Moonshine 20515 Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 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 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 (edited) 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. Edited September 21 by Three Foot Johnson 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 My understanding is that most brass tacks you find these days are plated steel. Harder to find solid brass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 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. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickel City Dude Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 (edited) 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. Edited September 23 by PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L edit text 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 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 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Bear Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 They look damned good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 Some hobby shops will have real brass tacks-they are not expensive. kR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine 20515 Posted September 22 Author Share Posted September 22 Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate the info. MS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 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 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 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. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Hazzard, SASS #23254 Posted September 23 Share Posted September 23 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted September 23 Share Posted September 23 (edited) 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. Edited September 23 by Yul Lose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 23 Share Posted September 23 On 9/21/2021 at 6:38 PM, Buckshot Bear said: They look damned good! I think it looks tacky! Just kidding. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Bear Posted September 23 Share Posted September 23 Where the Indians the first to do it back in the day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 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 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"Big Boston" Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconKC Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 That is a very striking rifle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Hanger #3720LR Posted October 1 Share Posted October 1 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 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted October 1 Share Posted October 1 that was informative , i enjoyed it and think ill have appplication down the road even if not for the OPs topic 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancy Shot, SASS #67163 Posted October 1 Share Posted October 1 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. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted October 2 Share Posted October 2 Looks sharp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409 Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 Here is my 66 and hammered dbl....my 87 has not been touched yet. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.