Using tacks to decorate a '66 a bit

[Moonshine 20515]

Howdy!

I have a '66 that I would like to embellish a bit on the stock and mebbe the forearm using brass tacks. Any advice or suggestions?

If so where did you get the tacks?   Did you pre drill the holes ?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

Thanks,

 

MS

[Three Foot Johnson]

Hardware store, hobby store, craft store. 

Pre-drill, yes.

 

Cut copper tacks in a simple pattern on an old 235 shotgun stock, and a stylized arrow on a 10 gauge coach gun.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

My understanding is that most brass tacks you find these days are plated steel.  Harder to find solid brass.

[Matthew Duncan]

Use computer and a text program to print the design.  Tape the printed design to the stock..  Using an awl or nail transfer the tack locations to the wood.  Predrill.

[Nickel City Dude]

Wile I believe you are entitled to do anything you want with your property, I would like to remind you that in the future when you go to sell anything that has be customized you might have a hard time selling it.  When I worked in a motorcycle shop we had a Honda that had some extended custom front shocks and a few other custom parts on it and we could not sell it.  Once we returned the bike to stock it sold right away.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

On 9/21/2021 at 2:53 PM, Matthew Duncan said:

Use computer and a text program to print the design.  Tape the printed design to the stock..  Using an awl or nail transfer the tack locations to the wood.  Predrill.

I also clip the shanks in half (forming a chisel point) and dip them in wood glue before using a non-metallic hammer to install.

[Horace Patootie, SASS #35798]

I have used brass tacks on a '66 rifle and antique silver finish tacks on my 30" barrelled '73.  Check   crazycrow.com  for these and other great stuff.

Horace

[Buckshot Bear]

They look damned good!

[Kid Rich]

Some hobby shops will have real brass tacks-they are not expensive.

kR

[Moonshine 20515]

Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate the info.

 

MS

[Kid Rich]

Sometimes the brass pins will bend when they are being driven in. Solve this by holding them by the shank with a pair of needle nose pliers until they are most of the way in.

kR

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

3 hours ago, Kid Rich said:

Sometimes the brass pins will bend when they are being driven in. Solve this by holding them by the shank with a pair of needle nose pliers until they are most of the way in.

kR

 

I use a Leatherman to clip the shanks in half, then hold them like you describe.

 

[Major Hazzard, SASS #23254]

On 9/21/2021 at 3:59 PM, Moonshine 20515 said:

Howdy!

I have a '66 that I would like to embellish a bit on the stock and mebbe the forearm using brass tacks. Any advice or suggestions?

If so where did you get the tacks?   Did you pre drill the holes ?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

Thanks,

 

MS

I've been thinking about embellishing my 1866 since I  bought it in 1998.  Problem is I completely lack creativity.  How does one come up with a clever, meaningful design, short of just copying someone else's work?  Are there some references that might help?  

[Yul Lose]

14 minutes ago, Major Hazzard, SASS #23254 said:

I've been thinking about embellishing my 1866 since I  bought it in 1998.  Problem is I completely lack creativity.  How does one come up with a clever, meaningful design, short of just copying someone else's work?  Are there some references that might help?  

If you do a search of “lever action rifles decorated with brass tacks” there are pictures of hundreds of them. Look at Christopher Carter’s Pinterest page also he has pictures of a bunch of them too.

[Warden Callaway]

On 9/21/2021 at 6:38 PM, Buckshot Bear said:

They look damned good!

 

I think it looks tacky!

 

Just kidding.   

[Buckshot Bear]

Where the Indians the first to do it back in the day?

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

2 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

Where the Indians the first to do it back in the day?

 

Quote

Tacking or applying nail shanks to adorn weaponry was not unique to the American West as this art form can be traced back to some of the earliest firearms worldwide. Nonetheless, with the appearance of the white man’s goods on the frontier, Indians quickly found that these tacks, which were intended for holding cloth coverings on trunks or furniture, were ideally suited for personalizing firearms, tomahawks, war clubs, smoking pipes and other tools. Brass tacks rapidly became staples of the Indian trade up through the end of the century.

SOURCE

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

Major Hazzard: I was buying Buffalo jerky at a gun show once, and got to talking to the "Native American" seller, and noticed he has a knife with tacks on it. I asked him how he decided on that pattern, and he said" it should be taken from something in your life" and be unique to you, and wasn't there just to be pretty.

  Kinda like our alias'. Made sense to me.

["Big Boston"]

I'll second the comment above about resale. I'd say tacks on a rifle will cut the customer base in half, and the ones that like tacks, may not want your design. If it's your keeper, and you love tacks, research the designs and install them nicely. 

 

Case in point, I just bought a 44-40 Uberti SRC in 44-40, and it is tacked up. Tacks are not something I like, but I'm not going to remove them, too many holes to fill. The rifle is 2018 production, and with shipping, the cost in USD was $630.  

 

In addition to the tacks, it was dirty, rusty and had a broken rear sight. I cleaned her up, replaced the remnants of the rear ladder sight with a Short Low Marbles and went shooting. I also shined up the tacks, so I reckon I don't actually hate them that much.

 

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

46 minutes ago, "Big Boston" said:

...I also shined up the tacks, so I reckon I don't actually hate them that much.

 

 

I predict that within a year you will have added tacks to the forend.  

[DeaconKC]

That is a very striking rifle!

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

Examples

Rifles with tacks

https://www.google.com/search?q=rifles+with+brass+tacks+in+stock&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_guqY-KfzAhXNrZ4KHetuAAcQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1600&bih=757&dpr=1.2

 

https://www.amazon.com/Brass-Tacks-High-Dome-100/dp/B008EOYR2G

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=where+to+get+brass+tacks&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjp24j59afzAhUiIn0KHd2fBgIQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=where+to+get+brass+tacks&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1CBtChY_OYoYIzpKGgBcAB4AIABWYgBvgOSAQE2mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=olFWYemCEKLE9APdv5oQ&bih=757&biw=1600&client=firefox-b-1-d

 

 

 

[watab kid]

that was informative , i enjoyed it and think ill have appplication down the road even if not for the OPs topic 

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

I used Escutcheon Pins.......Escutcheon Pins - Weaver Leathercraft (weaverleathersupply.com)

 

Also this:

On 9/21/2021 at 4:53 PM, Matthew Duncan said:

Use computer and a text program to print the design.  Tape the printed design to the stock..  Using an awl or nail transfer the tack locations to the wood.  Predrill.

[Matthew Duncan]

Looks sharp!

[Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409]

Here is my 66 and hammered dbl....my 87 has not been touched yet.