Author Topic: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan  (Read 963 times)

Offline Nhgrants

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Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« on: August 13, 2024, 12:40:57 AM »
Workng on an old project. The pan and the frizzen contact at the rear side of the pan.
Using prussian blue to check for contact.  This is at the base of the frizzen striking surface and is too hard to file.  What is the best way to remove some metal at this  location?
The only thing i can thik of would be a diamond hone.
Thanks for any advice.









Offline Steeltrap

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2024, 01:53:47 AM »
How much of a gap do you have?  Can you remove metal from the top of the rear of the pan?

Offline Nhgrants

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2024, 03:45:50 AM »
Its enough to see light maybe .005.  Its enough for all of  4F prime to fall out.
I think even 3 fF fell out.  Is it common to take some off part of the pan?

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2024, 04:38:46 AM »
Filing the pan is the most common approach I’ve seen.
Andover, Vermont

Offline smart dog

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2024, 02:05:33 PM »
Hi,
A diamond needle file will do the job filing the pan cover but I always anneal the battery when doing this kind of job.  Filing the back of the pan will also work but I usually find it necessary to do both. Fit the battery while under spring tension from the frizzen spring.  If you don't 9 times out of 10, you will think the cover fits and then see a gap after attaching the spring because the spring pushes the battery up. 

dave
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2024, 05:10:14 PM »
I do it this way, I have filed frizzens on Chamber locks with needle files without problems. For me it is a lot easier to file the frizzen for a fit than to file the pan.


Offline Steeltrap

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2024, 05:10:45 PM »
The lock I’m currently working on had that same front gap. The frizzen screw/hole was sloppy. I took a larger diameter screw, chucked it up in the drill press and made the diameter about .004 more. Then took a die and cut threads. Also required drilling a little larger hole for the screw to fit.

Doing that cut the front gap in half thus requiring less pan to file.

FWIW

Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2024, 06:08:37 PM »
A fairly coarse diamond sharpening plate works well for this sort of thing.

Offline JH Ehlers

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2024, 07:56:44 PM »
a sharpened highspeed steel lathe bit in sturdy handle works well as a scraper to remove more metal. You will have to clamp the frizzen or lock in a vise and use pressure on it, will need filing to smooth out after.

Offline Darkhorse

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2024, 11:34:54 PM »
I mostly do the pan. I use a couple of sizes of files, blocked sandpaper, and a diamond sharpening tool with a coarse side and a fine side. I also use inletting black. These tools are chosen as needed for the job.
The diamond tool and blocked sandpaper will flatten the underside of the frizzen.
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Offline Nbright

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2024, 11:59:48 PM »
I do it this way, I have filed frizzens on Chamber locks with needle files without problems. For me it is a lot easier to file the frizzen for a fit than to file the pan.



Oh my word - I thought you were in my shop, lol.  Here is my taskmaster vice lol!!


Offline kutter

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Re: Trouble fitting frizzen to pan
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2024, 03:34:45 AM »
I use those EZE-Diamond Lap sticks quite frequently.
For this job I first use one to flatten the bottom of the frizzen. Make it as highly polished as you care to do.
But keep it FLAT. The more you go at it, the better the chances of starting to round it slightly.

Put the frizzen back into the lock assembly with the frizzen spring in place.
As Smartdog points out, this will make sure the frizzen is pushed down where it will always go with the spring tension behind it. Something you can't really duplicate by just running it back and forth by hand w/o the spring in place.

Brighten up the top surface of the pan edges and then smoke them with a candle, smoke lamp or what ever special method you like.

Using something like stock inletting black or similar marking substance will give impressions of high spots but generally much too oversize in nature for this type of close fit work.

Snap the frizzen closed and open and check the high spot 'in the white marks. They may be tiny in some instances or very bold.

In cutting/clearing them down, use a simple scraper instead of a file.
A file digs in too much when trying to get just a small specific spot..
A scraper will cut fine curls of steel from just the right spots very easily.
Nothing more than what you use for a small wood inletting/carving tool scraper works very well.
Pull it towards you.
A right angle hook scraper with a flat edge blade of very narrow width will allow careful and easy removal of the soft metal at a fast rate.

Re-smoke the surface and keep scraping till full contact is achived,,or as near as you can get.
A simple quick polish over the scraped surface with a fine grit diamond lap when done will blend in the scrape marks (which may be in different directions) and keep the surface flat and perfect contact with the frizzen.