Tapered bolster on lock.. is it normal?

[HighUintas]

The bolster on my lock (late ketland) is tapered towards the rear. It gets thinner behind the fence. I didn't think about it until now that I'm ready to drill the lock bolt hole, but if the rear is thinner and on an angle relative to the rest of the bolster and the side of the barrel and I'm only going to use 1 lock bolt, isn't that going to cause the front of my lock plate stick outward when snugging up the lock bolt? I do have wood underneath that portion, but that wood is going to compress. See the pictures with the straight edge on it.

[Mike Brooks]

Your bolster surface doesn't appear to be flat.

[HighUintas]

You are correct that it is not. It is thinner a bit behind the fence. But is dead flat from right behind the fence to the front.

Is that not normal for this lock?

[Bob Roller]

I think I see a gap between the plate and the mainspring anchor stud.Maybe the plate is warped.
The lock plates for the Nock lock I made for Helmut Mohr had as cast,a pronounced taper that if not
removed would make the tail of the plate stand wide and flare the stock.I slabbed them off with a milling
machine to parallel,
Bob Roller

[EC121]

Put some indicator color(magic marker, etc.) on the bolster and stone or sand  or file it until the plate is straight

[HighUintas]

The plate is straight. It was bent slightly inward towards the middle and internals so that the tail was flared out when inletting. I straightened the plate, which has caused the bridle to be nowhere near square to the plate and if I even snug the bridle screw it binds the tumbler badly.

Bob, I believe there was always that slight gap between the mainspring and plate near the anchor hole.

This is a chambers late ketland. Does everyone else's lock of the same make have a completely flat bolster front to very back?

I can't file the bolster flat because I'm pretty sure the mainspring would then be hitting my barrel, which is only a 1" across the flats barrel.

[RAT]

The bolster needs to be flat so it sits flush with the barrel. You can file it straight, or at a taper, depending on how you want your panels to be.

If the bolster is parallel to the plate... and using a tapered barrel... your lock panels will taper with them being wider at the back.

If the bolster is narrower at the back... and using a tapered barrel... your panels can be parallel to each other.

If the bolster is even narrower at the back... the panels will taper and be narrower at the back and wider at the front.

This is something that you, as the builder, will accomplish to reach the desired goal.

[Mike Lyons]

I’ve had it happen but, I caught it when I was cleaning up the lock before I started inletting.  Buttplates normally have the same problem.  I think your only option is to flatten your bolster.  Maybe Mike can loan you his magical Woo-woo stick. 

[Eric Kettenburg]

If the mainspring hits the barrel, just file steeper angles on the mainspring bevels, or alternately chisel some relief into the barrel.

[HighUintas]

So, I am gathering that even though I have full flush contact with the barrel and the bolster is flat from front to behind the fence where the barrel ends in the wood begins, I still need to file down that bolster to where it's completely flat front to back?

[Long Ears]

Looks like a perfect fit to me. It shouldn't compress any wood if it's sucked up tight against the barrel. Just my 2 cents. Bob

[mountainman]

I was having the same issue with a dale Johnson lock, I got it straightened out with the bolster being thin on the rear and it being thicker on front, so I filed the front down a bit so  the plate is parallel with the bolster, so I went ahead and inletted it, but then I discovered the thick end of the main spring was too wide as it was getting into the ramrod channel.
I feel like most of the lock bolsters aren't thick enough to begin with, because I had trouble with that before where the main spring starts getting into the ramrod channel, and if you  need a thicker wrist, it's almost impossible.

[HighUintas]

I was having the same issue with a dale Johnson lock, I got it straightened out with the bolster being thin on the rear and it being thicker on front, so I filed the front down a bit so  the plate is parallel with the bolster, so I went ahead and inletted it, but then I discovered the thick end of the main spring was too wide as it was getting into the ramrod channel.
I feel like most of the lock bolsters aren't thick enough to begin with, because I had trouble with that before where the main spring starts getting into the ramrod channel, and if you  need a thicker wrist, it's almost impossible.

Yes, with the bevels on this plate and having to have the lock panels meet the lower part of the bevel rather than be flush with the outer plate surface means that my lock panels will be very narrow or not very "high" above the surrounding wood. Less than 1/8" I think. Filing down that bolster would make them even narrower.

I'm thinking that since I have flush contact with all of the barrel, I might either soak the wood that is under the thinner part of the bolster with super glue to solidify it or put some epoxy there to bed it and ensure it doesn't compress the wood and kick the front of the plate out. I could also add a forward lock bolt. Or, I could melt some braze or solder on that rear part and then file that part flush with the forward area.  I really don't want to file down that bolster.

[alacran]

If you place the lock bolt close to the breech of the barrel, you will take care of the issue.

[rich pierce]

So, I am gathering that even though I have full flush contact with the barrel and the bolster is flat from front to behind the fence where the barrel ends in the wood begins, I still need to file down that bolster to where it's completely flat front to back?

It only needs to be flat where it contacts the barrel.