a narrow frame.

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My slippie rise and fall guage is handy to design the lock back style tang on this blade. Notice the lock bar is a dummy just to aid in designing the tang. Remember with folding knives of any kind including this lock back, the tang is the most important part.

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This is the new left side liner I was talking about. It is higher on the frame and allows me to use the wider blade. The hole you see being drilled is the pivot hole for the blades lock bar. Its drilled into the breech plug for strength (actually it miraculously worked out that way)


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OK, the hot weather gave me a break so I stacked some steel and started forging damascus.

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It's just fascinating to watch the progress on this piece. Slipjoints must seem like a piece of cake compared to the complexity of this!
 
Bruce, With all the WIP pictures. You make it feel like we're right in the shop with you. You are tougher than most to forge Damascus in the summer heat. :biggrin:
 
Hi Ben,
Slip joints have their own challenges just way fewer of em. Slip joints are generally based on the same pattern which helps replicate them, these pistols are prototypes which takes some serious time to work out all the details. If I were a smart man I'd have a blue print made of each part just before the final assembly. Wish I was a smart man sometimes.
It's just fascinating to watch the progress on this piece. Slipjoints must seem like a piece of cake compared to the complexity of this!
 
Hey Bruce,
It stayed below 90 yesterday here so I turned on the exhaust and attic fans and cranked the swamp cooler on high, closed the shop door and opened the forging room door. Wasnt too bad really.
Bruce, With all the WIP pictures. You make it feel like we're right in the shop with you. You are tougher than most to forge Damascus in the summer heat. :biggrin:
 
Unbelievable Thread Bruce!:35:

That Band saw trick is awesome. Just wondering why You didn't mill the section out? Is there another Taco Bell by that shop:biggrin:
 
LOL
Thats allot of metal to mill out. Dont forget this block of steel is 3/4" thick. A CNC mill could have done it but free hand milling is another story.
Unbelievable Thread Bruce!:35:

That Band saw trick is awesome. Just wondering why You didn't mill the section out? Is there another Taco Bell by that shop:biggrin:
 
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