Lock inlet problem:

[Wingshot]

Late Ketland lock that I’m inletting is causing some anxiety. All went well until I installed the mainspring and started sinking it into the mortise. As you can see the spring is making contact with the barrel flat, is this a common issue? Do I file on the barrel flat or the spring? It’s very close to being in its final position and to where the bolster will have full contact with the side flat.

[PAFlinter]

You can take some off the spring.  Can you post a picture of the part of the spring that's hitting?  If it's the bevel on the edge of the spring it's not an issue to remove it.  You can relieve the barrel some as well but I'd just remove it from the spring if it's really close.  Also, is the spring just hitting when you wiggle out the lock or is it not sitting flush with the barrel yet...hope that makes sense.

[smylee grouch]

One thing to check, make sure the bolster is perpendicular so that it will contact the barrel flat and flush and not canted, in that the lock plate is not in too much at the bottom. Hope I worded that right.

[Wingshot]

Before I got to the Re-attachment of the mainspring in my inletting I had 100% transfer of the bolster to barrel flat and had full range of motion with the tumbler and sear. As I got close with the mainspring attached I had maybe 50% transfer and it was where it counts the most, around the pan and top side of the bolster. I had a little wiggle top to bottom so I glued a thin shim in at the nose and cured that. The contact from the spring is showing a 1/2” to 5/8” from the bend on the top side of the mainspring. It’s very slight but touching none the less.

[Kevin Houlihan]

You should be able to file a little off the top part of the spring to get the clearance you need.  File, go slow and check often.  Should be fine.
Kevin

[Wingshot]

Thanks to all, I’ll file carefully. I don’t think it’ll need more than a few thousandths.

[smallpatch]

The photo is very confusing. Hard to tell which flat we’re looking at.
What you have so far looks pretty rough.
Get us some better photos, and maybe we can help more.

[Wingshot]

A few file strokes was all that was required to relieve the spring contact to the barrel flat and bolster contact is tight. Time to mark and drill the lock bolt!