Best method/tool for polishing the flash pan

[Chowmi]

I'm about to polish up a new lock.  I'm pretty happy with the process for all the lock, except the flash pan.

What is the best method for cleaning up and polishing the pan?  I don't know that I have anything that readily fits the contours of the pan.  It's the oval style pan, not the oblong, straight sided type with a curve at the end.

Cheers,
Norm

[David Rase]

I have had my best results using small 4" x 1/4" aluminum oxide round stones.  I start out with the coarse stone and some honing oil then move on to medium and fine.  The aluminum oxide stones breaks down nicely and the end will form a nice round tip quickly.
David    

[Scota4570]

Dremil tool and cratex wheels.

[Mike Brooks]

Dremil tool and cratex wheels.

BLASPHEMER! 

[Scota4570]

Shhhh.....don't tell.  Use only it at night, after the kids have gone to bed, when nobody is looking.   

I don't use the darned thing for much.  It does make short work of this job though. 

[Ky-Flinter]

One must be careful using rotary power tools to polish locks.  They will quickly round over edges that should remain sharp, and dish out screw and pin holes.  I start with small bits of course emery cloth or sandpaper and work my way finer.

-Ron

[Clark Badgett]

I have found nothing in the world that will as quickly and nicely polish the pan as a good old 90 degree angle air grinder on low speed with a 120 grit worn cartridge roll of appropriate diameter. I will say you had better be a pro with one before you try it though.

Like mentioned above, stones and oil work good too, if you prefer the low and slow method for such.

[Chowmi]

Thanks for the replies fellas,
I pretty much suspected that a stone or dremel would be the replies. 

I'm currently not on speaking terms with my Dremel tool, as it has mis-behaved lately.

I'll have to look in to getting some of those stones.  More things to buy, hooray!

I have a broken up honing/sharpening stone (fell on the floor) that might be re-shaped to suit the purpose as well. 

I'll hack away at it in my usual haphazard manner!

Cheers,
Norm

[Scota4570]

One must be careful using rotary power tools to polish locks.  They will quickly round over edges that should remain sharp, and dish out screw and pin holes.  I start with small bits of course emery cloth or sandpaper and work my way finer.

-Ron

Yeah, for lock plates you need to work them on a flat surface.  I have a set of diamond hones that work great for that.   

I just did a pan this way.  It looks great.  The Dremil has few uses, this is one though.  It makes a mess of any polished exterior surface you will see.  But, for this use, a concave trough, it works great. Put the lock plate in a vice.  Use cratex wheels, Brace your hand, and go slow.  You can easily get a perfect semicircle in the pan and a wire edge corner.

Almost all other metal polishing should be worked with files then backed paper or stones. 

I own lots of cotton wheels and polish-o-ray.  I mostly use them to sharpen kitchen knives these days.  With few exceptions I don't polish gun parts that way, anymore. 

[Mark Elliott]

I do most things with period tools including filing up most of a lock, but I also use a flex shaft grinder with aluminum oxide stones and silicone polishers to clean up the pan.   I will also use them on a frizzen to avoid having to anneal it.   If I had to make a pan using period tools,  I would use a die sinker chisel and a rotary burr in a brace.    I actually have a period burr that can be used for cutting a pan, but I would only use it for a hand made lock, not for a commercial lock.       

[jerrywh]

 I use a reversible Foredom tool and a small sanding drum for the first step. Then I use the foredom with a wooden dowel and some valve grinding compound for the final polish. It is important to have it reversible because if the tool is rotating against the edge of the pan it will clime the edge and round it off. The tool revolves in one direction for one side and should be reversed for the other side.
  Jacob Dickert always wished he had a Foredom tool like mine. 
For all you pc guys who enjoy torture, If you research it you can find where there was a tool for grinding the pan cavity on flintlocks in the 1700's. They could have easily used this same setup for polishing the cavity.

[rudyc]

"I'm currently not on speaking terms with my Dremel tool, as it has mis-behaved lately."

YUK YUK YUK  How true!!!

[David Rase]

Based on all the above responses, it sounds like I need come out of the dark ages and get into the 21st century.  Maybe I will fight the crowds on black Friday and buy myself one of those power carvers for expediting my relief carving.    I am sure many of you use these as well.  Not!

Like Jerry stated, I am sure Jacob Dickert would of liked to of had one sitting next to his Foredom tool.
David   

[smylee grouch]

On one lock I "tinned" the pan with silver solder, just the inside of the pan, and it has held up fairly good over about 20 years of hunting style shooting. Didn't have or could I afford gold for the job.

[WadePatton]

On one lock I "tinned" the pan with silver solder, just the inside of the pan, and it has held up fairly good over about 20 years of hunting style shooting. Didn't have or could I afford gold for the job.

Grand notion, thanks. I polished my first pan and am right next to that chore on my next two locks.  The fact that your tin-job has held up for 20 years of hunting use has me giving it serious consideration. 

[smylee grouch]

Wade, that particular gun is used only for hunting there fore does not get the volume of shots taken as say a target or trail walk rifle but still after many deer and bear seasons still has the silver in the pan though it is tarnished some what.

[54ball]

 I polish the pan and the underside of the frizzen with fine emery or sand paper.....I use my fingers and bend or roll the meduim. I'm able to get into the nooks and crannies and I can accomplish a good polish just by hand with no distortion..

 I can see power tools being used to deepen or reshape the pan but for a simple polish it can be accomplished with emery or sand paper.