holding a lockplate for drilling and reaming while building a lock kit

[rich pierce]

Guys, what do you use to hold a lockplate level and secure while drilling and tapping?  Say you have a round-faced lock with a thin edge.

Do you drill and tap from the inside or outside?

I've had trouble in the past holding a lockplate securely and was thinking of sticking the lockplate in bondo for the next couple of locks I need to build.

[flehto]

If a frame were made that had a large enough window ro accommodate all the holes in the lockplate and 4 legs were attached to the frame at the corners, the lockplate could be clamped upside down to the bottom of the frame. The leg length would be high enough to clear the pan when it sat on the drillpress table. 3-4 small clamps screwed into the frame would hold the lockplate......Fred

[Rich]

I haven't done it but I would consider using Bondo on a piece of board. Set the plate, drill, and then hit it with heat to release it from the Bondo.

[Jim Kibler]

However you hold it, the plate should be perpedicular to the spindle of you mill or drill press.  Ensuring this makes things a touch more difficult.  Bedding in Bondo would work.  With a good mill / drill press vise, yo could also likely get away with clamping it directly with some blocking etc.  Believe I've done this before.  Another option is to soft solder to a bigger block of steel to aid in clamping.  Whatever process you use, the plate ought to be indicated in relative to the spindle.

Jim

[doug]

    Only slightly off topic, but I have started soft soldering small awkward parts to a larger piece of scrap metal which I then hold in the vise.  Relative to a lock plate with no threaded holes (yet) in it. it is an alternative.  I would not use any solder on the outside of the lockplate because even after sanding apparently clean, you still have some solder in the metal pores, I have found.

cheers Doug

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I make iron lockplates based on the Siler lockplate by gluing the Siler plate to my rough plate using Elmer's glue.  It holds good enough to locate the holes and for the holes to be drilled & reamed.  Then a little hot water will release the parts, it works very well.  Try gluing the thin, round faced plate to a more stout piece of metal or wood using Elmer's.  Then you can clamp the assembly in a vise as tight as you wish and drill & ream.  Check out the photos under "scratch built locks" and you can see this process better.

Jim Everett

[Jim Kibler]

    Only slightly off topic, but I have started soft soldering small awkward parts to a larger piece of scrap metal which I then hold in the vise.  Relative to a lock plate with no threaded holes (yet) in it. it is an alternative.  I would not use any solder on the outside of the lockplate because even after sanding apparently clean, you still have some solder in the metal pores, I have found.

cheers Doug

Yes, it is a good way to hold awkward parts.  I do this quite often when making a lock.  I've never had any problem with cleaning residual solder from parts.  A little light filing, stoning or sanding will take care of it fine.  Sprengel (JHAT Volume III) recomends this process as well.

[docone]

What about using a pitch bowl?
I use it when I am setting stones on pendants. Mildly heat the piece, set it on the pitch. It will cool and freeze.
You can drill, tap, burr. It is pretty durable.
Denatured alcohol removes the residue.
Merely heat the piece and remove.
Those lock plates are large in comparison to pendants. The size might be a factor.
One day, I might have to try it.

[davec2]

I super glue the plate to a block of hardwood.  Drill, ream, tap, light machine...whatever.  Then hit with a propane torch when your done drilling and the part will pop right off.  I use the same trick in the lathe to turn ivory and horn rings except that I part them off rather than using heat to release.  Cut the wood block nice and square and glue the part (plate) down square to the block and it makes setting up for drilling easy and quick.

I also super glue parts to wood blocks for filing, polishing, and engraving.  As you can see, the process holds the parts well and I reuse the wood blocks until they are too burned from heating the parts to release them.

[kutter]

I've set awkward shaped parts into glass bedding compound to be worked on, like drilling, tapping etc..
Bondo for holding parts for engraving works well but I like something tougher for machine work.
I use the glass bedding for holding parts for engraving too if I'm doing a number of the same parts.
Probably overkill on my part, but that's the way I've done it.

A piece of squared up hardwood for the backer.

I use release agent on the part. Otherwise it's a tough go of it to get things separated and cleaned up afterwards!
To make sure the part doesn't move from it's cavity while working on it, I use either a couple of small clamps that I move around as needed as I work,,or sometimes a  simple bar strap clamp or two accross the piece where needed and screwed down with a drywall screw on either end secures it fine.

Make the wooden block large enough to accomodate the clamps, screws, etc and deep enough to allow a firm grip in the drill press/mill vise.

Drilling,reaming,tapping thru the metal, compound and into the wood doesn't damage any tool bits.


With any luck, you can make use of the mould again on an identicle part than needs fixing.

[doug]

I've never had any problem with cleaning residual solder from parts.  A little light filing, stoning or sanding will take care of it fine.  Sprengel (JHAT Volume III) recomends this process as well.

    I have resoldered several sets of double barrels (cartridge double guns) and then re finished the barrels to bring the damascus pattern out.  Along the ribs, the metal can look completely clean but when I start rusting, the patches usually show up.  Really difficult to remove in part because they are right against the rib.  Similar problem with resoldering underribs on damascus rifle barrels and on fowlers.

cheers Doug

[blunderbuss]

I lay the lock plate on a piece of wood and tack around it .That way it's easy to take off if needed and replace .

[Curt Larsen]

I spent a day with L.C. Rice at his shop in NC.  LC assembles locks for Jim Chambers.  He has some really neat set ups for holding and drilling lock parts.  I hope Jim reads this and encourages some photo views of LC's methods for us to have a look at.  I have some photos of LC's jigs, but he would need to explain them.  LC assembles both convential Silers as well as round faced locks.  I was impressed with his methods.
Curt

[Larry Luck]

There is an article (reprinted from Rifle magazine) about making a jig for assembling Siler locks in Gunsmithing Tips and Projects.  I suspect the jig could be adapted without difficulty to other locks.

I've not seen the inside of the Second Edition but the first is a great resource with a dozen or so articles directly on point for longrifle construction ranging from inletting barrels and locks to carving and finishing, many written by John Bivins.

Here is a link.

http://www.amazon.com/Gunsmithing-Tips-Projects-Second-Anthology/dp/187935683X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326132047&sr=8-1

Larry Luck

[Dave B]

It took me a while to locate this but here it is. I built this from reading John Bivins article on lock building in The Gunsmitithing tips and Projects Book.





At this time in my building I was assembling all my locks from kits and this really helped keep things Square for drilling, Reaming and tapping.