takeing a lock apart

[Duane Harshaw]

Thank you, to those that contributed to my how to finish a lock plate question.I want to take my Chamber's late  Ketland lock apart.I don't have the tool to compress the springs,but I do have vicegrips,now if i take the lock apart and put the pieces left to right,when I put it back together right to left,is there anything that I should be particularly carefull about,I know I need to be very carefull with the springs.please excuse my dumb questions..D

[bama]

Rusty51 you must like to gamble

Using vicegrips to compress your lock springs will work if you are real careful and real lucky. I used to like to gamble like that until I spent a few bucks for a spring vice because I broke a spring using the VG method.

If you are going to be a builder a spring vice is not only needed but a requirement. My luck ran out a couple of times and it does not take long buying springs mail order to pay for a vice.

I have 3 and I would not be without any of them.

You will soon learn that the lock parts can only go one spot. The few of the screws can get swithed around if you are not careful. Just pay close attention of how you take the lock apart and do it in reverse order when you put it back together. First couple of times is a little scary but after that you will not have a problem.

[Acer Saccharum]

Without the right tool to compress the main spring, depending on the lock, you're taking a chance. I'd hazard a guess you'd be OK on small locks, but for large locks with longer springs, you surely need a spring vise.

I once took a mainspring out of a large roundfaced English lock with vise grips, and the spring flew into three pieces. I had to buy a new spring AND a spring vise.

[Black Hand]

You can use Vice-grips carefully as a retainer (Set lock, apply Vice-grips to hold the compressed spring, gently release the sear and remove the compressed spring) but I wouldn't recommend them to compress the springs.  Its is better to spend a few dollars on the right tool...

[Militant_Hillbilly]

I've found that I can take them apart with two hands but need three to put them back together.

Am I alone in this?

[Eric Smith]

Rusty51 you must like to gamble

Using vicegrips to compress your lock springs will work if you are real careful and real lucky. I used to like to gamble like that until I spent a few bucks for a spring vice because I broke a spring using the VG method.

If you are going to be a builder a spring vice is not only needed but a requirement. My luck ran out a couple of times and it does not take long buying springs mail order to pay for a vice.

I have 3 and I would not be without any of them.

Bama, why do you have three? Are they different? Do you require different spring vuces for different locks?

[Keb]

I buy another spring vise every time I make an order to Track. I got a bunch of em and I find I still need more. :/

[Jerry V Lape]

I have two, but need a third because neither of the first two work well with the small mainspring on the Ditchburn lock.  I think I will file one up specifically for that spring which is a real pain to take out and put back.  I need a small cramp for the frizzen spring too. 

[Bill-52]

Rusty51,

At the risk of mentioning something you already know, there is a recommended order for disassembling and reassembling a lock.  Dixon's and Alexander's books have such an outline and some locks I've bought also come with a similar outline. 

I was so concerned the first time I took a lock apart I used those small plastic bags you get when ordering parts to label and store each component (sear & screw, bridle & screw, fly, etc.).  I've since found it a useful way to prevent losing a piece so I still use those plastic bags now.

As mentioned already, among the first steps in disassembling a lock is always "using the mainspring vise...."

Bill

[PPatch]

Rusty51;

I took my first lock apart maybe a month ago, I too had the willies - but they are pretty simple little machines and I had a spring vice. What I did was what you mentioned; line up the parts as you disassemble. Then I took a photo. Next I reassembled the lock and took it apart several times so I would remember what went where. Now its a  piece of cake. When I took it apart and knew it would remain that way a while I taped all the screws to the component it came off of and stored the parts in a compartmented plastic box. If your lock has a "fly," a tiny little thing on the tumbler (mine does), be sure and keep an eye on that sucker.

Good luck - buy a vice, you will be an old hand at lock picking in no time  

Dave

[490roundball]

the first few locks I took apart, I drew a oversized outline of the lock plate on a sheet of paper and taped each part to the paper as it came off with a line to the location in order of removal, with a drawing of the part in place - no great art - but recognizable.

did something similar when I recently dismantelled a box lock of a double barrel shotgun -  worked just as well.

as for the other good advise you have received- buy a vise,  ( get two )  and make sure you know where the fly is.

[dagner]

 watched a whole bunch of my friends in early days break lots of main spring with their vice grips and channel locks  get a a minspring vice   you will still brake one evey once in a  great while anyway but nothing like using pliers  .  a distaster going to happen

[Old Salt]

Since it hasn't been mentioned I'll add the caution required when taking the tumbler off the cock.

Do not use any tool to try and pry the cock from the tumbler.  You can easily damamge the tumbler.

The tumbler needs to be punched out of the cock with an approprtaite sized punch. 

Do not attempt to use the cock screw as a punch.  You can easliy damage the threads on the screw or the tumbler.

Regarding spring vices, buy one or two.  The lock requires regular cleaning to function well.  I take the springs off every time I clean the rifle.   

[bama]

E. Smith I use one for the mainspring and one for the frizzen. I normally do not have the springs out of the lock that long so I leave them in the vice. I keep a third for just in case I have to work on another lock while I have the other vices occupied.

I am going to buy a forth when I get back in the states. I do a good bit of lock work so having two sets of vices is a good thing for me. This way I can have a bench set and set to keep in my traveling tool box.

[heelerau]

A couple of days ago I repaired a Pat 42 musket lock, I aquired a spring vise from somewhere years ago and it worked fine. Have had a bad result with vice grips and a Pat 53 mainspring in two pieces. The repro sgts tool needs a little file work to hold the spring.

Cheers

Gordon

[Roger Fisher]

If you haven't noticed so far here, buy the dogone spring vise.    After all we are again under the order: spread the wealth Ok I snuck it in )

[Pete G.]

Step one is to go online and order a relacement fly.

[490roundball]

Step one is to go online and order a relacement fly.

          

[bgf]

One thing I do is tape the screws in their holes (e.g. on the bridle or in the tumbler)/or on the part they go with before putting the parts into an appropriately sized plastic bag.  This works for re-assembly the next day or (if reality calls) next month; the lock always goes together pretty quickly.  I also tape the fly to the tumbler.  Late Ketland is relatively easy to assemble/reassemble.

[JCKelly]

Buy, or make, a vise. Lest you take up serious vice. Me, I copied one of Dixie's (from Good Ol' Days) Indian War suplus trapdoor vises.




I made this one not just to be cool, but so I could dissassemble & reassemble that lock without damage to my soul or its metal.