RUSTY, BROKEN & Unlicensed:

Joke: I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous .. 

- I bought this crappy antique relic from trademe - for something to do.

Birmingham Proofed, English Quality  piece of c**p  but only NZ$250 plus p&p

You don't get much here (or anywhere) for $250 .. but I'll try a 'Before & After' story .. that's after I've improved ruined it's "collector value"

Bloody AWFUL condition, Broken HAMMER ("with old repair")

- destroyed Nipple (crushed & rust-frozen)

That's What You Get around here - gouged Initials 

The R.H side is Rust-as-Bad

It wasn't worth $250 but it will be something to do for a few days - so I had a go at the handle wood while the metal bits were boiling (- first in detergent, then clean water ..

Gouged 'H' sanded-out, reshaped handle stained with "dark Walnut" .. that loose screwhole needs plugging. - When working on old wood that's age-darkened, any sanded repairs will stand-out light until stained back darker ..

-So after a good 'Boil-Up' without any puha, out into the garage workbench to fight with that nipple ..

YEss - It's out in a sprinkle of rust-dust after using two vicegrips and a propane flame - but then, - a hopeful search through my bag of nipples yielded only one, a stainless ROA nipple that fits, if I hack-off half the threads. Hmm. I am not an engineer.

 What a 'sad' specimen .. break filed clean for welding - But I will not be retaining its PATINA

(or that TANG !!)

- A skilled man with a welder at EAGLE ENGINEERING will do me a favour - not too far up the road in the wine growing area. - That broken hammer had been pinned some time, while it's break had been partly obscured with disgusting crud.

I would hope that the pinned but wobbly original hammer was made as a FORGING rather than a CASTING .. but the key is the chemistry of the metal (iron/steel rather than 'cast iron') and the kind of flaws that might have caused it's failure. - It feels forged and filed ..

These old antiques, as here, seem often to have been passed-on to stupid boys to play with and destroy .. so that makes it OK for me to mess with it, - moi being a stupid old boy.

Hot from the Welder .. Tobias did a good job ..

Something Like

A bit more fettling to do and it'll be half decent (or at least a 1/4 decent) .. but I find the welding FILLER ROD (chrome-moly ?) metal used is very hard & tough when compared to the hammer's original softer metal .. which may perhaps be iron rather than steel? .. I'm having to use small diamond files to reshape.- I'm no metalurgist but understand that modern steels are very much "tailored" as specific alloys (blended metals) to fit their proposed use.

Repaired Hammer, Replacement Nipple - Some Refinishing

NEXT: Well, I cocked-up .. I tried to put a bit more curve into that top tang, using pliers to bend it - and I SNAPPED IT OFF *ping* at the drilled screwhole .. 

Rusted and Porous Surfous at the Break.

New Metal Welded

Excuses sure - it was already corroded and weakened - but another trip was needed to my friends at EAGLE ENGINEERING Amberley. - I reasoned that trying to weld new metal right at the broken thin section screw hole was a bad move so we amputated back to solid metal before welding on new material .. sighs.. Actually, why am I upset? - as I wanted something to do eh .. Start cutting, drilling & grinding now.

Rough Enough but Better Than It Was ..

This old wreck kept my interest for many hours and is now a fully functional, genuine antique .36" Caliber Muzzle Loading, Black Powder Pocket Pistol with a strong main-spring - that holds on both 'Halfcock' and 'Full Cock' and releases with the trigger press. Better than new

It's got to be worth at least $250 now don't you reckon? 😂Good eh.

____________

RUST is a pain in the rrrse ..

Those raised SCABS on this FRIZZEN are ACTIVE RUST CORROSION

It will only get WORSE - unless someone DOES SOMETHING ..

- this is NOT "Patina"

- You need to gently scrape-off those scabs because they are porous and hold moisture that is acidic-corrosive. Probably SULPHURIC ACID and hygroscopic salts sitting there.

I bought an 'endoscope' from U S (Chinese) .. just installed the 'app' on my phone/camera - worked-out how to scan a QR code,  and how to take a pic with it .. not too shabby for an 81y.o. twat. - This is down the bore of a 200 year old rust frozen Flintlock turn-off barrel - same gun as the frizzen above.

That bore ring is where the barrel meets the powder chamber - an area where I've had Wintergreen Oil dissolving rust .. the far rusty inner recess (under the PAN & flash-hole) has not had any wintergreen treatment (yet). The next challenge is getting the barrel to unfreeze and screwing it off ..

 - You need to dig all rust out from the bottom of any pits .. or they'll get worse

Many of the dents and dings on this Adams revolver barrel are small CORROSION PITS of activity.

Get a PICK and carefully dig it ALL out - flush it and scrub with self-drying HOT water - before applying your OIL of preference, Wintergreen Oil or WAX or BALLISTOL  that is alkaline. - Whether you go further and attempt a degree of restoration depends on your starting point, - personal opinion and purpose .. are you up for a re-finish?

.. leave them rusty as they come and they'll grow ever more awful.

Do you care?

ARE YOU A FIT AND PROPER PERSON?

Are NZ Police 'FIT AND PROPER'?

- they are not

FIREARMS LICENCES REQUIRED FOR NZ POLICE

Marty K.