Smooth Cock Jaws

[Mike Lyons]

My new Dale Johnson lock doesn’t have anything ruff to hold the leather. It’s really hard to get the flint to stay in the correct position especially if the top flat of the flint is not perfectly flat.  How does everyone make the jaws ruffed up a bit?   Also,  I would get a misfire, low spark on about the third shot.   It seemed there was black spot on the flint surface and the pan and frizzen were wet with black oil. It is really humid in Ky right now.  Does anyone have this issue?  Do you all wipe your pan and frizzen after shooting? 

[stubshaft]

I usually file a couple of thin grooves parrallel to the frizzen face in both the top and lower jaw of the cock.  I also have a couple of locks where the jaw surface was just upset with a punch.  The black "soup" in the frizzen pan is nothing new and is usually caused by high humidity.

[smylee grouch]

You can also put teeth on the surface of the jaws with an engraving tool.

[Richard]

I used a spring loaded center punch. Holding the point facing inwards and at an angle to the steels surface when firing. It produced a really nice pattern of teeth on the top and bottom jaws.

Richard

[Mike Lyons]

Thanks for the advice.  I’ll be doing this right away.  My first Lg Siler had grooves.   This Dale Johnson lock is smooth.  It looks like there’s no rhyme or reason to the smooth or grooved jaws.

[flinchrocket]

4 or 5 small burrs on the top and bottom with an square graver is all it takes to hold your leather.

[Brian Jordan]

I use the graver technique as well. Keep the teeth pointed towards the cock and you will have no more slipping.

[Jim Chambers]

Historically, the top and bottom jaws of the cock had "teeth" that were made by using a small chisel or punch.  On Siler locks I have always filed away the cast lines and cut the historically correct teeth.  On some of our other licks we leave the surface of both the bottom and top jaws plain assuming everyone will make the teeth themselves.  It would be almost impossible to cast in the teeth.

[Scota4570]

 I stitch teeth on the jaws the same way a rasp is made, but on a smaller scale.  I use a 1/8" graver with a 90*,  or whatever point that is handy. A single brisk hammer wack makes the tooth. 

[Pukka Bundook]

That's the way, Scota.