Finally cased my Colt Pocket Navy

[45flint]

Colt Second Generation Pocket Navy bought about a year ago.  Colt signature accessories bought on ebay.  Bought the case as a Flintknapping show couple of weeks ago.  Love cased Colts.

[OV-1D]

  Very fine presentation , looks great may I suggest some lead loads in the mold or around . Thanks for the pics .

[45flint]

  Very fine presentation , looks great may I suggest some lead loads in the mold or around . Thanks for the pics .

I have put lead balls in a English style case where it has compartments.   This is more of a French impression style not sure loads work as well?   

[TwoGunJayne]

...a small leather pouch of ball...

[cfsharry]

As always, a job well done.

[Rohn]

Well done.  Nice display.

[45flint]

Would be fun to shoot it but too hard to give up unfired condition.  Though 30 years old now they are still out there.   I think most never got out of the box. 

[mouselvr]

Great display - thanks for sharing!!

[KPaul]

Very nice. Although the hinges would get worn out soon as I'd constantly be getting the revolver out to fondle.

[scbuxton]

Hey flint that's a nice looking display. I agree with leaving the colt unfired.  Get yourself a pietta and have at it at the range.  Great fun shooting navies!

[Dinadan]

45flint - very nice work. I can see leaving that Colt unfired since cleaning a BP revolver is a bit more involved than cleaning a modern revolver. Still, I do not have any unfired guns. On the other hand I have not bought many rare or collectable guns.

I recently bought a box and I intend to try casing one of mine soon. Every time I see one of yours I think that I need to try it. Anyway, very cool looking cased set, though I think Your English cased sets are even more cool.

[ikoiko]

45flint.

Made any new grips? I'd also like to see any of your flint knapped products.

As always, great case and display.

[45flint]

45flint.

Made any new grips? I'd also like to see any of your flint knapped products.

As always, great case and display.

No new grips but did buy some great moose scraps at a flintknapping show last month.  Doing more flintknapping right now.  Made this with Mookaite flint from Australia I got at the same show.  Craziest stone I have ever worked.  5 colors, looks almost manmade.

[ikoiko]

That's really neat.

[Uncle_Lee]

Beautiful job there Flint......

[TwoGunJayne]

I like that stone. I've been looking for a fist-sized chunk of glassy rock lately, myself.

[45flint]

I like that stone. I've been looking for a fist-sized chunk of glassy rock lately, myself.

Mookaite is the most amazing of the knappable or high silica flint type rock.  Hard to get and not cheap.  The piece that made this point was $20.  Only comes from one area of Australia.  Can be extremely frustrating to knap cause it tends to be full of fractures.  You can spend the money and end up with pretty gravel!

[Maccab]

Rather splendid display that old bean.

I like the colour, patterning of that piece of flint. Maybe one could shape some to roughly the same size as a minis grip then encase it in a sterling silver mounting which would be attached as a grip thought about that with glass also might be nice.

[45flint]

Rather splendid display that old bean.

I like the colour, patterning of that piece of flint. Maybe one could shape some to roughly the same size as a minis grip then encase it in a sterling silver mounting which would be attached as a grip thought about that with glass also might be nice.

I guy at the knapping shows makes knife handles out of flint so I am sure it is possible, though not easy.  He grinds and polishes.

[Maccab]

I'm sure a craftsman with the relevant knowledge could achieve it, or a novice after 364 attempts 

[Maccab]

With the sounds of your ammo crisis you should put your flint working skills into action elsewhere a 21st c auto revolver flintlock wouldn't go amiss by the sounds of it or a Wheelock for Buck rodgers with a tubular magazine full of lead balls, black powder operated wankel engine type chamber via a powder horn being screwed open upside down into the appropriate slot, wind it up.

[45flint]

Rather splendid display that old bean.

I like the colour, patterning of that piece of flint. Maybe one could shape some to roughly the same size as a minis grip then encase it in a sterling silver mounting which would be attached as a grip thought about that with glass also might be nice.

You did get me thinking, all knife handles I have seen are smooth polished ones, made with lapidary equipment.  It would be cool to have the texture of a hand knapped grip.  I actually think I could pull it off if I buy the flint slabed so I have one flat side.  I could shape it with my knapping tools hand grind the edge for final fit.  Put it together with high power button magnets like I did with my last couple antler grips.  I have shot them and the magnets work fine.   Interesting thought thanks

[TwoGunJayne]

Magnet swap? You mount magnets to the frames as well? Most stainless isn't "very" magnetic, though I've had a mini "grabbed" by a rare-earth magnet before.

[ikoiko]

I believe Flint mounts the magnets to the inside of each pistol grip so that they are attracted to each other.

[45flint]

I believe Flint mounts the magnets to the inside of each pistol grip so that they are attracted to each other.

No the rare earth mag buttons never touch frame, just each other through openings.

[Maccab]

Novel craftsmanship there Sir snap on/off grips.

[45flint]

Novel craftsmanship there Sir snap on/off grips.

Its true, change in seconds, plus you don't marr surface of small grips.  With stone this would be almost a must, drill hole in stone for grip screw?   I don't think so.

[Maccab]

Ideal, most impressive solution. Minimalist, and I would imagine it would be perfect for glass grip panels being self attaching or ultra slim ones. Bit like Phone covers, today blue tomorrow pink to suit your mood etc. Snake skin, sharkskin, wrapped over a thin alu panel etc. Jolly good, rather.

[MR_22]

Cool spear point and magnetic grips. We have bright minds here.

[OV-1D]

Novel craftsmanship there Sir snap on/off grips.

Its true, change in seconds, plus you don't marr surface of small grips.  With stone this would be almost a must, drill hole in stone for grip screw?   I don't think so.

  Really love the idea of the magnets going to start some of those but drilling in rock just gotta be slow and keep cool . These were made of petrified wood and as hard , if not harder , than granite . Either use small masonry bit or diamond tip something , myself Dremel bits , and grind them out , keeping real cool . Again 45Flint beautiful cased set thanks for sharing ............ come on put some loads in the mold for affect .

[TwoGunJayne]

Novel craftsmanship there Sir snap on/off grips.

Its true, change in seconds, plus you don't marr surface of small grips.  With stone this would be almost a must, drill hole in stone for grip screw?   I don't think so.

  Really love the idea of the magnets going to start some of those but drilling in rock just gotta be slow and keep cool . These were made of petrified wood and as hard , if not harder , than granite . Either use small masonry bit or diamond tip something , myself Dremel bits , and grind them out , keeping real cool . Again 45Flint beautiful cased set thanks for sharing ............ come on put some loads in the mold for affect .

My trick for drilling quarter inch glass was to submerge it in water and drill with a drill bit meant for ceramic (porcelain) and go sloooooow. I've also used an oil drip, but it doesn't transfer away the heat like an immersion bath does.

When drilling something like rock or glass, the work piece will absorb heat as you drill. So far, so good, until it cracks and shatters all at once in a way that basically destroys the piece. Going slow is good, using a heat absorbing media (oil or water), and taking breaks always helps. You can even spoon some fresh liquid on the drill location now and then to help the heat transfer. The biggest problem with glass or say... hematite is they are extremely brittle and love to shatter to bits with one drop on a hard surface.

[OV-1D]

  I've found the thicker the better (within reason) for drilling when it comes to glass and hematite materials . This stuff is just looking for a reason to shatter and with fishers in the product already OH BOY great luck . Real fine spear head you have there 45Flint , I don't know how you got away with it being those fault lines running throughout , amazing job   . 

[45flint]

  I've found the thicker the better (within reason) for drilling when it comes to glass and hematite materials . This stuff is just looking for a reason to shatter and with fishers in the product already OH BOY great luck . Real fine spear head you have there 45Flint , I don't know how you got away with it being those fault lines running throughout , amazing job   .

I really do think the rare earth magnets are the way to go with high end grips materials with NAA small grips They really are very strong and I thing preserve the strength in more fragile materials.  The look is cleaner and shows off the material.  Ease of changing is fun as well.  Only downside is possible epoxy failure.  If I made them for sale I might be compelled to drill the mag for a small screw or pin?  I don't shoot enough to give them a 1000 round test?

The fault lines in the stone are called healed fractures, pretty common in some flints.  The silica fills the fracture and makes it strong.  This blade had one right down the center.  The can be a weak point and add to the risk of failure.  Mookaite is usually full of them and can be the most frustrating stone to knap.  Nothing like it when it works but lots of failures that break your heart.

[TwoGunJayne]

I would think no more than 3 locator pins per side...? Hope you come up with a standard template on the first try, it would be frustrating to lose grip compatibility due to locator pins.

[Maccab]

You certainly have an eclectic gun collection OV, I can see these techniques working particularly as you folks have tried it maybe a hand drill would be of use with a file instead of a bit... And/or a Co2 powered Bicycle tire inflating pump with a flexible nozzle attached to a bendy Dremel type tool bit if you know what I mean cooling like, perhaps to cold.

A superb piece of flint working like that spear head would look fine as a grip panel, probably be more of a display model but I bet you could fire it if you were careful, maybe coat it with some modern clear varnish if you will, some sort of clear film.

Be fairly devastating if you broke it though, glued on magnet's are pretty trendy I think hidden etc, good glues nowadays strong long lasting stuff.

Maybe practice on some slate, or more normal flint, perhaps you could get a larger lump and try to figure out away to attach magnets minus glue, er... Make indentations in the magnets sides all around, then try and put small holes in a fatter middle part of the flint then pop in small springs with rods over them, swivel magnetic in until the rods pop into the indentations.