Modding a Pietta New Model Army .44

[bradaz11]

just buy some number stamps, remark it same serial, then file away.

mine is going full birdshead to match my 73s. birdsheads jut fit my hands so much nicer than the plow shape.

[Dark Skies]

just buy some number stamps, remark it same serial, then file away.

mine is going full birdshead to match my 73s. birdsheads jut fit my hands so much nicer than the plow shape.

It's always something I can revisit later on if I stop at this stage - see how I get on as is.

However, my experience with the stamps has been less than impressive. Fine for aluminium and mild steel but can be a bit hit and miss. With stainless more miss than hit as the letters / numbers with only fractions of the stamped mark present, faint or ambiguous as to whether it's a 'P' or an 'R' and always a jiggly mess akin to Austin Powers' teeth.

I just tried a few stamps on the bit of barrel I cut off. First I tried the spring loaded stamp - like an automatic centre punch with a socket for letters. Pathetic faint mark of the upright line of a 'P'.

Then I tried the stamp directly placed on the barrel and walloped with a mallet. Useless. And I hit that stamp hard. So this is something I'd just avoid because I know it'll just get arsed up. Then I'd beat myself up for needlessly engaging on the enterprise when I was already satisfied. And I beat myself up pretty hard because I'm loathsome.

THIS WAY I can be happy with the work I've done, not having ruined anything, ended up with a reasonable shooter, and confidence in future projects that might otherwise have been daunting without this experience.
And I can still go full birds head if I fancy a change later on. Options, innit?

[bradaz11]

most certainly!

another route could be dremeling them in. I've got an air engraver that is fun to play around with, or was, until it wore out an o-ring, not got round to stripping it out and replacing it. found it very relaxing.

[Dark Skies]

most certainly!

another route could be dremeling them in. I've got an air engraver that is fun to play around with, or was, until it wore out an o-ring, not got round to stripping it out and replacing it. found it very relaxing.

I could try that. I think there are some engraving doodads in the kit of a thousand Dremel tools I bought a few years back.

[ovenpaa]

Practice, practice practice first! We have one of the old Burgess vibrating head engravers that I use quite often and it is sort of OK. Someone with a micro CNC engraving mill would be the way forward.

[Dark Skies]

Practice, practice practice first! We have one of the old Burgess vibrating head engravers that I use quite often and it is sort of OK. Someone with a micro CNC engraving mill would be the way forward.

Unfortunately the sort of people likely to have a CNC engraver aren't likely to hold the required permissions to take possession of the revolver to do the job. It's not like I can go to H Samuels and drop it off. :)

I have seen some interesting not terribly expensive laser engraving setups on ebay that plug into a laptop.. That might be worth looking at - I have lots of motorcycle casings and similar that I could use it on to justify the outlay.

[ovenpaa]

You will need a 50 watt fibre laser for light metals and stainless.

[Dark Skies]

You will need a 50 watt fibre laser for light metals and stainless.

Aaaand suddenly that sounds expensive.

[bradaz11]

10 watts more than you need to defeat skynet...

[Dark Skies]

Many coats of walnut stain, eventually followed with a few wipe overs of boiled linseed oil and thoroughly dried.

I'm happy with the end result.