Lock inletted

[Eric Smith]

Finally got my siler lock inletted. Got it spotted and located perfectly where it should go in relation to the touch hole, wrist, front lock bolt. Plate went down perfectly. I was so proud.Bolster matched up with the side flat of the barrel with no gap. Great! Then I marked the screw holes in the plate and started to inlet the bridle. Still OK. Then I start in with the inletting black. Inletting black will fool you if you don't know how to read inletting black. I guess you need to be able to read inletting black and French at the same time. To make a long story short, my lock inlet now looks like it was made by a bulldozer or some 18Th century wannabe gunmaker. It will still work I suppose, but $#@*, what a learning experience. Thanks to some nice photos and some tips I found on the ALR, I think I can do a much better job next time. One tip I found in the archives was to make an imprint of the lock into floral foam, which gives you a picture of what you should cut away. Works just great, now that I have some.
  Thanks to Rich Pierce for the idea of nailing the lock plate with pins down to establish the lock plate outline. Worked just great.
  Oh well, my grandma always said "Bought wisdom is best, if you don't have to pay too dearly."

[Acer Saccharum]

..... I can do a much better job next time.

This is the kernel of truth that you must pay dearly for. You can't gain the experience without going thru the process. I congratulate you on your project.

Tom

[Eric Smith]

Thanks Tom. That means a lot, coming from you. Jeepers! Whats the next OMGoodness!

[JDK]

Don't fret too much.  A lot of early American work didn't come close to what the English and Continentals were doing with their inlets.   Many were just hogged out with no outline of the internals at all.  Of course many had round barrel channels for their octagon barrels.  It's more a pride in craftsmanship thing now than a practicality thing.

How are you applying your inletting black?  I used to paint it on the parts heavily then I learned you only need a "dusting"...kind of like dry brushing....with a stiff bristle brush like an acid brush or a tooth brush.

Congratulations and Enjoy, J.D.

[Eric Smith]

I have learned to be sparse with the black, but other things come into play , I think, like watching for high and low spots in a level lock plate.

[Nate McKenzie]

I much prefer smoking the parts with a burning candle or chimney-less oil lamp. No greasy mess like with inletting black.  Worse yet, I did my first one way back when with lipstick!

[Long John]

I agree with Nate.  Inletting black is more trouble than it is worth!  I use soot from an oil lamp.  It doesn't get all over everything like the commercial inletting black does and shows up better.  But I learned that lesson the hard way. 

All of us claw our way up the learning curve.  If there isn't an experienced builder close by that you can visit with then there is no alternative but learning from experience.

Keep at it - you will prevail.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Roger Fisher]

Finally got my siler lock inletted. Got it spotted and located perfectly where it should go in relation to the touch hole, wrist, front lock bolt. Plate went down perfectly. I was so proud.Bolster matched up with the side flat of the barrel with no gap. Great! Then I marked the screw holes in the plate and started to inlet the bridle. Still OK. Then I start in with the inletting black. Inletting black will fool you if you don't know how to read inletting black. I guess you need to be able to read inletting black and French at the same time. To make a long story short, my lock inlet now looks like it was made by a bulldozer or some 18Th century wannabe gunmaker. It will still work I suppose, but $#@*, what a learning experience. Thanks to some nice photos and some tips I found on the ALR, I think I can do a much better job next time. One tip I found in the archives was to make an imprint of the lock into floral foam, which gives you a picture of what you should cut away. Works just great, now that I have some.
  Thanks to Rich Pierce for the idea of nailing the lock plate with pins down to establish the lock plate outline. Worked just great.
  Oh well, my grandma always said "Bought wisdom is best, if you don't have to pay too dearly."

Don't feel bad -  years (a lot) ago I bought a hlf stocked chunk rifle  (at a price I couldn't refuse) looked as though it was built by 2 different folks.  The lock inlett was simply hogged out which weakened that area of the stock, so I ended up gluing in wood and recutting her innards.  This rifle was built by at least one 'name' builder....

[TMerkley]

.
  Thanks to Rich Pierce for the idea of nailing the lock plate with pins down to establish the lock plate outline.

I agree with this as well,  I use copper tacks so the threads on hte lock plate don't get burred up.  Then trace with an exacto knife. 

[Meteorman]

or you can just clamp the thing.  with the bolster in, it's not going to move.
/mike

[rich pierce]

Meteorman, just to clarify, I use nails not just to locate it for scribing prior to the first cuts but also to re-locate it after the first impression.  I lightly nail a close fitting nail in the mainspring teat hole or frizzen spring hole and also in a sear hole etc.  Then I cut the heads and some extra off the nails leaving 1/2" sticking up.  The lockplate can now be lifted straight up, do your chiseling, and place it back very precisely for the next impression.  I'm not advocating it for everyone.  It's just for the guy who has had a lock move on him during the inlet once and developed a gap.   

[Meteorman]

good idea Rich.  
I'd be afraid to get my chisels anywhere near a nail shank tho', given my lifetime subscription to Murphy's Law.
or after thinking about it, you probably mean the nail stays in the plate and the holes are in the wood (see, I woulda Murphy'd it backwards).  
/mike

[TMerkley]

Murphy is a  SOB!!!