Flintlock

[flatsguide]

Dave, that is a fine looking lock that you made.
 

You may find the TRS frizzen is case of a poor sparking alloy.  I had to face the one I have with 1095.

You may find the TRS frizzen is case of a poor sparking alloy.  I had to face the one I have with 1095.

How did you face or sole the frizzen? That would be interesting to know as the 1095 needs to be hardened and tempered. Riveted?
Bob, thank you for stating the alloys you use when lock building. I think I mentioned using 8620 for the lock plate. Your warning about stresses in the steel causing parts to warp during machining is something I’ve experienced. I don’t have much experience with 8620 but I will stress relieve it prior to machining and I’ll still keep an eye on it while I machine it.

My interest in lock making is simply personal challenge. Experimental archeology. To see if I can do it like the early gunsmiths did. One year at Dixons Eric VonAusuage (please forgive me, I’m sure I butchered the name) demonstrated forging lock parts. He rough forged a plate, hammer (cock), frizzen (battery) and a tumbler blank. All from real wrought iron. No lathe or milling machine used in these. He said of all the original flintlocks he had examined the only steel used was for springs, everything else was case hardened iron. This of course requires lots of hand filing and a tumbler and screw mill.
Should I ever find the time to complete the forge welded barrel blank I feel it should have a completely hand made lock. Eric had a set of sheet metal patterns to guide in shaping the parts.

Forging lock parts is a true art, way beyond my abilities.
Jim, at this point the only parts I plan to use are the spurred cock and frizzen. Dphariss mentioned that the TRS frizzen is “a poor sparking alloy” so the frizzen may be made as well.
Thanks again!
Cheers Richard

[David R. Pennington]

I have case hardened frizzens that wouldn’t get hard enough and they seem to hold up pretty well so far. Eric said that’s how they did it back then, iron frizzens, case hardened.

[flatsguide]

Thanks for the tip David. I need to know what alloy the TRS frizzen is made from. If it’s a high carbon alloy I don’t think I’ll be able to use the case hardening method as hardening it in the quench will make it glass hard throughout then I’d have to draw it back too much I think. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks Richard

[Bill Madden]

I believe the TRS frizzens are alloy 6150, a medium carbon-chromium alloy that, as Dan said, does not spark well, if at all. I had to sole mine with 1084, using electrical solder that melts at around 375 F. Since that is the tempering temperature I was looking for, I was able to harden the sole at around 1550 F using a water quench, temper it back to 375 F, then solder it to the frizzen face without loosing any temper.
Bill

[flatsguide]

Bill, thanks a bunch for that information it is much appreciated.
Cheers Richard

[Bob Roller]

Has ANYONE ever wondered about the Manton and other English flintlocks that produced SIZZLING fire in the tiny pans seen on those locks?These sparks were white hot and now we have so many "mystery metals"involved that are unsatisfactory.I have seen frizzens that were so soft that even melting carbon compounds like Kasenit didn't help and others so hard that no amount of annealng would make them
soft enough to drill for the pivot screw.I am out of the making of locks now but tried to have frizzens cast from 52-100 which was supposed to be ball and roller bearing material and seemed to work but not with the sizzling  performance of those great old English locks.
MAYBE the problem is with foundries that won't pay attention to requested alloys and pour what ever is in the pot.Cast mainsprings were a real threat and I got calls from people who had stocks destroyed when a mainspring broke at full cock and knocked the bottom off the lock mortise.I have used many cast frizzen springs as did other lock makers but they were no threat to the wood stocks and did help with the cost of the lock which 50 years ago had to be the cheapest part of the gun.
Bob Roller

[smart dog]

Hi Guys,
FYI, I case harden TRS frizzens all the time.  Many, and they all perform wonderfully for many years at least.  Here is one of many I have made.
 






dave

[flatsguide]

Smokey the Bear is going to pay you a visit Dave. Do you pack harden the frizzen the draw back everything except the frizzen face.or do you draw back the complete frizzen.
Thanks fella’s Richard

[smart dog]

Hi Richard,
I pack the battery in a mix of bone and wood charcoal then heat it in my oven for 3 hours at 1575 degrees.  I quench in room temperature water.  Then I temper the entire frizzen at 375 degrees for 1 hour and let cool.  Finally, I slowly heat the curl and toe of the frizzen with a butane mini-torch until it turns to blue.  I have a spray bottle of water ready to cool the battery portion of the frizzen if the color starts to migrate up the pan cover.

dave