The Newell .45 cal front loader

[SPAknives]

Congrats Gabe!! You picked the right man for the job.

Bruce I love bronze!

 

[12345678910]

I'm getting closer to the right spring rate and will be shaping the hammer in the next day or two. How do you feel about a bronze trigger guard? I've seen bronze furniture on the old guns before.

So that means you're skipping the adjustable spring tensioner like you had on some others?

Bronze looks nice to me, but then again I like brass too.
I suppose it depends on how the wood looks side by side with the bronze/brass. Color is so subjective.

I've seen lots of brass on older guns...far more than anything else and think it's totally appropoate.

I don't understand the whole "brass has no class" thing-


but I would suppose whatever you agreed upon with your customer is the most important thing.

 

[Bruce Bump]

So that means you're skipping the adjustable spring tensioner like you had on some others?

Bronze looks nice to me, but then again I like brass too.
I suppose it depends on how the wood looks side by side with the bronze/brass. Color is so subjective.

I've seen lots of brass on older guns...far more than anything else and think it's totally appropoate.

I don't understand the whole "brass has no class" thing-


but I would suppose whatever you agreed upon with your customer is the most important thing.

This one wont have an adjustable main spring. If I get the tension right there is no need. The adjustable ones had a threaded push rod with a nut, this one isnt threaded.
I like brass too but it turns green in the sheath on knives. The bronze is a better choice and I like the color better too. No wood on these two. Ivory grips on both.

 

[Ben B]

Gabe. You're a lucky and smart man.

Bruce I don't post much, but this is an eminently enjoyable thread to watch. It is astounding the amount of expertise and work that goes into a project like this.

Ben

 

[Bruce Bump]

Gabe. You're a lucky and smart man.

Bruce I don't post much, but this is an eminently enjoyable thread to watch. It is astounding the amount of expertise and work that goes into a project like this.

Ben

Thanks for posting Ben. This thread goes and goes on. I hope you stay until the end.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Today was shape the hammer day. I used the dremel and various files, scotchbrite wheel and sand paper/emery cloth to get it this far. It still needs some shaping and file work on the thumb rest but its looking better.

 

[Sylwek Tyra]

I adore to watch how you are working with steel - fantastic skills. This is amazing Mr Bruce. First time I can see how he is coming custom pistol.

best regards

 

[Bruce Bump]

I adore to watch how you are working with steel - fantastic skills. This is amazing Mr Bruce. First time I can see how he is coming custom pistol.

best regards

Thank You Sylwek. Where do you live? I suspect my thread is getting to other countries too.

 

[thebladerunr]

WOW ! This thread is incredible ! Bruce , you are a true artist/caftsman !

 

[papi]

Usually i would say i can't wait to see it finished, but for me, to watch the making is even better than to see the finished knife and pistol. So, i'd personally love to see this thread never end

Great work Mr. Bump, exceptional...

Ondrej

 

[Sylwek Tyra]

I live in Poland... Country of Europe. Perhaps somebody have one of your works in my land Bruce.
Papi is right. I also prefer to watch how he is coming into existence. Sometimes it is getting sadness when the fantastic work is nearing the end. Especial great work.

Sly

 

[ddavelarsen]

Bruce this might sound weird, but for whatever reason the hammers on your guns are the part that seems to be the most interesting to me. Perhaps it's the sculptural aspect, but no matter what it is that trips my trigger (so to speak), this is one part I've really been looking forward to. So feel free to stretch it out all you like.

And I will second the notion that we don't want to see this thread end! It's like a great novel that you never want to get out of. I'm in my favorite world watching any of your WIP threads. 2thumbs

 

[Bruce Bump]

Bruce this might sound weird, but for whatever reason the hammers on your guns are the part that seems to be the most interesting to me. Perhaps it's the sculptural aspect, but no matter what it is that trips my trigger (so to speak), this is one part I've really been looking forward to. So feel free to stretch it out all you like.

And I will second the notion that we don't want to see this thread end! It's like a great novel that you never want to get out of. I'm in my favorite world watching any of your WIP threads. 2thumbs

Thanks much Dave
This hammer is still being contoured and will get a thumb rest filed in with the checkering file. I think it also needs a shroud around it to capture cap fragments. I once had one cut my finger when the cap went off. The shroud will add some needed weight to hit the cap harder and should add some extra interest too.

 

[Bruce Bump]

I live in Poland... Country of Europe. Perhaps somebody have one of your works in my land Bruce.
Papi is right. I also prefer to watch how he is coming into existence. Sometimes it is getting sadness when the fantastic work is nearing the end. Especial great work.

Sly

Thankyou Sly,
I thought maybe you were a long way from here. Dont worry this gun and bowie will be a long project.

 

[Bruce Bump]

I worked most all day on the small shield that will be pinned and peened on the hammer.

I cut it out of bar stock and started grinding and filing until it was close to fitting over the back side of the hammer. I sprayed the hammer with blue layout fluid and dry fitted it on the hammer over and over each time using a dremel with a small stone to remove the transferred blue marks (high spots) until it was so close it wouldnt leave blue anymore so I used Brownells "inletting ink" and painted the inside of the shield. The black ink never drys and will transfer easy to show where the hammer has high spots. Simply sand off those high spots until it fits snug with very minor gaps.
I glued it in place and will surface grind one side so I can drill a single pin hole perpendicular through the shield and hammer.
The hammer is O-1 steel and will be hardened but the shield is 1018 and will be engraved and re-installed with a pin.

 

[Leadfoot]

Wonderfully interesting read, I learn so much from a good wip.

Bruce, one question about the shield.

Would this have not been easier to have made this in one piece?
Part to be full thickness of the shield, and then narrowed down to
cut the hammer shape and cocking notches?

I'm sure that there's a reason why you designed it the way that you have,
but I"m not smart enough to see it.

Leadfoot

 

[Bruce Bump]

Wonderfully interesting read, I learn so much from a good wip.

Bruce, one question about the shield.

Would this have not been easier to have made this in one piece?
Part to be full thickness of the shield, and then narrowed down to
cut the hammer shape and cocking notches?

I'm sure that there's a reason why you designed it the way that you have,
but I"m not smart enough to see it.

Leadfoot

Hi Leadfoot,
Baker City is close to here. I've been at your gun show a few times.

The hammer could have been made from one thick piece of steel yes. I thought it would be nice to use precision ground O-1 and be done but I have a sick need to make things harder than they need to be, thus the extra 2 days on a wrap around shield as an after-thought. I kinda like the mechanical look of the added part to a otherwise flat hammer and riveted on with a domed pin should also add some interest.

 

[Bruce Bump]

 

[Leadfoot]

Ahh I fully understand about doing things the hard way.

Then we have probably met, I've had a table there for several years, both at the spring and Thanksgiving weekend.

I'm the one built like Santa Claus including the beard.

Leadfoot aka Doug Linscott

 

[Bruce Bump]

Ahh I fully understand about doing things the hard way.

Then we have probably met, I've had a table there for several years, both at the spring and Thanksgiving weekend.

I'm the one built like Santa Claus including the beard.

Leadfoot aka Doug Linscott

Thats one thing I loved about the Baker gun show, everybody looks like Grizzly Adams