They're not really all that special in the whole scheme of things but I couldn't think of anything catchy to call them.  I've mentioned before that I'm building various trigger assemblies to go with the Ballard builds I have happening.  Making a trigger plate for a Ballard and getting it to blend has been a struggle for me.  The radius the mating side to the breech block specifies is 9.75" or a 19.5" diameter.  The bottom calls for a 9.7" radius plus a 1" radius on the belly perpendicular to the fit.  I've made a couple of them and to make things look right - it’s a lot of file work.    I have a few to make so I put a little thought into it.  I had an order going in to our local steel supplier for some rings and plates and decided to pursue an idea.  I ordered a ring cut from 1" plate, 18.5" id by 20" od.  I chucked this in one of the medium size lathes and turned the inside to about 19", turned the outside to about 19.9" then turned a shoulder about .200" deep on each side at about 19.3"dia.  When this was completed the ring was removed from the lathe and a 2.5" long section was cut from the ring.

For those with an eye for detail, you may have noticed an odd looking hammer in photo #9, it’s our version of the Niedner/Binger self cocking hammer, or at least the 3D printed version for fitting purposes.  More on this as the thread progresses.

Pretty clever Greg! And now you've got a piece large enough to make numerous trigger plates from!

Mercy, that's impressive.

Sometimes I get annoyed at Greg because he has so many unfinished projects.  Then he pulls an outside-the-box stunt like this one and, once more, I have to bow to his genius.

Bill Lawrence

I look at Gregs pics and am always in awe of his talent, motivation and clever machining. I want in the worst way to buy and start one of Rodney’s 44 1/2 casting kits but know better. As machinists, we all take a lot of pride in unique setups that “get the job done” in some convoluted way. Building a 44 1/2 on my Burke mill would certainly test all limits. Keep up the awesome work and keep pics coming Greg!

without the gap removed, it's 36".  If I remove the gap (I made and scraped in) which I try never to do I can swing 44".

Here's another part still in process but the concept should be self explanatory.  A self cocking hammer, the link that does that dirty work, a modified spring and a stirrup.  The sear barely resembles the original too.  For those that know the Ballard double set trigger breech blocks, in this design the dowel pins got moved, as did the tang screw for the halves.  I'm working on a firing pin arrangements similar to the Eric Johnson design. More to follow.

One last photo, a set of breech block halves just finished roughing in the mill.

I felt an accomplishment from turning a few brass rods to certain sizes on a lathe. Big chest beating from using a mill to flatten a piece of steel on two sides to a needed dimension. And then I show up here and see you guys doing all this stuff..... sheesh!