Brass Tacks on a Hawken Stock???

[Uncle Russ]

I know this has been discussed, and even cussed a bit, no less than hundreds of times, but I think I may now want to try this myself.

MOST of what I've seen has been too gaudy, to loud, and / or just plain tacky.
However, there have been a few that I thought were done up very tastefully, and actually added a bit to the overall appearance of a otherwise plain ol' Hawken.

I have a .50 Hawken Kit that was purchased in 1971 for just over $100...but, it was never assembled until about eight or ten years back.
Since that time it has been something of a loaner for grandkids,  and twice to folks who had never hunted with a caplock before. Otherwise it just takes up space.
It is in great shape, it has likely been fired less than 50 or 60 times, and the bore shines like new money...I just looked at it this morning.

Has anyone has done this, and would you like to share a picture of the finished product?
 
I would certainly appreciate seeing the pictures and gettin a little instruction on how-to!
Q: Which particular tacks do you use?
Q: Do you cut the stem of the tack off some?
Q: Do you layout the pattern and then pre-drill the holes?
Q:Or, do you just pound the tacks into the stock?

Thanks in advance, Uncle Russ...

[Rusty Gunn]

I have used brass tacks in pre-drilled pilot holes to decorate wooden non firearms items with good results. I had issues with hard dense wood without pilot holes. YMMV
RG

[Lonewolfe20]

Looking forward to the responses for this
I have an older long rifle kit that I bought on auction and some tacks I've yet to have the guts to push any tacks in
I have some pictures from a couple guns from the museum of the fur trade that had nice tack designs
I think one was from Louis Riel or a family member I will try and find them and post here
They had actually used 2 different size tacks and it really looked sharp

[Uncle Russ]

Looking forward to the responses for this
I have an older long rifle kit that I bought on auction and some tacks I've yet to have the guts to push any tacks in
I have some pictures from a couple guns from the museum of the fur trade that had nice tack designs
I think one was from Louis Riel or a family member I will try and find them and post here
They had actually used 2 different size tacks and it really looked sharp

Looking forward to seeing this!
 

Uncle Russ...

[Ohio Joe]

I have used brass tacks in pre-drilled pilot holes to decorate wooden non firearms items with good results. I had issues with hard dense wood without pilot holes. YMMV
RG

I've done it to only one rifle a long time ago and used the pre-drill method and coated the tack shank with super glue before driving it home. It was on one of those CVA two piece stock Kentucky Rifle Kits. I no longer have that rifle as I parted it out making a "kids rifle" with it, and have no pictures of my tack work.  At the time of doing the tack work (at least 40 years ago), it added something to the rifle's overall looks. IIRC, I followed the butte-plate with tacks and ran some (not many) down the fore-stock ahead of the lock. I'm sure I did it to avert attention away from this rifle's two piece stock.

Russ, find a nice design with some meaning to what the tacks may represent would be my suggestion and go for it.

[PetahW]

.

[Uncle Russ]

I really like that second picture!    
What size are the tacks used in that picture, and where would I find them?

I suspect I'm not "looking in all the right places" when it comes to brass tacks ...everything I'm looking at is from 1/4" to 7/16". Crazy Crow had a nice collection but they were the same sizes as TOTW....some of the furniture restoration sites have some really wild looking "tacks" from stars to sea-shells to owls,  but I can't seem to find any smaller tacks that would be appropriate for a rifle stock.

Uncle Russ...

[Bigsmoke]

Russ,
Watch out for the furniture tacks - most if not all are just plated stuff.  The plating, of course, wears off.
For the very small tacks, look for solid brass escutcheon pins, as I used for years on my powder horns  I believe I used #14's on the Cureton Horns and #18 on the OC horns.  They come with varying sizes of shanks, from 1/4" up to 1", maybe longer.  Jantz knife making supplies could also have some, seems like they do, but not sure.
Also not sure, but you might be able to get some solid brass tacks from Tandy/Leather Factory as well.  They do have a lot of different findings.

[Rusty Gunn]

DGW may have brass tacks. Worth a look,that's where I have bought in the past.

[PetahW]

.

The first places I look for tacks are my local craft/ hobby shops & saddle makers.


.

[RobD]

i prefer the smaller solid brass pin tacks for stocks, like the ones i use on powder horns.  which go in predrilled holes with epoxy or CYA.  

like this one, which i'm donating for our forthcoming TMA auction

[Uncle Russ]

WOW! Rob!
There ain't no fleas on that dog!
That's a really nice horn!

 

Uncle Russ...

[RobD]

hope it fetches well for us on the auction!

[Uncle Russ]

hope it fetches well for us on the auction!

Yep, Me too....
I gotta come up something soon so we can get some pictures posted, and get this game rolling.

Uncle Russ...

[Uncle Russ]

After searching on line until my eyes were bleeding, asking all my pals if they had any tacks, or knew where I could find some, my son-in-law came by and said, "hey, old man, they have those things by the pound at the North-40 Feed & Saddle Store just down the street from your house"....
I was there when they opened the door this morning!

So, since I've never done this before, you guys tell me...is this too much?
Or, should I extend them to the forward end of the Patch Box?

[attachment=0:1r7irjbj][/attachment]Brass Tacks.JPG[/attachment:1r7irjbj]

I don't want it to look too "tacky", pardon the pun......but you know I mean.
I suspect "balanced" is more what I'm looking for, but I don't know where that is.
You guys that know about such things, help me out a little bit.........

Uncle Russ....