Pouring inlays - anybody? Need to create a "tinker's dam".

[bedbugbilly]

I have poured lead/pewter/tin nose caps on muzzleloading stocks a number of times. Fairly easy and straight forward - using heavy card stock for form, use #2 pencil to coat area with graphite for smooth pour, drilling small holes through to barrel channel and countersinking hole in barrel channel so when poured, it is anchored in place and then shaping, polishing, etc.

Now I am thinking of trying to pour some "inlays" on the stock of the Bedford style flintlock rifle I am in the process of building. I have drilled the 3 pin holes to hold the barrel in place in the fore end. I'm going to put the nose cap. I want to pour a total of six inlays - probably in a diamond shape or similar at the location of the barrel pins so these will be on the side of the forearm that will be close to finish contoured.

So . . . I'm hoping that someone - either a gun builder or knife maker who has poured inlays can help with some information.

I have a one pound bar of what is supposed to be (I presume) pretty much tin that I bought from Track of the Wolf years ago for during nose caps. I never used it as I preferred to use a more "lead base" material that would turn a nice lead patina (gray) for the nose caps. I thought I would use this bar since the material will pretty much remain shiny as the baar has never changed color from the time I bought it years ago - a shiny silver.

My thoughts are that once I cut the inlet for the inlay, I can drill a small hole through end of the inlet through to the barrel channel and cut a small countersink on the barrel channel side to lock the inlay in. BUT, since the stock and forearm will be on its side with the area facing up for making the pour, I'm going to have to create a "tinker's dam" around the area so that the depth of the initial poured inlay is deep enough to be above the surface of the stock and when once poured, the inlay worked down to the profile of the stock. They won't be large so I'm thinking a pour of about 1/8" or 3/16" in depth above the surface of the wood will allow enough pressure to spread the molten metal into the carved in inlay portion and to allow for any shrinkage that might put a dimple in the center surface of the pour. In all, I would image I am talking about a full table spoon of molten metal in all.

On one site quite a while ago, I read something about using 'modeling clay" to creat the 'tinker's dam" for during the inlay. just doing some searching, Walmart shows "modeling clay" - in fact a variety of them. Some are "air dry" which harden when exposed to the air and the the others remain soft - like the clay we used in school decades and decades and decades ago.

Has anyone played with this and used clay to creat a "tinker's dam" for pouring a inlay? I was thinking some who make custom knives and poured inlays may have experimented with it or perhaps a gun builder or two?

I believe the tin that I am using will melt at a lower temperature than the lead and printer's type I have used for nose caps in the past. I'll be heating the material up in a cast iron ladle with a propane torch to melt it and then pour but I'm not sure if the clay which remains soft will stand the heat of the molten metal for the short time it will be exposed to it before the poured metal sets up.

I am going to try and find some at our local Wally World tomorrow and the only way to know is to try it on a scrap piece of 2 X 4.

Just hoping someone here may have some experience in pouring inlays or have some suggestions for what would be best to create the "tinker's dam" for the inlay pour?

Thanks for any help/suggestions you might have.

Jim

[Dryball]

I have done it a few times for knives and forks. I'm sure you know you have to be careful not to scorch/make the material too brittle. I can't remember where I bought it but I think it's actual tinkers' dam material. It's like clay/playdough but it is greasier and has fibers (?) in it. It seems like the molten metal would sputter when it hits the moisture in the clay...but wth, it's worth a shot on a practice piece

[LAGS]

I have done some inlays with Cerosafe just to play with the casting inlay idea.
Regular Floral clay is what I used for a Dam.
But Roto metals sells a clay for modifying molds.
That might hold up better to the heat from Tin or Pewter.

[William Yanda]

For that volume, masking tape might work. I do not have personal experience, but remember reading on the OldTools Archive, about pouring pewter rings in brace handles, a similar task. If I remember correctly, the author used 2 layers of masking tape to contain the liquid metal. I would try building a dam with the masking tape folded back on itself at the edge of the inlet.

[bedbugbilly]

Thank you all! You've given me some things to think about that I hadn't thought of.

My first thought was the clay - as we had in school but my concern was with if it would melt when the inlay was poured. If it is like the nose caps I've poured, which of course required a bit ore metal, the freeze off on the inlay seems like would be fairly quick. As far as scorching, I've never had an issue with nose caps even when pouring with lead or printer's typing those were on maple and walnut stocks usually.

The mention of using the masking tape did give me another thought though. WhileI have used masking tape, duct tape, etc.for holding the card stock forms for during nose caps, the last one I did I used the green "frog" painter's tape. It worked great and sticks well and removes easily. I now keep a roll of it on my bench just for little things that come up. When working on stocks and I have the barrel inlayed but not drilled for pins yet (to hold barrel to stock), I just wrap a couple of turns of the green frog tape around the stock and barrel to keep it in place while working on shaping the fore stock.

What I'm thinking now is that I may look for some thick cardboard (not corrugated). I still have not decided if I am going to put diamonds for the barrel pins or another shape, but once I get the inlet mortise cut in to the tock and my retaining holes and countersinks done, I could cut the cardboard with an oversize shape hole in it the same as the inlay. Then it could be bent to the shape of the wood and tied in place. If I can find some 1/8" thick cardboard or so, I could do one layer of it and then do a second layer over it and for the pour, it would serve as the tinker's dam. It's worth a try on a sample piece at least and would do away with the possibility of the clay causing a problem. I will do further looking on the "net" though and see if I can come up with a source of the clay that is made just for the purpose.

I hadn't thought about Roto Metals so will look and see what they have.

I have never used the material I bought from Track of the Wolf that I am assuming is pretty much tin. I have no idea of how fast it will melt and I know that I don't want to overheat it. I will try a sample pour before trying to use it on the stock. If I don't like it, I did bring a couple of soft lead 1# ingots with me when we came out to AZ for the winter. My ladle is big enough that I can mix some of ti with the tin if necessary.

Over the years I have seen some beautiful poured inlays on knife handles, canes, etc. and it has always fascinated me and I have found it interesting to try and figure how the pour was made for the complexity of some of them. I thought this rifle would be a good "learning piece" but if I can't get a good sample pour after playing with it, I may just re-think the inlays I want to do on it. IF I can get the method down of doing them so that they come out good, I'd like to pour an inlay on the cheekpiece of the stock doing a Masonic "square and compass" since I am keeping this rifle for my own use. I don't have an issue with taking the time to do the carving of the mortise for it but being a larger inlay, I'm a wee bit concerned about making the pour and getting a good flow of the metal and complete fill in such places as the points of the compass, etc.

Time will tell though and it's all a fun experience . . . and as they say . . . "nothing ventured, nothing gained!".

Thanks very much for the input as it is helpful to hear from others that have done it!

Jim

[waksupi]

I'm thinking that thin inlays would be inclined to char the adjoining wood. Do a test piece first.
I would get a jewelers saw and cut out the shapes, and inlet them properly. I have doubts you will end up with something you are happy with by pouring.

[bangerjim]

I use a 51% Bi low-temp (140F) alloy for reproducing antique clock and furniture trim. Works great! At that low temp, I can easily use rubber and plastic molds. Be careful using pure Sn, as it melts at a much higher temp and will char your primary mold or surround.....yielding a poor fit on the final product.

I was lucky several years ago to obtain 500# of the stuff for a buck a pound! No Cd in the alloy. And has a hardness of ~23+.

[bedbugbilly]

waksupi - you may very well be right on that. I like trying different things but before I attempt it on the stock, I'll certainly try it on a test piece. As you state, they would be thin as I don't want to make the inlay mortise too deep due to the size of the fore arm material I'm working with. Way different than pouring a nose cap too. I do have a jeweler's saw and have plenty of brass to cut inlays from but wanted to try something a little bit out of the ordinary - I keep looking at what I have to work with stockwise and I'm thinking it might be a mistake to try it on this one - a "beefier" stock might be a different story. The stock is one of Pecatonica's preserved Bedfords - I bought it years ago down at Friendship. It was a "second" and twenty bucks. When it was carved, a defect showed up on the fore stock behind the entry thimble area. I grafted in a dovetail graft with some curly maple - a fairly easy fix. It has some curl to it throughout out but is certainly not a "premium" stock. I prefer to start from scratch with a rough stock blank but for the price of what I paid, it's a very usable stock.

My next build is going to be a heavy barreled bench gun. I have a nice 45 caliber fast twist barrel that is 1 1/8" across the flats. Haven't decided if it will be flint or percussion yet but it will be more of a self designed rather than a "traditional" design. I want to get the weight of it up to around 20 pounds so will be using a rough bank - probably walnut. The stock will be 'beefier" and more conducive to begin able to make deeper inlay mortices so may wait and try the poured inlays on that. It will be a strictly paper patched conical rifle - 1/18 twist. Strictly a "fun gun" to play with.

bangerjim- interesting stuff! I used to really enjoy making wood patterns and doing foundry casting with aluminum. My background was in Industrial Education and I had a name of classes dealing with casting, etc. and always enjoyed it. We even got to play with making wax patterns for lost wax process and in one class, built a centrifugal casting machine for doing lost wax process. I had a friend in college who paid his way through by doing gold castings of bumble bees on wheat stalks, etc. He would hunt and find dead bumble bees, use them to make the mold and then burn out the bee. The same with the wheat stalks/heads. It was amazing the fine detail he would get - even the small hairs on the bumble bees. He was studying electrical engineering and he could have made a great living just doing his casting creations. The professors and others snatched them up as quick as he could get one completed as they really were pieces of unique art.

Thanks!

[mazo kid]

BBB, I have poured nose and butt caps using pewter, but never anything as thin as inlays. I hope you will keep us in the loop as you progress in your learning experience. I understand what you are trying to accomplish, but it seems to me it would be just as fast to use a brass or silver inlay in the stock as you already have the carving done.