Restart on stalled out project

[David R. Pennington]

Foul weather gave me some shop time so I restarted an old project. Old fowler lock that was converted to percussion. Decided to try and reconvert to flint. Tumbler was pretty worn so I made a couple templates and in process of filing out a new one.

[whetrock]

I'm very glad you are posting this. I've been putting off several similar rebuilds of locks. Any and all details you are willing to share will be most appreciated!

So I think what I'm seeing here is that you made the filing templates, and turned the tumbler blank on a lathe. The blank has both axles turned to size. And the arm for the pin has been drilled and a temporary pin put in the hole. Templates then sit on the blank, left and right, aligned on the axles and the pin. Is that correct as regards sequence?

So what material did you use for the tumbler?

Your filing templates look like steel. Can you describe your process for making them? Are they hardened?

I have more questions about the filing of the notches, when you get to that part. And also about the new pan. But this is a start.
Thanks!

[David R. Pennington]

Whet rock,
 You surmised correctly. The original tumbler was so well worn I decided to replace it. The rest of the internals were in serviceable condition. Making a new tumbler also allowed me to increase axle diameters enough to compensate for wear in bearing surfaces on plate and bridle. I will ream them to a working fit. I made templates as you supposed from steel but didn’t harden them. I will use them as a rough reference and file to a close resemblance then finish to a working fit on sear notches. The pin hole as you stated is point of reference to keep everything aligned. I did lathe turn the blank but honestly I didn’t keep good notes and have forgotten what material I used. I made one once from tool steel and it was very hard to shape. This one files easily. I saved enough of scrap pieces I sawed off so I can test heat treatment. Most original ones are simply wrought iron and case hardened. If it won’t harden when quenched I will case harden it.
I believe I found the pan and frizzen in my stash of parts and bought the hammer from Ed Cain. I filed the pan to fit and brazed it on the plate.
Thanks for your interest.

[Steeltrap]

Always impressed with you guys who can make a lock part(s) out of nothing and have them work perfectly. Nice work!

[David R. Pennington]

New tumbler fitted to original plate and bridle. I increased size of axles slightly and drilled and reamed plate and bridle to create new bearing surfaces. Now to make new link for stirrup and fit to tumbler and mainspring, fit cock and finish filing sear notches and stop. Then harden and temper tumbler.

[whetrock]

Please tell more about the stirrup. Are you keeping the same size pins as on the orig?

I'm assuming from the post that the springs were still usable.

Thanks.

[David R. Pennington]

The mainspring and sear spring look good. I may need to re-temper mainspring. I will try it first. The stirrup surface on mainspring good. I probably will make link from flat stock and braze drill rod in for pin. Original was made from one piece but one pin is worn badly.

[David R. Pennington]

Original main and sear spring with worn stirrup link.

[mountainman70]

Lookin good bro.
You going to build something with the lock?
I did a reconvert on similar looking plate.
I used small Siler parts and it works good.
Put it on a fancy rifle Bob and I did togather
Best regards
T'other Dave

[Bob Roller]

There are several partially done locks in my shop but right now the extreme cold would make heating the shop costly.
Maybe in the Spring,One is a Hawken lock and the other is a scaled down English style plate and hammer with a 4 screw bridle.
I have made maybe 7 others like this or maybe 8.I tip my hat to those who restart dormant projects. I have a well equipped shop
and decades of experience and little desire.
Bob Roller

[David R. Pennington]

Bob hoping you can get some more time in that shop this spring. Always enjoyed visiting you there.
Takes an armload of hardwood to get my shop warmed up on these kind of mornings.

[Bob Roller]

Dave,
Thanks for the comments and I enjoy the visits and the old truck restoration.I have thought about a wood. coal burner but the smoke would probably have the neighbors get their shirts in a knot over the smoke.I enjoy the odor of coal and wood burners.I have a good kerosene stove but still no interest and I will not leave my wife of nearly 56 years alone.I have a hard time convincing her to keep her cell phone WITH her and this year I missed the CLA Show because our son here had to work and no way to avoid it.Stay warm and DRY.
Bob Roller

[PEARL DRUMS]

It's hard to re-start stalled projects. It seems more often than not we sidetracked them for good reason(s). I'm a selfbow builder now dabbling in rifle building. I have partially started bows all around the shop. Every few years I will go on a tear and get what I can get from them and burn the rest. Always feel good to clean up. I have a TC re-stock ready for final shaping and have zero desire to finish it. Kind of sad considering the huge amount of hours I've invested so far. I started a new one from the plank I had leftover that will be a ground up build. That will keep my interest as it isn't a copy cat build.

As far as heating the shop. It's single digits here. I turn on my small electric wall heater and my Wagner heat gun on high for a half hour. It makes it tolerable with a good flannel on. After a few hours of tinkering its about 60-62 in there. Then I start over all over again the next day after work. Its an ever revolving door.

[David R. Pennington]

I sometimes get too many irons in the fire. I am still interested in most of my projects but often run out of time and energy. I used to put in a full day of work and then work in shop till bedtime. Don’t do that often anymore!

[Bob Roller]

We have a "tropical" 4 degrees here this morning and I usually offer to drive the boat for water skiers but no takers so far. Restarting dormant projects at this point in time has no appeal.My opinion of this weather can't be put into presentable language so I will avoid it.
Dave Pennington's old stove brings back memories of George Killen's home/shop.Bill Large had a big fireplace at one end of his shop and he burned nearly anything that would ignite..I met Bill in 1954? and NEVER thought I would be the one that facilitated the sale of his shop equipment decades later.IF I was prone to larceny and common low life theft I could have had more new and in the cylinder end mills for the taking but Jim McLemore got ALL there was,machines and all small tools.Bill gave me some of the small ones that he'd never use and I still have a few of them and still new in the cylinders.It;s amazing the memories that come up and most in bad weather conditions like our 4 degree "paradise"today.
Bob Roller

[David R. Pennington]

Takes a little while on these mornings but I was down to my T shirt by lunch time. The little pot belly does a good job but needs the wood worked down to smaller chunks. I burnt oak spokes and felloes from an old wagon wheel today. I bought a wagon a while back to get the wrought iron. I never understood the reason people liked to watch them rot down in their front yards.

[whetrock]

I was looking at the irregular wear on the old stirrup. So what do you think caused that? Is the claw on that spring symmetrical, or is it heavier on one side (as some I have seen)? Is there a rough spot or other irregularity in the concavity of the claw that caused premature wear on one side?
 

[David R. Pennington]

My theory is wear on tumbler axle pivots allows tumbler to tilt out of 90 degrees with plate. One reason I made new tumbler. I increased axle sizes enough so I could ream pivot holes in plate and bridle to make good bearing surfaces again. In other words the wear allowed the tumbler to cock sideways putting more pressure on one side of the link axle. The spring claw looks really good.