Layout Questions

[Chris in SE PA]

Before I start removing wood that I can't put back in, I'm asking for some advice.

Attached pictures show on the right side the 2 lines represent the top of my ramrod hole and the bottom of the barrel Chanel. My front lock bolt will go through there.

The left most vertical line represents where the breech plug ends. To the right of this is a vertical line indicating 1/2 the diameter of my touch hole liner. The horizontal line through that will indicate the center of my barrel and thus the center of the touch hole.

To keep the front lock bolt in the web it drops the tail of the lock considerably. I'm thinking that I will have to remove a considerable amount of wood to keep the wrist and the wood aside of the lock panel in harmony.

Will post pictures shortly.

[Chris in SE PA]

[flehto]

Hi....is that stock a precarve or did you make it from a blank? To begin....the dim from the bottom of the bbl channel to the bottom of the RR groove  is called the  web and yours is way too thick......3/16" is max. The lock position in the pic 2nd down is way too high. Please answer the question and then possibly more suggestions will be forthcoming.....Fred

[TommyG]

Fred is absolutely right.  Something looks way off with your web.  How are you measuring it?  Using small locating holes?  Are they finding the center of the RR hole?  The RR holes do sometimes walk off center, both from ones I personally drilled and from out sourced inletting as well. Knowing where the center is becomes very important in layout.  I use an old aluminum arrow that is darn close to .375", insert into the hole and thru the locating hole I scribe the arrow to see if the hole/channel drifted or not, this also determines the top of the hole.  Like Fred said, 3/16" or less is the target for web thickness.  As far as lock placement, depending on the school you are building, you can get away with tipping it a bit to get everything aligned and working together.

[Ky-Flinter]

....the dim from the bottom of the bbl channel to the bottom of the RR groove  is called the web and yours is way too thick......3/16" is max.

Fred, I think you meant to say "....from the bottom of the bbl channel to the top of the RR groove...."

Chris,
Based on the ink stamping on the side of the stock, I'm guessing it is pre-carved stock, or at least the barrel was inlet and the RR hole was drilled by the stock supplier.  The nose of a large Siler lock is about 1/2" wide, based on that, and if your markings are correct, in the picture it looks like your web is about a 1/4".  Not optimum, but if the hole is already there, you need to work with what you have. 

I think you can rotate the lock plate (use the touch-hole as the pivot point) to bring the nose down (and tail up) and put a #6 lock screw thru the lower part of the web, just grazing the top of the RR channel.  If the screw hole in the lock plate ends up being a little above the center line of the lock nose, it's not the end of the world, the frizzen spring will cover it.

Ron

[flehto]

Hi....not to quibble, but the RR groove doesn't have a "top"...it's open space and has a width. The "bottom" of the RR groove no matter the orientation of the groove is at the bottom of the groove depth......Fred

[Chris in SE PA]

I'm new at building.  This is my 1st one.  There are terminologies and jargon I've yet to learn.  So, I'll ask for forgiveness ahead of time.

I ran a bare arrow shaft into the hole.  It appears straight.

[Chris in SE PA]

Inlet to the depth of the bolster.

[Dave B]

Its good to be asking this question be for you do the final lock inlet. You can still change its position. You need to confirm where the ramrod hole is. you need to drill a small hole in the bottom of the barrel chanel about an inch and a half forward of the breach face stock area. only drill enough to penitrate into the ramrod hole. Now using a nail that you modify by bending over the  tip and grinding back the point till it is almost ground away now use your peanhamer to tap back the burr of the remnant hook now touch up the burr so it is only slightly larger than the diam. of the nail shaft. this you can drop into the hole in the stock and lift it till it catches in the web of the ramrod mark the level at the nail shaft bottom flat of the barrel inlet. lift out the nail and you now have the depth of the web below the barrel and can draw accurately the position on the stock to make sure you dont put a screw hole into the ramrod hole cross wise. Its that or convince your local X-ray department to take a shot of your project with the aluminum arrow shaft in the ramrod hole. This is what I was talking about. I made this depth gauge from some 1/16"dimensional wire from the hobby store and some cold rolled square stock. It takes the guess work out of the actual web edge  so you can place the lock correctly to avoid Lock cross bolt issues.