Author Topic: Making a frizzon spring (Read 2201 times)

David R. Pennington · « **on:** March 07, 2021, 11:03:53 PM »

Here are some photos taken while making a frizzen spring.
Rough forged blank. I almost always do two. If one fails you have a backup, if not you have a spare.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:10:57 PM »

Filing jig and pattern.

In use.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:19:19 PM »

Cutting and filing the pin.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:23:02 PM »

Fitted to lock, hole located, drilled and tapped.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:25:05 PM »

Shaping finial.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:26:54 PM »

Finial done.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:28:55 PM »

Final shaping, bent to pattern.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2021, 11:31:38 PM »

Tried in the fire. Hardened and tempered. Ready for action.

pjmcdonald · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:10:11 AM »

David,
Thank you for the excellent pictorial. Something new for me to learn.

Did you also make that trigger guard? Interested to learn lore about it too.

Thanks,
Paul

rich pierce · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:48:40 AM »

Excellent; thank you.

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2021, 12:49:40 AM »

Yes Paul, and the triggers. I made everything except for the barrel and lock. I wasn’t happy at all with the lock’s performance as received. I bushed the tumbler to take out the slop and I made three mainsprings before I got it sparking consistently and then had to replace frizzen spring. It now is a dependable sparker and I usually can get 20-25 shots before having to fool with flint. Before it would only spark if flint was perfect. Maybe 3 shots without fooling with it.

Clint · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2021, 01:18:50 AM »

" I wasn’t happy at all with the lock’s performance as received. " Sounds like you may be on the dark narrow road to lock making. Making locks from scratch is sort-of like reading a 1000 page classic novel, not an afternoon project. Casting sets, on the other hand. , are almost recreational, plus you get to see small filing details that don;t appear on modern locks. Nice work on the springs, electric kilns help a lot to reduce spring breakage down to zero.
Clint

J. Talbert · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2021, 04:12:05 AM »

Nicely done!

Jeff

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2021, 06:21:42 AM »

Quote from: Clint on March 08, 2021, 01:18:50 AM

" I wasn’t happy at all with the lock’s performance as received. " Sounds like you may be on the dark narrow road to lock making. Making locks from scratch is sort-of like reading a 1000 page classic novel, not an afternoon project. Casting sets, on the other hand. , are almost recreational, plus you get to see small filing details that don;t appear on modern locks. Nice work on the springs, electric kilns help a lot to reduce spring breakage down to zero.
Clint

Some things I have to do at least once to prove to myself I can. The last rifle I built I used a cast plate, a cock and a frizzen I had on hand, and made all the internals with a stirrup mainspring and link and fly.
I turned the tumbler a bit thicker than necessary but it works quite well. Some day I aim to build a whole rifle including a completely hand forged lock and forge welded and hand rifled barrel. If I could only afford to retire....

flatsguide · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2021, 07:49:34 AM »

That is beautiful file work.
Richard

P.W.Berkuta · « **Reply #15 on:** March 08, 2021, 08:12:11 PM »

Nice work and a lot of it

Bob Roller · « **Reply #16 on:** March 08, 2021, 08:53:43 PM »

Quote from: P.W.Berkuta on March 08, 2021, 08:12:11 PM

Nice work and a lot of it

That's for sure.About two days before the 2019 CLA show in Lexington I finished the
last lock,a flintlock on the L&R Durs Egg externals and that was IT,I don't think it's
a long dark road but it is a long learning process.Once the springs are made and proven
reliable the rest can be worked out.I like finely detailed mechanisms and even the labor
intensive 4 screw Stanton style for the long range rifles were a rewarding experience
and I am glad for it during my years of lock making.I have no desire or interest in starting
again and am content with a few triggers each month.These triggers are to the extent possible
made with machinery and detailed by hand with good quality files and reflect what I think of
the buyer and myself as the maker.The same idea was used in my locks.

Bob Roller

Daryl · « **Reply #17 on:** March 08, 2021, 09:20:06 PM »

Absolutely amazing, David. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.

rich pierce · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2021, 02:07:07 AM »

My apologies. I fat fingered while looking at this topic and locked it accidentally. This is a great topic obviously. Sorry about that.

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2021, 03:24:17 PM »

David, you have made an excellent tutorial for making a spring - thanks! I do not believe that I will try to make a frizzen OR a mainspring myself, but now I sure understand the process. I shall content myself with making the small, sheet metal springs for patch box or retainer springs in a knife sheath.

Hopefully, one of the mods will move this into our tutorial section before too long.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #20 on:** March 11, 2021, 06:27:45 PM »

Very nice in all respects.

Shopdog · « **Reply #21 on:** March 11, 2021, 07:13:10 PM »

David,
You've done an excellent job illustrating the process. Your photographic skills are as good as your amazing blacksmithing work! The layout and composition of the pictures is very informative. If you ever did a book on the blacksmithing as it relates to traditional firearms manufacture I'd think it would be a classic. Just one more thing to do before you retire

Joe

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #22 on:** March 12, 2021, 07:44:53 PM »

Very nice work and a very useful visual tutorial David Pennington! Inspiring...

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Author Topic: Making a frizzon spring (Read 2201 times)