www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

I have become fascinated by lost wax casting and various spin-off procedures. It started out while I was researching pistol frame production procedures in the 19th century, part of a talk I will give to a history group and a U3A industrial history group. I was amazed to see that they still use this process today to make pistol frames. I thought they were all done by drop forging but this is not the case. It certainly opened up an area of metalwork I was not familiar with and you can see how the factory like procedures developed with steam power and a better understanding of metallurgy back in the 1800s. For those who would like an idea of an ancient process still in use today have a look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEGOw0YlQ-g skip the annoying t*at bits at the start.

DWD

Check out olfoundryman and mark presling on YouTube. They should both be right up your street DWD

My research has revealed that 1850 plus pistol frames were forged using dies and a trip hammer to form the frame blanks not lost wax. This way the hammered metal was much stronger as the process aligned the metal grain. An interesting piece I found was Charles Dickens having a tour of the Colt factory in South London. If you have an interest here is the link https://www.brlsi.org/colt-and-dickens/ Colt supplied a bulk order of Colts for use in the Crimean War but battle experience found the British made Adams revolver, being double action and a bigger bore, was preferable in a skirmish. Domestic sales and officers' military purchases switched mainly to the Adams This was also true in the Indian Mutiny that followed where Adams were favoured over Colts. The drop in business saw Colt close the London factory and concentrate on the US production of his pistols. An interesting period of history.

DWD