My small Seiler parts on another plate

[far55]

I had posted some time ago about doing this and there was some interest on watching my progress.  After a couple of mistakes and rewelded holes, ( which tempered the plate in those spots and required me to anneal it ) this is what I have. The casting was the last one of its kind on Jen Goehring"s table at either Dixon's or Lewisburg. I contacted her about another, and she confirmed there were no plans to recast. I have polishing and cleaning up to do plus hardening of the frizzen yet, but at this point am pleased with it. I had to do some reshaping of the foot on the frizzen and wanted to fill the divots on the front side, and thinned and polished the frizzen spring to get it to flip forward when struck by the flint. The angle of the photo makes it look like the tumbler is below the bottom edge of the plate, but it is not. This is my first time with this kind of a lock project, so any suggestions or hints would be welcome.  Thank you Roland.

[rich pierce]

Nice. I think I’ve got that lockplate. It looks like you de-bulked the frizzen back - good move. I like to re-shape the heads on external screws like frizzen screw and frizzen spring screw at least some. The square edge/flat top look on screws may be correct but says “modern” to me.

[far55]

I do not care for the square corner on the frizzen screw head either, that will get some refinement yet, thanks for your comment, Roland

[Bob Roller]

Roland,
L&R's replacement locks for the Dixie Gun Works flintlock rifle looks like this,
I bought several sets of EXTERNAL parts for their locks and have made ONE
like tis one.It is a spin off from the Chet Shoults Ketland from the mid 1950's.
Bob Roller

[Clint]

Only a few modern gun makers wander through the jungle of lock making. It looks intimidating and ,after all, you can just buy finished locks. To really get it you need to make a bunch of locks. Don't worry what kind of lock or what you might use it for, the lock becomes the project and each one you make is an experience. I teach blacksmithing and the last thing we make is a repeat of the first thing we made. The difference between the two is easily recognized and the progress of a two day class is very noticeable. SO, my suggestion is make another one, start with Siler and go on to some of the casting sets out there.

[Bob Roller]

I make no claims to being a gun maker but have had a lot of experience at making locks that range from bonehead simple to the fancy 4 screw English types.My last two Hawken type caplocks were made in March
of 2019 and the last two flintlocks in August of that same year.My first ones were made in 1957 and were
spin off designs fom P.I.Spence in Marietta,Ohio who was one of the earliest makers of locks and triggers for newly constructed muzzle loaders and was still active well past 90 years of age.Cast plates,frizzens,cocks fpr
flintlocks simplifies that job and cast plates and hammers for caplocks were OK as well.I made my own internal parts using simple tools and later was able to buy machine tools that allowed a much better lock or trigger to be made,Wes Kindig talked me into making triggers in 1958 and I still make them on a much improved pattern.
The actual lock is the mechanism behind the plate and is a small spring powered engine that releases its energy in one direction only and these mechanisms can be simple or mildly complex and the labor will determine the price when it's done.In the late 1970's and early 80's the lock HAD to be the cheapest thing on the gun and I quit listening to the bitching and quibbling over 3 or 4 dollars and started sending  locks and triggers to Germany for a long time thereafter and I was able to keep working in my shop but did do
other jobs involving cars.Today this shop work is a hobby and I do it because I feel like it and am now 85
years old.
Bob Roller

[far55]

Thanks for your replies, up till now, I have not even put a Siler kit lock together, so this is a major project for me. Clint, I think a casting kit  may be coming up on the list. Thanks again, Roland

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Roland:  nice looking lock!
May I suggest for your next one, that you move the sear spring as far forward as you can so that the working leaf contacts the sear as close to the screw pivot as possible.  That will make for a lighter, crisper trigger pull.

[far55]

Thank you, Taylor, duly noted. I was hoping for suggestions and critique like this when I posted. If anything else stands out to you guys with experience in this, please don't hesitate,  Roland.