nrdoty Tamper question

[jwhite]

Your inbox is full so I posted my response to your inquiry regarding my tamper here, hope you don't mind.

The casing is from a 45 auto center fire round. The wood is turned to shape and sized to closely slip into the casing. There is no milled tenon, the end just slides straight in. The percussion cap is removed and the casing is secured with a brass flat head brass wood screw and glue. Glue and fit the casing pre-drill a pilot for the screw which fits perfectly in the whole left from where the cap was. Any casing should work fine brass is common and the screws to match are available everywhere but you could use nickle silver pins of the appropriate size for a similar effect on nickle silver casings. I have tampers that have no metal foot and some with brass or silver sheet cut and trimmed to size, I like a metal foot better but just about anything will work fine as long as its not lead. The brass has no coating or special treatment. That tamper was made for me by a friend but I know his process. Hope that helps.

 

[nrdoty]

Thanks. That is a pretty cool idea. I want to try it some time. I don't have access to a lathe so I will probably just go with hand carving it or using some other random material. I've never done any real woodworking but I would assume I would need something a bit harder than pine.I suppose an oak dowel would be an easy starter.

Do you know off the top of your head what size screw you used that fit primer hole?

 

[jwhite]

Maybe a #3-#4 but you can always take a spent shell case to the hardware store with you and check to be sure. Actually oak is a pain to tool without getting too deep into wood properties it wants to tear out leaving chunks instead of cutting smoothly. Cherry and mahogany carve beautifully and are attractive woods as well. you can order those dowels in the size you want for Woodcraft and other woodworking stores, its pretty affordable. You can use a drill bit shank to check the size of your casing so you know what to get. But between oak and pine I'd start with pine to get feel for it, it'll be less frustrating to work than oak.