Scratch-built locks

[Acer Saccharum]

Jim, from what you write, probably the teeth are more like scrapers than teeth. The blade will part metal, surely, but it would be nice to have the apprentice do the cutting.

[dannybb55]

15 years ago my friend David Stone found himself in need of a hack saw blade for a frame just like yours. He searched all over his shop and Tryon Palace grounds. He did not find any blades but he did find a pallet of bricks with intact strapping. He cut a yard  of strapping off and an hour later had filed the teeth along the edge and punched two holes in the ends and was using it to saw what needed sawing.
 Personally I like to use 1 inch Bimetal bandsaw blades. I cut them to length with a cold chisel, drill the 1/8 inch holes in the ends with a Champion drill press with lots of cutting fluid and the cam dialed way back. Usually I have lost one of the pins so I have to nick the tip off of an iron nail to pin each end of the blade. one inch blades are too rank to pull through the iron by hand so I hammer the offset flat on the anvil. After that I am good for another year of sawing.
 I think that the old smiths forged more than cut because it is quicker and saves files and iron. Forging moves the iron around while filing throws it on the floor.
                                    Danny

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I understand and entirely agree with the last comments on the hacksaw blades we use today. Personally, I have repented (several ties, too!) after buying cheap blades.  After about 10 minutes of use, they are toast.  You are probably saying to yourself - been there & done that.  But think on the gunsmith in a tiny village near Lancaster in 1785!  Right, hitch up old Dobbin, I'm going to Lowes for some more bimetal precision blades! 

The photo posted 8 Dec shows a section of the John Wyke tool catalog.  Here you can see hacksaw blades for sale, certainly straight carbon steel ones.  The trip from Birmingham, England to Crossroads, Pennsylvania is months long, so although available, they were not common.  I believe that the gunsmith sharpened & resharpened his blade until it looked like the example shown. 

I have great respect for the modern craftsmanship and artistry displayed on this website.  But think that the original guns were made without bimetal, carbide, CNC or Track of the Wolf.  If more of us would really make a gun part using only period techniques and tools, we would stand in amazement of an original gun, and the awsome skill it took to make it.  Perhaps here is a challenge, to make a hacksaw blade and cut wrought iron with it.  No, I have not done this.

Jim Everett

[dannybb55]

Very true, I started using the band saw blades because the finished blade closely resembled those from Wykes cat. I even rounded the ends to look like the UK examples. Since I was working only a days ride from the port of Wilmington and hacksaw blades were listed as items purchased from the hardware store by James Foy for the plantation in Wilmington, thanks to ECU archives, I thought that I was making a fair copy. Saw blades are very portable, more so than files, All of the city whitesmiths must have had access to them. The best thing about cutting your own is you can make alternative length frames. Jim, I have a British antique tool guide that pictures a rough forged smiths saw with a blade made from a section of sythe blade, curve and all.
                                   Danny

[dannybb55]

http://www.theoldtoolshed.co.uk/images/thumbs/0001523_300.jpeg

[dannybb55]

http://www.vintagetools.net/product_images/11W1.jpg

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Here is another tool used in hand making a gunlock.  It is called a tumbler mill and is used to finish the lock tumbers shafts.  This tool will form the bridal shaft pin and the hammer shaft exactly co-axial and the inner/outer faces of the tumbler parallel and square with the shaft.  The in process tumbler shown is refined wrought iron that will be case hardened when finished.  At least 95% of the tumbler is done with files and the mill is used for the final cuts.  The tool is made from a fine cut mill file with the clearance holes for the tumbler shafts.  The brass spacers set the thickness of the tumbler which I make a bit thicker than the store bought locks we get today.  The big shank of the tumbler is held in a vice while the screws of the mill are tightened, the mill is then rotated a few turns, the screws tightened, and then a few more turns.  I am sure that you can envision how it works.  You have to loosen the screws frequently to clear chips.

I can make three different size tumblers, but I normally make the size shown.  The other holes are for making various sizes of screw shaft blanks when I do "shade tree" gunsmithing at 18th c trades fairs.  With this tool and my screw plates I can make a replacement 18th c lock screw in the field while the crowd watches.  Folks are at times surprised that this can be done without a lathe, dies, etc.

Jim Everett

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[dannybb55]

Wow, I have heard of this tool for 20 years but I have never seen one. I thought that it would look like a coffee mill. Thanks Jim.

[Bob Roller]

THAT is "scratching" at its best. How thick are your tumblers? I used a fine English lock for my dimensions which are ,232-,235.

Bob Roller

[James Wilson Everett]

Bob,

Thanks for the reply, the tumbler in the photo is 0.265, another made from the same tool measures 0.260 - go figure.  Since these things are case hardened wrought iron I feel better in making them a bit beefier than Siler type parts.  Of course the sear must be the same thickness, too.

Jim Everett

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's a hand made lock by Bob Roller.  He is unable to submit photos with his computer system, so I'm doing it for him.
The lock is entirely machined and forged by Bob; only the hammer is a casting.  Over the years, it seems most of these fabulous pieces have been scooped up by Europeans, either collecting pieces of exceptional hand craftsmanship, or using them in serious muzzle loading rifles.  If you've ever had the privilege of handling and cycling one of Bob's locks, you cannot help but be impressed at the smoothness,  power, and crispness of the action.  There is no over-travel when the hammer comes to full bent.  Very cool locks!!  Thanks for sending me the image of that one, Bob.

[Bob Roller]

Taylor,
Many thanks for the big assist and fine comments about these locks. I made the first one of this type in 1987 thanks to The late and very much missed Lynton McKenzie. He was always more than willing to send on loan to me ANY item he had to study or to try to duplicate.
The one this is copied from was off of an Alex Henry target rifle. The next time I wanted one for a smaller rifle or maybe even a pistol and Lynton came thru again by taking a fine little four screw lock OFF an existing Whitworth boys rifle.This one has also been copied by me about five times for people who want something a bit different. I think I have made twenty of the bigger ones but I keep no data on these or anything else.
Thanks again for helping me get this lock out where it could be seen.

Bob Roller

[westbj2]

Nice looking lock Bob.  Just curious why you used a screw to secure the top link joint instead of the conventional "half lap" cut out at the end of the tumbler arm.
Jim Westberg

[Bob Roller]

I liked the screw better and it adds a small detail to the rest of the assembly. I have seen locks similar to this using a screw for the link and they aren't hard to make. I haven't made one of these locks in a long time and may make one for a rifle I have started for myself (maybe).

Bob Roller

[Hudnut]

I recently made a replacement stirrup for a nice quality English shotgun lock, one of the half lap style.  I would much rather make the screw secured type.

[raszpla]

I appreciate the people who, in their own ihands, laboriously, trying to carry out the reconstruction of the weapons,
I myself am trying to proceed in this way, This allows me to continue to learn and to better understand human history, crafts, etc.
I also built a number of mechanisms flinlock. This is one of many examples. I bought the rifle barrel only, the other built works (100%) personally with Flintlock Mechanism

https://www.youtube.com/user/bolek1964?feature=mhee#p/u/6/hmG9YnGdi20

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/258839/fromsearch/1/tp/1/

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Here is a gunlock that will either make you laugh, or cry, or both simultaneously.  It is a converted flintlock that has had the screw holes and the spring holes filled and refilled about upteen times.  If you ever think that you have messed up a lock to the point of no return, just remember this old lock probably put a lot of meat on the table.  (And surely could still today on it's 200th birthday).  Also, check out the braze repair to the hammer nose.

Jim Everett

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[Tony Clark]

Rich,

The bolster block on the lockplate interior is not welded on.  The lockplate/bolster is cut from a thicker piece of wrought iron, a wagon wheel rim.  The pan is forge welded on.  I have also made them with detatchable pans - like the Siler lock.  This method is actually more work to file the plate & pan to fit nicely.

Jim Everett

Quite impressive Jim. Could you describe in more detail how you go about forge welding the pan on? I bet that is tricky isn't it? You must have one heck of a lot of experience forge welding to be able to do it. I know guys that have been blacksmiths for years and years who could forge weld just about anything but would still have difficulty doing that. How long have you been a blacksmith? How do you go about holding the pan and plate when your getting it up to forging temp? Any secrets you would care to share? What kind of forge do you have charcoal or coal? How is your forge set up? How about flux what do you use? When you silver solder the pans on how do you go about doing that in the forge?

I could go on and on asking you to describe your 18th century methods used in making these locks. It's just so fascinating...

Thought I would share some pics of a tumbler mill that another fellow made. Nice piece of work isn't it? Kind of amazing how when a person gets to be a true artisan their craftsmanship is reflected in just about everything they do.







 

[Jim Kibler]

Hello Tony,

That's a nice piece of machinery you've shown there.  One thing to note.  I believe it's the concensus that when pans are integral to the plate, originally they would have been made in one piece by folding the pan over in a forging die of sorts.  I understand the guys at Williamsburg forge welded the pans on for a time but now believe the pans were fromed from on piece of material and therefore use a die that lets them fold it over.

[James Wilson Everett]

Tony,

Truly a beautiful tool, a work of art for sure.  It must be a real joy to use it!

As for welding the pan on, it is not so difficult the way I do it.  First, I use oxy-acetylene rather than coal/charcoal.  Also, with oxy-acetylene you do not need to use any flux.  I use a firebrick that has a recess the shape of the interior lock bolster cut into the surface.  This allows the lockplate to sit down snug against the brick top surface.  The lockplate is finished somewhat close to final dimensions except it is high in the pan area, up to the level of the flashpan fence top.  The pan is actually a bar at least 18" long, like a handle from a large blacksmith tongs.  I lay the bar on the lockplate surface, it is oriented so that it would be hanging plumb down when the lock is in the firing position.  I heat the bar end and the pan area of the lockplate simultaneously with the torch until both surfaces show that slight movement at the point of melting.  Then I rotate the bar up 90 degrees to the lockplate and push down a bit by hand.  A few seconds of cooling and it is done.  I do not even hit it with a hammer.

I then cut the pan top surface down leaving the pan fence uncut.  All of the lockplate holes are drilled and the final outside shaped after the pan is welded on.  It is a lot easier to drill the holes to match the welded on pan that it is to weld the pan on at a precise location.

Jim Everett

[KNeilson]

Tony, thx for showing. I am in awe of the "heart" put into your tool... truly inspiring......     Kerry

[James Wilson Everett]

Tony,

Here are some closeups of the finished forge welded pans.  I said I can do it, not that I do it well.  Actually, when the job is new & shiney they look nice.  But, as you can see after some use the corrosion shows a lack of fusion line at the interface.  The lack of fusion is at the center of the weld.  I cut away a lot to bring the top pan surface down to the correct level, then even more to cut the pan hollow.  Goodness but these look shabby under magnification!  Maybe I should use flux.  The first three are entirely 18thc hand made from wrought iron.  The first is a Germanic lock on a Jaeger rifle with an original barrel.

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The next is an English style from a long fowling piece with a 56 inch barrel.  This one actually shows a little of the original forged surface at the base of the pan fence that did not clean up when the pan was finished (read as bad forging by me).

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The third is a detachable pan Germanic lock from a Lehigh style rifle.

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This one is a store bought & machine made lock with an integral pan, like most folks use.

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The last is a store bought & machine made lock with a detachable pan.

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My locks are hand made, but I know that they are not as good as the modern ones.  Close up photos can really make a proud man feel humble.

Jim Everett

[dannybb55]

Jim, Why couldn't you leave a lip of iron on the top of the plate and forge it over 90 deg and then shape it into a pan? Queen Anne doglocks exhibit such a trait.

[Keb]

...Here is a gunlock that will either make you laugh, or cry, or both simultaneously.  It is a converted flintlock that has had the screw holes and the spring holes filled and refilled about upteen times.  If you ever think that you have messed up a lock to the point of no return, just remember this old lock probably put a lot of meat on the table...

I don't see anything wrong with plugging & moving holes. I have plugged barrels that were drum & nipple to use on a flint lock with a vent liner. The plug may not line up good for a touch hole but who says the hole has to be in the center?

[James Wilson Everett]

Danny,

I might try forging the pan as you describe.  However, I have always found it to be very difficult to forge a sharp square on the outside of a bend.  Have you ever forged a pan this way?  I am sure that it would require a high skill level to do it.  I even find it difficult to get an outside square on the little lock sear piece.  Often my sears have an outside radius.  Oh well, I will keep on trying.  Thanks for the comment.

Keb Mo,

Thats the spirit, plug those holes and be happy.  With all of the great artists on this site that are able to make a brand new gun appear to be 200 years old, it might be interesting to make a few plugs in a lockplate just for the "old" appearance.  As for me, when I finish a gun it looks new.  Thanks for the comment, but dont go so far as to make a "Swiss cheese" lockplate like that one above.

Jim Everett