Another For The Tips Page

[Tim Wells]

A friend wanted me to engrave the metal parts of one of those "kit" muzzle loader rifles he put together in high school. I started with the cast brass butt plate for the stock and it chips more than it cuts in curls. It has sand still in it and varying degrees of hardness in random places.

As Sam once told me, life's too short to cut bad metals. I'd decline to accept another one of these; I'll keep the pattern simple due to the type and quality of metal. I just hope I can get away with it and no unseen pits show up right where my graver is going.

Maybe this is one for the engravable/non engravable guns sticky?

 

[carl bleile]

Tim, your right about that, beware of any gun or cast part as they can be very hard, soft or full of holes.
The other thing I noticed was the cheeper the gun the more likely the problems. If in doubt turn it down!
Carl Bleile

 

[Sam]

Thanks, Tim. I've added it to the gun list page.
Cast parts like that can really be a nightmare!

 

[rhenrichs]

I ran into pitting in a Uberti Henry Rifle cast brass butt plate. Not much you can do, except cut through it and hope some of it goes away in the engraving design.