touch hole position on a wheel-lock

[Bioprof]

On a wheel-lock, do you position the touch hole in the center of the pan at the sunset position like you would a flintlock, or do you put it slightly forward of the center of the pan where most of the sparks would be thrown by the wheel?

Here's a picture of my project:

[Dave B]

I know that the lock times on a wheellock are faster than a conventional flintlock and the sparks are generated amongst the grains of powder vs showered down on to the priming. The resulting flash whether from one or the other will be the same. Place your flash hole as you would for  your flint lock at the center and slightly below the top of the pan the horizon of the pan. I found three examples in Gefahrlich und Shon that showed the pan open position for the wheellocks. All of these were below the level of the top of the pan. How ever several were slightly a head of the center and one slightly behind center. It seemed that the touch hole on all of them was level with the top of the wheel.

[Feltwad]

You can set the touchhole just the same as a flintlock.For ignition do not over fill the pan with powder because wheel pull down the powder into the works of the lock this in turn slows down the movement of the wheel which will have to removed and cleaned.You can use a man made stone in the dog but the traditional way is pyrites.
Feltwad

[volatpluvia]

Bioprof,
If you have already read my last post on this thread at MLForum, you need to read the thread on coning of drilled flash holes.  One of the posters offers scientific evidence on the thrust of gases coming out the flash hole.  I can always be wrong!   
volatpluvia

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have built only one wheellock, and I put the touch hole in the same position as I would on a flintlock.  Ignition is simultaneous withy trigger pull, and noticeably faster than a flinter.

[Bioprof]

The reason that I asked is that I vaguely remembered something that Leon had posted about modifying the vent hole.  He recently reminded me that if the blast from the vent hole is directed right on the pyrite, it can erode the pyrite very quickly.   To avoid this, one can angle the vent hole so that the blast doesn't hit the pyrite.   Of course, this would be kind of hard to do if one used a standard vent hole liner.

On Taylor's wheel-lock, it looks like the wheel is quite a ways from the vent hole, so maybe it isn't as much of a problem on his.

[smart dog]

HI Tim,
Every photo I have showing the vent hole on a wheellock has it at the sunset position centered on the pan.

dave

[frogwalking]

Can one buy a wheellock action, or must one build it from scratch?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I think TRS sells several wheellock actions.  I made mine from scratch using info published in a book.

[Daryl]

Wheellocks and their ignition have been discussed several times here at ALR - the general feeling I get from reading them, is that the wheellock is about the same speed as a flintlock - what Taylor says about his wheellock is true and correct- the ignition is simultaneous(to all perceptions) with the touch of it's set trigger - POW, not gopow or clatchpow as with a flint.  I don't think the vent location is particularly important, however, the suggestion of having it in front or behind the edge of the pyrites to protect the 'rock' form vent blast is a good one, especially with a rifle developing higher pressures than the pistol.

I have a flintlock rifle, which puts the front left corner of the flint right down into the pan.  The flints errode in a diagonal line across the flint's leading edge, almost as if the cock was striking on a funny angle.  This is not so, the flint strikes evenly across the frizzen, but the flint always develops this angled 'wear' pattern.  It has to be from the powder gasses coming out the vent.  The other rifles, with flint stopping just above the vent don't do this, only that particular lock.  Thus, I believe, with a wheellock rifle, the vent could be behind or in front of the rock and that would 'save' it' for longer shot strings. With such low pressures in a pistol, I don't think it's important enough to play with.  I have not noticed any abnormal 'wear' with Taylor's pyrites rocks. This particular pistol also has a smooth wheel, for use with old flint chunks - works great.

[Bioprof]

Can one buy a wheellock action, or must one build it from scratch?

I don't know of anyone who sells completed locks, but The Rifle Shoppe and Blackleys and Sons of England sells castings to build your own.  The Rifle Shoppe might put one together for you, but it might take years and at least double the cost of the parts (or more) to assemble it.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

The Rifle Shoppe sells completed locks and their assembly price is unbelievably cheap.  Until you have built one of their sets, you don't appreciate that.  There are a million pitfalls, and you'll need some provision for screws, 'cause there are none with the casting sets.  Other lock maker's screws are close but not correct  usually.

[Feltwad]

The Italian gun making company Mendi did make this type of lock that was 30 plus years ago,whether they are still  in production I do not know.
Feltwad