Cascabel

Title and description pretty much say it all.

Curiosity compels.

FWIW: I was thinking of starting with a .662 and 30 grains of 3f.

It makes a HUGE difference if you are speaking of a live load with ball, or a blank load. Also if you plan to use a wad (which I don't reccommend ) or not.

>>>> Cascabel

ok, we got our little pyratin' gig coming up next year and i been thinking about a few things we could do to add to the scenario, and one thing i thought up was things on the boarded ship to loot. i have a SMALL collection of repro period coins, but i figured we probably should show them taking the "non-treasure" things, like textiles, food, a keg, all the arms and ammunition, sails, rope, etc., etc. however, i know well the public's obsession over "pirate treasure" and thought it might be interesting to make some fake ingots of gold or silver. i have a can of silver paint from making wooden safety weapons, so i thought about using that to paint some 2"X2" boards to look like silver bars. heres my question: what size were those bars coming out of the spanish mines and ports? i've handled modern precious metal ingots, and i can well imagine how heavy they might have been. since the reals were supposedly struck from those bars, i reckoned that a 2X2 is about the right size. maybe i'm off here. then HOW LONG would they be? again, they were being hauled out by mules and slaves, so they couldn't be THAT huge, right? i've never seen any period silver or gold bars in person, or read any dimensional descriptions, which is why i ask. i'd like the "props" to be as right as possible, even if it is just wood. plus we won't have to go diving if they fall in the water, like if they were made out of brass or aluminum from the scrap bin at work.....

The Spanish silver ingots recovered from the wreck of the Atocha that are in the Mell Fisher Museum in Key West are about the size and shape of loaves of Italian bread, and about 80 pounds each. They have various assay stampings on them on the flat side. They are the color of lead, rather than being shiney, from long immersion in the sea. I suspect they were fairly shiney when new.

>>>> Cascabel

I have always preferred using a separate powder measure or "charge cup" as opposed to paper cartridges, which are a pain in the neck to make, and always create the problem of what to do with the paper after loading. (I never use it for wadding).

I am old enough to remember when the National Park Service rules allowed the use of a powder measure and a horn or flask. Properly used, this also avoids pouring directly from a horn into the barrel. I never quite trusted the concept of using a measuring spout to pour into the barrel. As Hurricane said, there is very little between the spout and the full contents of the flask. You don't want a half-pound of powder going off in your hand !!

The military practice of priming first from the paper cartridge always struck me as dangerous, as you are then pouring the remaining powder in the cartridge into a primed barrel, which always seemed to me as an accident just waiting to happen, and I have never felt comfortable about it. I have seen people get in a hurry and accidentally go to full-cock instead of half cock when priming. A sensitive trigger under that situation is a recipe for disaster. I ALWAYS prime after loading. Priming first was a military expedient in the old days, but I strongly disagree with the practice nowadays.

>>>> Cascabel

Along with pictures, size info would be helpful. Overall size, and width of the strap that the buckle fits, or at least estimated sizes on in-accessible examples in museum cases.

>>>> Cascabel

Eye remember the Y2K Bug and all the media fuss of how it was gonna be over..So we went to Roswell New Mexico for New Years ~ 2000.

We watched a laser beam get shot out of a missile silo.We are still here, and they didna shoot back! LOL

Aye, I remember firing all my flintlocks on New Years 2000. Should I have been surprised that they still worked ??? That whole Y2K scare was s-o-o-o-o-o bogus !!!

>>>> Cascabel

Oh, N-o-o-o-o-oo !!! Our idol has feet of clay !!!! All is lost !!!

>>>>> Cascabel

Awwww right, Shipmates !!! Free to the first person to contact me.

I won two passes to Steamcon in Seattle for this weekend. http://www.steam-con.com

I am unable to attend, so they are up for grabs to the quickest one to contact me with your actual names so that I can transfer them to you. They will be available at the Will Call desk at the event. Simply identify yourselves as the recipients. I hate to see them go to waste. Please don't ask for them unless you know you can actually attend. I have checked with the event, and I am allowed to transfer them at my discretion. PM me ASAP.

Step lively, Shipmates...... Time is short !!!!

>>>>> Cascabel

Turns pout that in the top plate of the flint vise on mine the screw hole was drilled off center.

I was thinking about grinding a new one from stock, but this replacing of the cock entirely is intriguing.

Cascabel, can you tell me from where you got the part to do this modification?

The rough casting for the cock came from Track of the Wolf. I had to make the top jaw and screw from scratch.

>>>>> Cascabel

Well, now that it is in my hands it turns out to be one of those Japanese made Tower pistols.

This one is "new" in that it is unfired. Picked it because it's the same caliber as my long arm. It's nice to have pistol and musket use the same ball!

Boy howdy! Got some work to do though. Definitely need to harden the hammer (aka: frizzen, steel)and probably polish the internals and soften the frizzen spring. Hard to say for sure just yet as it's still covered in a crusting of 30 year old cosmoline. So I guess I know what my "next" project is!

It looks like the front of the barrel is pinned to the stock with a one-way pin! There is a lot of wood on the stock, and rather than try to work this one down I am still toying with the idea of just carving a new leaner one myself.

Hey Cascabel & Callenish! If you guys have any tips about these guns I'd love to hear them.

I heavily modified one of those for our own Stynky Tudor, our illustrious administrator. You might be able to talk him into posting some pics of the results.

>>>> Cascabel

I get the feeling that one well placed blow would snap them forks right off. I assume originally the idea was to catch your opponents sword between the main blade and a fork and then twist the whole thing to snap the blade.

My thinking would be to use it to catch and get control of your opponent's blade long enough to deal him a serious blow, rather than to waste time trying to break his blade. Perhaps some experienced swordfight folks will chime in on this......

>>>> Cascabel

I be looking fer a real firing pistol, but don't wanna drop a lot o' coin. Any suggestions?

One of the "Great Truths" of gun buying is that you get what you pay for. Good and cheap do not come together !! The positive side of this is that if you buy quality, you only have to buy it once.

>>>>> Cascabel

TLAPD was followed by Steampunk Sunday on the HMS Queen Mary during during the Pirate Daze event.

Eye debuted my Airship Pyrate impression as Capt. -F- Bomb.. The name was developed from the little torpedo bombs

bandoleered to my balric. I wrote the letter F on them.. Also Debuting was Cascabel as a Swiss Naval Officer who took 1st place in the Steampunk costume contest..He was very convincing.

Aye, thanks for posting the pics, Shipmate !!! I enjoyed hanging out with ye.....

>>>> Cascabel

I guess I'm not surprised. It's New York after all. Here in Florida we can rack off all the rounds we want in the backyard - it's a noise ordinance here. Of course, I live in a state where you can shoot anyone who threatens you or you even feel threatened you, even if it's on a sidewalk or in a store.

That perhaps explains why I would never live in New York or any other state with their panties in a bunch over such nonsense.

-- Hurricane

Ahhhhh, yes...... It seems like the "People's Republik" of New York is ever vigilant in it's search for the evil firearms !! Much easier to harass law abiding citizens than REAL criminals.

>>>> Cascabel

Not even vaguely funny. This is the kind of moronic move that will eventually get them to start regulating cannon and black powder. Right now, we are oeprating in a loophiole that says blackpowder weapons and cannon are 'antiques and replicas' and not really weapons. After some idiot tried to hold up a store in NYC with a cap and ball revolver, they tried to pass laws restricting black powder in New York State. We walk on very thin ice, and it's not getting thicker. The only thing we can do is cast this idiot into the outer darkness and give him no support whatever. Don't laugh at him, just condemn him as a menace.

Hawkyns

I stand with ye 110% on this, shipmate !!!

>>>> Cascabel

The question that I would have is would a deckhand pirate have the skill to use a thin blade with virtually no edge beyond the first few inches? The rapier is a thrusting weapon and does not have the mass to parry a cutlass in a dead stop. It relies on deflection to keep the opponent's blade away. The skills used in rapier fighting come at a cost of both time and money, neither of which is something that your average deckhand or topman is going to spend for such a purpose. Much the same can be said for the smallsword. While captains might have the skill, and one or two officers, the rank and file generally did not come from the class of people accustomed to the rapier and smallsword.

Indeed, Suh !!! Part of a well-bred young man's education at the time was swordsmanship, along with Greek, Latin, and the Law, among other things. Such training was not part of the lifestyle of the lower classes. Highly unlikely for an ordinary seaman to be familiar with the finer points of thrusting weapons.

>>>> Cascabel

Thanks most kindly to all for remembering my birthday. I had a most excellent day, (actually the entire weekend) spent with my brand new girlfriend that I met at the Beaufort Pyrate Invasion. All is great in my world !!!!

>>>> Cascabel

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Update:

After talking with the rifle shop based on what is available and in stock as far as castings (as well as knowing their "normal" time frame) I came to a decision of a English Snaphaunce.

Be aware, Shipmate...... When talking to The Rifle Shoppe, that they are "less than truthful" when they give you estimated delivery info. They are EXTREMELY frustrating to deal with. I speak from experience !!

I don't mind being patient and waiting for a long time, but I absolutely HATE being lied to. I have always gotten things from them eventually, but DO NOT base your expectations or promises to customers on what they tell you !!! I have no idea why they avoid telling you the truth about delivery times. They don't hesitate to charge your credit card promptly, and well before they actually deliver.

Properly warned, sez I.......

>>>>> Cascabel

After much digging and head scratching as to where I put this thing... I found it!

I've had this since my dad gave it to me, and I have no idea how long he had it...

While looking I made a part out of wood from memory...

My memory thought it was bigger... heh

As you can see, it's plastic, but I can imagine it would originally be made of wood...

Here's a closeup...

I can see something of this nature being in a sailor's kit to while away some time, add a bobber (small chunk of whittled wood, or some cork) and bait the hook...

When I was a kid, my father and I used these things quite often. We went out regularly in a wooden rowboat off of Salem, Ma. To catch flounder with these. Back then, they were indeed made of wood. They were available just about everywhere, including the hardware store, in several sizes. They were made a bit different than your sample attempt, however. The two side pieces were a bit heavier than the cross pieces. The cross pieces were of round form, and protruded through the side sections to become sort of crank handles. If you grabbed two diagonally opposed "handles", you could wind the line back up fairly quickly. It was sort of a wobbly cranking motion, but worked very well. We always referred to them as "drop lines"

Cascabel & Callenish: do I understand correctly, from what I've read here and in other threads, that you offer import gun tuning and customizing?

I can indeed repair, tune, or customize any of them. Many times, however, people find that the cost of good gunsmithing is more than they are willing to pay. The India made guns can be subject to a whole host of issues, some of which are easy to put right, and some of which are not, and are quite time consuming. To be fair, the other point I should add is that sometimes you get a good one that needs no attention at all. If I were in the market for an India-made gun, I would buy only from a dealer like our own Callenish Gunner who guarantees functionality.

The only way I could give someone a price for repairs would be to actually have the gun in hand and evaluate it myself. I have had guns sent to me with the owner insisting that the frizzen needed hardening, when in fact that was not the problem at all. In one memorable instance, it was simply the owner not knowing what he was doing and was blaming the gun for his lack of knowledge. Sometimes there are multiple mechanical issues to be dealt with, which when combined with incorrect procedure leads to unreliability.

>>>>> Cascabel

would love to see the coat you made for your beloved cascabel!!!

I think I have a couple of good pictures in my 'puter. If I can figure out how to post them, I'll do it. I was pretty proud of how it came out....

>>>>> Cascabel

O.K., Here's the pics..... ( I hope !!!)

>>>>> Cascabel

I've got the same problem with 2 coats. They both have pockets in inconvenient places. One has a horizontal breast pocket, the other has 2 diagonal side pockets. None of the pockets are located near seams, or where a seam would likely be made during an alteration. Both coats are heavy wool, and there is some matching fabric inside the pockets, before the liner material starts in each. I can remove the flaps easily, but the problem is the remaining slit. Is there a kind of blind stitch that would make the slit disappear?

Hmmmmm..... That could be a real problem !!! The few times I have done this kind of thing, I was always careful to avoid choosing those types of coats to modify. Depending on the size, diagonal side pockets can possibly be concealed with an oversized pocket flap carefully positioned, and kept buttoned closed. Some of the period coats had quite large flaps, as seen on some of the examples posted in "Twill". Not sure what to suggest about the breast pocket.......

>>>>> Cascabel

I have no doubt that they carried such items. I think the question is in how they carried them. Hanging from various loops or hangers on the belt would be a nightmare. On ship they would catch on rigging and ship's gear, on a march across Hispaniola, they would catch on every bush. I would guess that they carried them in snapsacks (tubular bags slung across the back), in ditty or small seabags slung the same way, or perhaps in some type of haversack. I also have seen the collections of crap that pirates like to hang on their belts at ren fairs and it looks ridiculous. Tankards, floggers, shackles- non of these would be carried when not needed and rarely , if ever, off the ship. Enough knives to start their own cutlery store- I carry a sword, a fighting knife and a working knife. Why would I need more? The one thing I rarely see, and which would be much more likely to be on the belt would be a small charge box and a small powder horn. I see lots of people carrying pistols with no way to reload them.

Hawkyns

Aye !!! I would love to see people get away from the "walking junkyard" look !!! Rattling and clanking everywhere they go.

>>>> Cascabel

would love to see the coat you made for your beloved cascabel!!!

I think I have a couple of good pictures in my 'puter. If I can figure out how to post them, I'll do it. I was pretty proud of how it came out....

>>>>> Cascabel

I modified an existing coat for a girlfriend a couple of years back. Had NO intention of attempting period correctness, just wanted to make her a fancy looking coat with a "pirate" look to it. It came out incredibly good-looking.

First thing I did was alter the front, in the manner suggested by Lady Constance, and remove the collar. I detatched the lining all around the bottom to gain access to the inside. It was intended that the coat be worn open, so being able to completely close it was not an issue. The next thing was to alter the shape and fit of the body of the coat. This goes a long way toward achieving the right look. I opened up the side seams all the way to the armpits, and took it in at the waist. The coat had pockets located on the side seams, and these disappeared in the process. I made a central and two side vents in the back. There was sufficient excess length to cut off and get enough material for good sized cuffs, and new pocket flaps. There was no need to deal with the sleeve areas, other than removing the shoulder padding. After it was done, I went completely insane with fancy trim and 50 buttons, and came out with a real eye-catching coat.

>>>>> Cascabel

I'am just throwing my two dublooms in but wouldnt it be easier to replace a frizzen than trying to reharden it, or is that a problem in finding a new part for a pistol.

Thanks

Dman

A replacement frizzen with very few exceptions needs to be hand fitted. Lots of points to be considered in the process. And after the hand fitting, it still needs to be hardened. They are usually not accurately enough made as to be truly interchangeable. A noteable exception is the Pedersoli pieces, which have tight manufacturing tolerances, along with a few other name brand guns. Definitely NOT a possibility with the India made pieces, as they are pretty much individually made.

>>>>>> Cascabel