Like Rich says, Brownells screw blanks are great. Get a pack of #4 and #6. These screws are slightly oversize in diameter, so mike them for drill size. I like to drill clearance holes very slightly small and fit the screw shanks with valve grinding compound, that way the screws fit perfectly. Lock sets are challenging to assemble but if you go carefully and thoughtfully you can finish up with a nice lock. Heat treating is just physics and there is a minimum of voodoo involved. It is all information thats available. As with anything there is a learning curve. Consider getting two casting sets because somewhere along the line you will pooch something and the second chance will give you the opportunity to correct the mistake. Repairing mistakes is a whole adventure by itself and you can go back to it. If you have never put a lock together, consider building a musket lock first. bigger screws, lower (relatively) tolerances and simply having more steel bordering the holes adds a measure of forgiveness to the project. keep us posted as problems arise and we will relate our experiences.
