What’s your favorite way to hold a revolver in a ball vice?

[KevinCunningham]

Howdy!

I’ve searched and found nothing- so I’m going to try to stir up a discussion.

What’s your favorite way to hold a revolver frame in a ball vice for engraving? What are the pros/cons of methods you have tried? Firmness? Ease of removal?

I’m leaning toward the moldable plastic or hotglue on a piece of wood but 8oz veg tan leather soft jaws squeezing the top strap sure sounds eeeeasy to fix/unfix compared to heatgunning plastic or freezing hotglue.

So that’s my question and what I would like to talk about. Below I describe what I’m working on if you’re interested but feel free to skip reading it and please throw down a comment!

I am working on the biggest revolver I’ve cut yet- a shiny unfired stainless new model Colt Anaconda. The customer wants the receiver flats, cylinder, and a little barrel coverage in scroll. It’s a 6” so it’ll spin without sucking in my gut (ha!) but it’s a handcannon.

I have supplies for most of the methods I’ve heard of here- heat moldable plastic, hot glue, wood scraps and tools, veg tan leather. No actual pitch here though.

I had been curious about the new snake guns and honestly a little covetous. Thankfully the trigger and ergonomics are nothing to write home about, so I won’t need to buy one for myself. The stainless finish on the other hand is close to mirrored, so a little care will go a long way toward not spending my time buffing out boo-boos from poor workholding.

Here she is with some doodles starting to plan out the coverage

Thanks y’all

Kevin Cunningham

 

[FANCYGUN]

I use a set of blocks that fit inside the cylinder opening and open the vice to hold the frame

 

[KevinCunningham]

I use a set of blocks that fit inside the cylinder opening and open the vice to hold the frame

Thanks Marty!

That looks like a really great way to do it- stable, easy on/off

 

[JJ Roberts]

I have the some set of blocks but can't remember way I got them from I think Mike Dubber makes blocks to hold revolvers. J.J.

 

[KevinCunningham]

Thanks JJ

I’m a tattooer by day but I do fabrication and machine work- the gears are already turning in my head- rust flakes and steam coming out of my ears and whatnot.

I’m thinking mild steel blocks with pegs to fit my ball vice, then epoxied lead strips for a soft jaw effect, or maybe barge cemented 5 or 8 oz veg tan leather…

Ooh possibly overkill but making 3oz skirts glued to the sides that hang off the blocks and cover the top of the ball vice would be super slick- I really don’t want to risk doing any re-finishing on this spanky new shiny colt stainless.

edit: Marty looking looking closer I see you made it happen with low tech & easily replacable masking tape- not a bad idea at all

 

[KevinCunningham]

This seems to work pretty well!
definitely not looking to stop the conversation if anybody has other favorite work holding solutions we should discuss them!

 

[Roger Bleile]

If that is the latest generation Python, don't try to remove the barrel. They are not screwed in like the old Pythons.

 

[KevinCunningham]

If that is the latest generation Python, don't try to remove the barrel. They are not screwed in like the old Pythons.

It’s the new Anaconda 44 mag. I don’t do professional gunsmithing other than disassembly/reassembly for engraving but even for my personal projects I wouldn’t try to unscrew a revolver barrel. Too much work making a frame holding fixture, chance of marring the barrel even with pine tar dust and a good aluminum v block vice.

I’ve done some brave/stupid things (like jumping into professional firearms engraving as a clueless rookie) but I’m not trying to purchase this customer gun! Really I’m trying to avoid even having to buff even the lightest unintentional scratches…

Thanks for the heads up though Roger! I’m super flattered by the participation in this thread by all folks I really look up to.

 

[JJ Roberts]

I never remove a barrel on revolver's for engraving only on rifles and shotguns. J.J.

 

[John B.]

I use a set of blocks that fit inside the cylinder opening and open the vice to hold the frame

Me too. And leather pads when engraving the bare barrel or cylinder.

I also hold the cylinder between two brass points that are soldered to pins that fit into the vise holes.
Just by a slight loosening and retightening of the vise I can engrave the 5 or 6 flutes of a cylinder.

On small revolvers these pins and points will also fit into the short 2 inch barrel muzzle and chamber, allowing the engraving of frame and barrel, without removing the barrels.
Saves a lot of time and work.