Scratch-built locks

[James Wilson Everett]

Eric,

Here is one that may qualify as "cool".  It is entirely hand forged from wrought iron, except the springs are 1095 steel.  Only 18th c tooling and techniques were used, except the screw holes where I used twist drills, (spade bits and a brace give the same hole, only take 20X longer).  It is mounted on a Berlin style Jaeger with an original twist iron barrel.  I have one other finished lock and two more in process about 1/2 way done.



Jim Everett

[Dan'l 1946]

  Eric-
         Are you thinking of building a rifle using one of these locks? If so, let me know and I'll send you my lock. I won't ever use it and it's a shame to let it sit. It has never been used on a gun and hasn't been drilled for the lock nails.
                                           Dan

[rich pierce]

Knowing Eric's work a little I think he's looking for something unique, not off the shelf.

[Dan'l 1946]

Hi Rich-
    I know what you mean. Though I'll bet that by the time Eric was done with this lock it would have a whole new look. Don't suppose you have a use for it?
                     Dan

[rich pierce]

Used one and liked it.  I have about 8 assembled locks and 4 kits and 4 antiques to restore, so I'd better pass.  If it was longer I'd take it for a specific militia-acceptable piece I want to make.

[cmac]

Keb Mo have any pictures of the Salvo lock? Love to see it

[James Wilson Everett]

Eric,

Here is another forged wrought iron flintlock.  The pan/bolster is silver soldered onto the plate.  As can be seen the throw is long as was typical of earlier locks.  It is about the size of a small Siler.  Again it is entirely 18th c made without modern tools, screws, etc.  All is wrought except the springs which are 1095.

Jim Everett

[rich pierce]

How much, Jim?

[Keb]

Keb Mo have any pictures of the Salvo lock? Love to see it

This is the best picture I got.

[TickLick]

Clark Industries in Ontario has an interesting lock, assembled and tuned for $150.  I've never seen one fire, but it looks like an unusual one.  They have a website and a link on the House Brothers' site.

[James Wilson Everett]

Eric,

Here is another forged wrought iron lock.  It is mounted on a Lehigh valley rifle, all wrought iron mounted, forged wrought iron barrel.  I did use twist drills for the lock plate holes on this one, but everything else is strictly 18th c.

Jim Everett

[P.Bigham]

Iam with Rich how much? nice locking locks.

[James Wilson Everett]

Eric,

Here is another lock that some may think "cool", but it is not German.  All hand forged wrought iron with the exception of the springs and the frizzen screw which are 1095.  It is mounted on a 56" barrel Lancaster County smoothbore gun, roughly taken from Kindig #14.  The barrel was hand made from steel, not wrought iron.  the great advantage to this one is when it gives a click - darn rather than a bang you can insult it in English rather than low dutch.

Jim Everett

[rich pierce]

Jim, love your stuff but it seems it's not for sale.  So I split the topic and moved it here.  Would be great if you did a tutorial sometime- these locks are terrific.

[duca]

Awesome! Taking any orders? lol

[doug]

     certainly wish I had a half of your ability and patience

     I am curious; where do you find your wrought iron?  Very little 1800s vintage scrap around here

cheers Doug

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Doug there's literally a ton of it under the sign in Beaconhill Park!  Might be a night time scavenge though.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Wrought iron is still around, but not being made.  Several things to look for:

1.  wagon wheel rims and hubs
2.  old barn hinges
3.  blacksmith tongs

Look in old barns for any old iron metal bolts, rods, etc.  Always bring a coarse file with you to file a patch on the metal.  Look for the tell-tale black slag streaks on the clean metal.  The unrefined wrought will have obvious slag streaks, more refined wrought iron will have much thinner streaks that are more difficult to see.  Really great wrought iron requires an etching in muriatic acid to see the streaks or grain of the metal.  A few times I was able to locate wagon wheels used to decorate houses or mailboxes.  When the wood rotted away the homeowners were happy to have me haul the metal away.

Also you can buy the stuff at:

http://www.wisconsinwoodchuck.net/treasures.htm

Here are some photos of moderately refined wrought iron in a gunlock plate and a blank for a wood screw so you can see the slag streaks.  The screw blank is from an oil well pump rod from near Oil City, Pa put into service 1860 - 1880.  I think the gunlock plate was a barn hinge.





Jim Everett

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

It seems that a many have been asking the price to buy a hand made gunlock.  To tell the truth, I have never sold just the lock, only a completed gun.  The unmounted example above I use as a show-n-tell example when I give demonstrations on 18th c gunmaking/lockmaking.  I am currently working on two flintlocks about the size of a large Siler.  However, I will be leaving the country for an "overseas" assignment soon and will not be returning until June 2012.  Certainly I will not be doing gunsmith work over there.  So these locks probably would not be available until Summer 2012.  Their price range would probably be around $1000.  Let me know if anyone wants a truly hand made rifle, fowler or pistol as I have a few of these.

Jim Everett

[Acer Saccharum]

I think it would take me a month of Sundays to make a lock from scratch. Maybe I'd get better after the first dozen locks, but I don't think I'll ever live long enough to find out.

Handmade locks are priceless, in my opinion. Great work, Jim. Love seeing you work posted.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Thanks so much for the encouraging compliments.  I am just a little strange that I truly enjoy filing out little parts for the locks.  The results certainly are not up to the quality that can be had from a modern manufactured lock, but it is the best this guy can do.  Here are some photos of the working side of the locks.  These are really hand made wrought iron in the 18th c style, although on most I have used twist drills for the screw holes.

This one is from a Lancaster Co. 56" , 0.508 cal barrel smoothbore.



This one is from a Lehigh Co. 38" , 0.503 cal rifle



This one is from a Berlin stlye Jaeger with an original twist iron barrel , 0.511 cal.  It is the only one I have ever made with that dratted little fly.  Boy, is that pie shaped recess difficult!




This one is from a lehigh Co. 48" ,0.457 cal smoothbore.  It looks a lot like the D.D.Lewis gun from Last of the M.




This one is not moiunted on a gun, yet. I use it as a crowd show-n-tell when I demo lockmaking at crafts fairs.



Jim Everett

[rich pierce]

Jim, I noted you seem to use an integral pan on these locks.  Is that welded on or part of the original piece of iron you use for the lockplate?

[James Wilson Everett]

Rich,

The bolster block on the lockplate interior is not welded on.  The lockplate/bolster is cut from a thicker piece of wrought iron, a wagon wheel rim.  The pan is forge welded on.  I have also made them with detatchable pans - like the Siler lock.  This method is actually more work to file the plate & pan to fit nicely.

Jim Everett

[Bob Roller]

These locks look good to me and I base that statement on years of lock making. I use cast steel parts fo the externals and make my own internal parts,detailing them at the bench.
My current project is an upgraded Twigg flintlock based on the R.E.Davis external parts with a fancy and precisely fit internal mechanism. I am only making ten of them and nine people bought all of them at $300 a copy.
The fifth one will go out in tomorrow's mail to Ohio and hope to have the others done by early December.
In a device such as a gun lock,quality control is mandatory.Precise fitting and limber,fast forged  springs are a must. I won't trust any cast mainspring for any reason. All of them are too stiff. I well remember the horror story that beset the early L&R locks because the foundries they dealt with had NO concept of quality control and caused major problems and bad feelings from their customers.
My line of locks are more or less similar to English styles and due to the market saturation of the Germanic types,I don;t make them. This Twigg lock is a big,elegant lock and it even surprised me as to how fast it is when the sear is released. Not as fast as my little Ketland but still fast enough.
The quality of frizzens is the heart of the spark generated ignition systems and I have used 52-100 for years and have locks in competitive use in Germany that have been used for 30+ years with only an occasional touch to a 5 inch (125mm) grinder to clean up the frizzen's face.
The 1095 used today is certainly inferior to the
52-100 which is what ball bearings are made from. Most of these locks were an exclusive for a gun maker in Western Germany,he owned all the plates,hammers and frizzens because he paid the bill from the foundry and I made the rest over a period of years as time allowed.

Bob Roller

[Larry Pletcher]

Regarding the Twigg project Bob mentioned above, I own #4 of 10.  It is a sweetheart!

Regards,
Pletch