The Packhorse

[Sharps40]

First clean up with scalding hot tap water and a rough terry shows typical results. Spotting and rusting that's uneven. It'll build with time. I dried it and then scrubbed it lightly with 0000 steel wool to remove some of the red crust on the barrel. It was not rust. Perhaps some gunk in the metal that's coming out with the acids. Then, coated with Laurel Mountain Brown and back in the rust cabinet for another few hours.

 

[Sharps40]

Been rusted 4 times now. Last sit was overnight at 80% humidity and about 80 to 90 degrees F or whatever temp the crock pot on low setting adds to the damp box, plenty warm.

After each rusting session, its scrubbed down with hot tap water and a rough terry cloth. I stopped using the 0000 steel wool after the second rusting as the finish was evening up fine I'm going for a more aggressive (textured) finish.

Probably a couple more sessions today with the rusting and cleaning. Its not looking like much now but once its in the oil and sealed in beeswax it'll look like every fine muzzleloader. I'm anxious to start the rust blackening of the other parts that will attach to the frame and barrel. Ol Rusty looks good in two tone and this here Packhorse should as well.....specially with the brass accents.....

The bore is not provided special protection, no plugs, no laquer, no oil. Simply a dry patch after each scrubbing and not putting Laurel Mountain in it. Its perfect, smooth and bright and will stay that way. The final touch will be one turn of the crowning cutter to remove the brown finish down in the 11 degree target crown. Leaving a silver ring, surrounded by a brown ring.

 

[Sharps40]

After about 6 rustings over a little longer than 24 hours.

It looks ruined. But, it ain't.

A thorough scrubbing with hot tap water and lots of baking soda to smooth the finish and deactivate any remaining browning solution.

After rinsing the browned gun is warmed through and then completely saturated in clean motor oil.

I'll give it about a 30 minute to one hour soak then wipe it down and start coating it with hoppes gun oil tomorrow. I'll oil it daily while polishing and blackening the remaining parts. Before final assembly, I'll wipe it down dry and then after warming again, treat it to a good soaking in my favorite muzzleloader lube, 50/50 beeswax/vasoline.

 

[Sharps40]

A good finish. I'll keep wiping it with oil for several days and finish it out with the beeswax later. For now, some quick pics in natural light to highlight the texture. All the pits and freckling along the top strap are totally hidden. Color will even up and deepen as the oil go's in and the wax soaks in over top of that yet. Overall, it will be a nice satin brown and black when done. I left the ruger blue on the hammer, trigger and pins/screws. A bit of shine to set them off.

 

[roylt]

Looks crazy so far but waiting to see the end.

 

[Sharps40]

These parts polished, (120g to remove most of the freckling and help hid any deeper pitting that doesn't come out) and ready for blackening.

First wet coat of Pilkingtons on and into the damp box for 1 hour to get em started.....meantime, I gotta make up some kind of hanger for some of it.

 

[Sharps40]

Looks crazy so far but waiting to see the end.

Here is Ol Rusty, just finished last month. Its my 50th convertible (OM 9mm cylinder was fitted to the 50th frame....)

 

[Sharps40]

I stopped bluing on the grip and cylinder after the first rust. Pilkingtons, unlike Laurel Mountain Forge, has no degreaser. Evidently I didn't get them clean enough and they streaked and spotted. I'll strip and reblue next week. In the meantime, the smaller parts, ERH, Sight ramp, gate, etc, all are moving right along and should be done and ready for oil and assembly tonight or tomorrow morning. Progress.......another step closer to the range and the hunting fields.

 

[Sharps40]

A project that is an exercise in contradictions. Too many holes in the barrel. Brown and black. Silver and brass. Coarse and smooth. Short and tall. So far, I think its working good.

Blackening the small parts is done. Carded and oiled and all of it, including the browned frame and barrel, warmed to ouch temperature and saturated in 50/50 beeswax/Vaseline.

Grip and cylinder next week and then off to the range for test firing and initial sighting. Perhaps even a velocity check with good Parvi ammunition now the bullet speedometer appears to be functional....finicky but functional.

The little bits rust blackened and oiled.

Left side

Right side

Roman nose

Business end

More of the brown and black, coarse and smooth contrast.

NEGC elevation adjustable front sight and Ruger Hunter rear with tall blade.

Brass Patrige Blade

Shooters eye view including scallops and back cut loading gate.

 

[Sharps40]

Back from Ol Kantuk and cleaned up the cylinder and grip frame one more time....back to bright metal and degreased again with alcohol. The bluing is taking well and streak free this go round. Second boil was this morning and I think I should be ready for final assembly this week some time.

 

[Sharps40]

In the damp box. 90% humidity. Crock of water set on the lowest of three settings (warm, low, high).

Ready for its third boiling and carding.

The part, fresh from the third boil in good old tap water.

Beginning the carding in preparation for the next rust cycle. Removing all the loose smudge with 0000 steel wool......nope, I ain't degreased a piece of steel wool for this work in years. Whatever keeps the wool from rusting, don't keep the parts I rub down from rusting. Course, that may be where I get an occasional spot from but I'm inclined to believe it to be fingerprinting or less than adequate prep work. In any event, used to degrease the wool but saw no difference in the final output, so, I eliminated that particular step.

 

[Sharps40]

Parts are out of the last boil, carded and resting in oil. Final assembly this evening if everything is even and spot/streak free.

 

[Sharps40]

Some more after rust. Its normal and it settles down over a period of days or a few weeks. Not as bad as I expected with the heavier texture on this frame but......

Time to warm it again with another coat of beeswax/vasoline. Just to ouch temperature after glopping on the mix.

After melting for a bit, hang it to cool and I'll come back for near final assembly.

More photos this evening as this one approaches completion. As predicted, likely done this weekend and then just to sit until I'm satisfied with the browned finish, maybe another two weeks.

Last of the jobs are to finish knocking back and sealing the brown. Future maintenance of the finish is as simple as wiping it down with bore butter or other similar muzzleloading finish preservatives.

I need to make up a shoulder nut for the ejector rod housing and blue it. That'll be from La Salle fatigue proof steel and have a small shoulder in the base to retain the ERH and prevent any movement under heavy recoil. It can be as simple as a tapered bottom on the pinch nut.

Last item will be to clearance the head of the cylinder pin. It just slides over the barrel band. Assembly and disassembly is possible but a bit snugger than I'd like so, that'll get reblued again once clearanced for ease of assembly and disassembly.

 

[Sharps40]

Coming together. Still heavily coated in beeswax. I'll wipe it down and start the follow up with Bore Butter on the brown.

A simple relief on the back side of the Cylinder pin to make room for the band at the end of the barrel. A bit of touch up blue and the gun assembles and disassembles now with no more difficulty than a factory set up.

A few quick pics. Not the best light, its fading but you can see the heavy texture in the brown and the smoother black and brass. Better pics later when the final bits are done and installed......but, This one is looking like it did in fact make that 500 mile solo walk for a Gals heart across the Alaskan Frontier to the Coast....and then back when love wore out its welcome?

 

[November]

This is my favorite piece of yours so far. Love that barrel band.

 

[Sharps40]

Almost done. Need to make up a shouldered pinch nut for the ejector rod housing to prevent all possible movement under recoil, after that, to the range to ensure its ready to go to work. Meantime, I card with bore butter untill the brown finally settles into its long term neutral state. The color is a deep plumb brown and the contrasting brown texture to the smooth black is nifty.

 

[awp101]

:mrgreen:

 

[Sharps40]

Finished making the last part for this project. A shouldered pinch nut to retain the ejector rod housing with minimal movement under heavy recoil.

A section of good La Salle fatigue proof steel. I like it because it makes great pins, screws, firing pins and takes a fine thread that is strong. Polishes decent too.

Turn a nipple in the drill press that fits the drill bushing for a 31 drill. It'll get the hole well centered.

Install the steel rod, nipple first in the drilling jig and drill the 31 hole to whatever depth is needed.

Nipple is gone and the tap size hole is properly centered.

I tapped the threads with a bottoming tap using the drill guide for a 28 drill to guide the tap into the 31 hole.

Now, turn a shoulder in the bottom of the pinch nut that just fits the hole in the bottom of the ejector rod housing.

Then in the drill press I turned (filed) the 1/4" major diameter of the pinch nut.

After shortening the shoulder and the head of the screw to the proper lengths, I place the pinch nut in a 1/4" dia hole and neatly saw in the screwdriver slot.

Final polish of the pinch nut, check fit, some bluing and finally.......Packhorse is ready for testing at the range!

Its a long way from a hack barreled gun with a screw sticking down into the bore! Some shooting time and some wait time to monitor the brown and I'll call it done, likely in a week or so.

 

[Sharps40]

Took the Packhorse out for a ride today and what a ride! Recoil is firm but manageable and straight back. No torque with the long Bisley hammer. Everything worked great.

I took a few shots at 15 yards and then went to steel. Plenty of range in the sight set up. I believe it is hitting a bit low for me at 15 but no bench today, all off hand. A lot of work on the steel and from the marks at 20 yards, the bullet is rising back to close to point of aim. Will have to try some other ammo.

Only had one glitch. Pesky cylinder pin rotates slightly when you release it. Makes it hard to remove. I'll need to go back and knock a bit more of the wing on its head or better, install one of the cylinder pins that are cut full circumference and have no wing. I had it in and out quite a bit before shooting and it worked fine but that's what range time is for.....find the last of the needed tweaks and get them done.

Not too bad for me. I think this one will out shoot me. Its pure hell on the steels and loud too!

 

[Joe S.]

Man thats nice! I love your work and hate i am just now seeing this. But on the plus sode, this way is like Netflix. I catch season 4 when season 5 is released but the advantage to that is i can watch em all at once. No waiting til next week to see who killed JR, or if Glenn is under the dumpster.

 

[Sharps40]

Thanks. Turned out to be an amazing carry and shooting iron. It go's everywhere....daily carry, mountains, etc. Rolls tin cans point shooting weekly and so far, dead nuts reliable. Nice to have it with the conversion guts so all six can be carried......with some shot shells on the lead end of the cylinder, should be fine for spring carry too....lots of copper heads here NC way.....they are always first out in the spring, last in in the winter and awesomely aggressive......late Feb to about Nov is Copperhead season around here!

 

[Joe S.]

Yikes

 

[tinman]

I was not on this board during this project, but I am surely glad I found it now. That is a great lookin gun. :D

 

[Sharps40]

There are 3 or more like it on here. Just check my threads. I customed 5 or so total.