How to Make : Tanegashima Hibuta ( brass pan cover )

[watsonmil]

The last article I wrote on restoration was on making the hollow pin for the matchlock pan cover. Another piece that is sometimes missing from a Tanegashima is the brass Pan Cover ( Hibuta ). Since all Tanegashima were hand made, ... no two Hibuta are ever the same, ... therefore if yours is missing ... you will have to either make it or have someone make one for you. It is not terribly difficult if you know a couple of the tricks, .... so lets have a go. You will need the following tools :

1. A metal wire saw ... ( you can get away with a hack saw and grinding wheel accompanied by filing ).

2. A small selection of files, ... a sparkplug file, a small fine fine file, and a small triangular file.

3. Apiece of light cardboard ( such as found on cereal boxes ).

4. A sharp pencil.

5. A propane torch or oxy-acetylene torch ( ONLY the oxy-acetylene if you are going to use silver solder instead of regular solder ).

6. A center punch.

7. An electric drill and 7/64 bit ( measure the diameter of the Pan Tray hole for the right bit size but usually 7/64 inch or 4 mm ).

8. a pair of scissors.

9. Some fine emery paper.

10. A small C-clamp.

 

You will need the following material :

1. Some 7/64 inch ( 4 mm ) ... bloody metric ... sheet brass .

2. A thicker small piece of brass about 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch by oh say : I inch long ( 5 mm x 5 mm x 25 mm ).

3. Regular solder or I prefer SSF-6 Silver solder.

4. a small bolt size 7/64 or 4 mm diameter about 1/1/4 to 1 1/2 inches long ( 35 mm to 40 mm ) and 3 nuts to fit.

 

 

 

Before we start, ... very rarely can Hibuta be found which were cut out from a single block of brass. This can be done with patience but you will need a solid piece of brass anywhere from 5/8 inch ( 16 mm ) thick to 9/16 inch ( 14.25 mm ) thick and 2 1/2 inches long ( 63.5 mm ) by 3/4 inches wide ( 19 mm ). I have not tried this method, but should I make another I will give it a try. For now lets stick with the more common method of manufacture.

 

Well lets give it a go .... Cut two pieces of your cardboard ... each piece 1 5/8 inch x 1 1/4 inches ( 4 cm x 3 cm ). Now take one piece of cardboard and slide it on top of the pan tray and inset it up against the barrel being sure to go under the slit in the Ama-ooi ( brass barrel protector ). Now with the cardboard in place turn the gun upside down and trace around the pan tray with your pencil. NOTE when you look at your tracing about 1/8 inch or 4 mm will not have crossed the end of your cardboard which is the part protected by the ama-ooi. Take a straight edge ( ruler ) and draw a dotted line from one edge of your tracing across to the other side as in my photo of the tracing. Set this piece of cardboard aside, and repeat with the other piece of cardboard making a tracing of the bottom of the pan tray this time. You now have an exact pattern for top and bottom of the pan cover we're making. NOW, ... this is important ... add using your pencil about 1/8 inch ( 4 - 5 mm ) free hand to your cardboard patterns ... SEE PHOTO. This extra is to attach your pan lever.

 

Using your scissors cut out the patterns ( being sure NOT to cut along the dotted line on the top cardboard pattern ). Now lay your cardboard pattern on your sheet brass using one of the straight edges for your pattern straight side. Trace with your pencil around the pattern onto the brass. Now note one of your tracings is a tiny bit bigger ( 1/8 inch or 4 mm ) deeper if you've followed directions ! Using your wire saw cut out your brass top and bottom from the brass sheet. NOTE : If using a hacksaw cut angles to just touch your pattern line from different angles, ... then using your flat files remove the excess metal ... don't go over the line drawn on your sheet brass !

 

Now's the moment of truth, ... taking your brass pan bottom ... try it and see how close you've come to your Tanegashima's pan tray. Pretty damn close ... YES ! Using a long leaded pencil or even a correct fitting nail ( to the pan tray hole ) mark your brass tray cover bottom and then center punch ready for drilling the aperture ( hole ). You can actually at this point drill your hole if you want since any fine filing will now be on the outside edge of your brass. Taking your top pan cover brass ... file evenly and flatly along your DOTTED line until you make this section of your pan cover just

nicely slide under the ama-ooi ( brass barrel protector ) up against the gun barrel ( make sure you file the correct side ) Once it has, ... mark for drilling the pin hole as previously described for the bottom part of your pan cover. Be exact this is no time to get careless ! Drill your hole.

 

Now, ... we are going to make the small ( usually triangular ) pan cover opening lever. With the pan cover pieces in place on the pan tray, ... use your small " C " clamp to hold them nice and snug ( I like to use a small piece of writing paper between the brass covers and the steel pan tray to allow just for the slightest of space ... ( slack ). Now mark and then file your thicker piece of brass ( see item list # 2 ) until it just nicely fits between the two pan cover brass pieces ( top and bottom ). Once this fits, ... file a slight angle so that when in place the piece of brass sits on about a 10 -15 degree angle outward ( see photographs to understand ) Trace with a pencil the outline top and bottom on the lever brass where it should be once we remove these pieces from the pan tray.

 

Removing the " C ' clamp, ... remove the pieces. Now cut off the excess brass on what is going to become your pan cover lever, leaving about 3/4 inch ( 18- 20 mm ) . Any further filing to shape can wait until after soldering. Reassemble your pan cover using your " C " clamp to hold the pan cover " lever " in place. NOW here comes the TRICK ... using the little bolt insert it part way thru the top pan cover brass and then .... between the two halves screw on TWO nuts allowing enough of the bolt to exit the bottom of your pan cover brass to add the 3rd nut ... ( see photo to understand ) Now gently snug up the bottom nut. You want to now using what it left of the end of your pan cover to fit it to the end of the pan tray up to the bolt ( RE-READ this last sentence until you understand ). Adjust the one nut on the inside and snug up the bottom nut until you have a nice tight ( not pinching tight ) ... but tight fit to the pan tray. Remove your pan cover and solder the pan cover top and bottom to the brass pan lever arm. Allow too cool on its own. You now have a nice snug fitting pan cover. Having left the bolt IN PLACE, ... you can now file the pan cover LEVER into the desired length and shape ( I prefer triangular as pictured and besides its easier than getting too fancy ).

 

Now remove the bolt and nuts and try your pan cover on your gun. Place in the hollow pin ( we made in a previous article ) and adjust the outside by carefully filing so as not to mark the steel pan tray. The pan cover should just barely extend over the edges of your pan tray. You may also have to file the inside to remove any excess metal or solder from your pan lever. Carefully note where things do not close properly and gently file until the pan cover fits like a glove. It should be snug, ... but open with and close with thumb pressure. Finish up by slightly rounding the outside edges of the pan cover using fine emery cloth. Do not round the sharp edges of your pan lever ... these look better to me sharp.

 

Patinate to the correct colour using previously described methods in other threads and there you're finished and you did it yourself ! It only sounds difficult ... once you get started common sense will prevail and where my instructions sound complicated ... all will become more logical.

 

... Ron Watson

[watsonmil]

CONTINUATION OF PHOTO'S

[watsonmil]

You can if you prefer ( I do ) silver solder rather than lead solder your pan cover together. The best silver solder to use is : SSF-6

 

 

Here is a link to a tutorial on SILVER SOLDERING USING SSF-6 :

 

 

... Ron Watson

[Justin Grant]

Great tutorial Ron!

 

I will note that my Bajou-zutsu (馬上筒) has a one piece pan cover cut out of a solid piece with a thin liner that is secured on the top that slides under the ama-ooi. My long gun has what appears to be a piece made like you describe above.

 

Well done! Well done!

 

Justin

[Bugyotsuji]

Most envious of your metal-working skills. You show how some impossible things can be made possible.