I have made butt plates from steel stock and it's not too hard. I rough form the shape cold and push the top over to form the widows peak also cold.. This will require something to use as an anvil. For this a large piece of wood works just fine. I used a section cut from a tree trunk and destined for the wood stove. The end grain will support the work pice and ywt give enough to allow forming..to some extent! The bump at the top just behind the widows peak (actually called a return). This and the blows to slightly dome the steel are best done after the shape is generalized and are done hot.. A torch is the best to use for heat. Just heat where needed and hammer away. I've not used Damascus but steel is steel more or less. I used mild steel, hot rolled.. Shapes in the wood block can be hammed into the end grain and will hold up well at least if oak or ash is used.. Screw holes are drilled and countersunk after the part is shaped to aoid malformations when the part is forged. Of course the plate is final shaped with belt/disk sanders and rotary grinders and as always lastly with files.. Sand and polish the piece before installation.. If damascus is used it will have the be eteched to define the layers..,. Grips caps I make quite often. They're formed from 1/4 to 3/8 inch hot rolled mild steel. Form the oval and mark the center. Drill the center hole and counter sink. I scribe a line about 1/8 up from the bottom of the plate all around the endge of the cap. A matching line is scribed around the top of the cap at least the same distnce from the edge as the line around the edge is from the top of the plate. A bit longer on the top line will produce a slightly flatter cove. be certain the cap is fastened sercurely and file the metal to a flat between the line on the edge and the line drawn around the top edge of the cap. A round file is then used to relieve this flat and create a cove moulding detail. The top of the plate is then relieved in a circle also following a scribed line around the center. The flat is formed between the last circle and the top edge of the outer cove. Filed with a half round file and finished with abasive cloth it makes a nice sutle mound for the caps bottom. The back side of the cap can be lightened in a drill press being very careful to not drill completely thru!! Leave a nice flat edge around the outside of the bottm and as a washer around the screw hole.. A small hole can be drilled into the underside of the grip cap and a small nail or piece of wire peened in place to form a pin to keep the cap from turning after its installed. If AcraGlass is used to improve the fit the glass will provide a mechanical fit and prevent turning.
