touching up flints

[Darkhorse]

It's the other way around Daryl.

[Dennis Daigger]

Dennis,
The best technique I’ve found is to pass the file left-to-right on both the top of the rock and along the bottom edge as well. Not trying to create a new, different bevel… just using the file to keep the bevel  edge even, not “ pitted “ or gouged. Minimal pressure is all that’s required. Let the tool do the work, your hand just guides it. Filing a flint to maintain its utility in the lock removes much less material than knapping, but it is slower.

Don, thanks for the explanation. This is basically hand grinding a facet and it was slow.
Dennis

[RichG]

I use a cheap diamond stone from Harbor Freight, works great. I just ordered a 120 grit diamond stone from wood craft for $30.00, should work even better. I usually put a new flint in a gun after cleaning and when I have a bunch of flints that need touched up I grab the stone and plug in a movie or watch a game and sharpen away.

[Daryl]

I knapp them on the cock & leave it there until it needs to be replaced.

[83nubnEC]

anyone ever use needle nose pliers? A tight squeeze and a little upward/backward pressure takes off littles chips of flint.

[recurve]

I often suggest to people that you can nip the back of a flint to flint in the cock better with pliers, so it should work for the edge (safety glasses flint flake in the eye is more than a bad day)

[Daryl]

anyone ever use needle nose pliers? A tight squeeze and a little upward/backward pressure takes off littles chips of flint.

That is where/why I posted that small "tool" on page 1. A rocking motion is all that is required, while holding the cock back from the 1/2 cock notch with the thumb.

[alacran]

I guess I just don't shoot enough. I always knap my flits on the cock and have never rounded a tumbler. I don't use those little hammers either.

[recurve]

not yet,
  if you can avoid an accident why not  ( found in my over 30yrs in law enforcement it was easier to avoid , than clean up  a tragedy after words)
not all tumblers will fail ,
it takes only one to hurt or kill someone 
it takes so   little time to do things safe                      so  why not

[45-110]

God I never considered it possible to break the 1/2 cock notch while touching up the flint edge. Geeze are the guilty ones using a ball peen hammer? I can renew the edge by tapping with the back of the patch knife. My old Silers have survived 50 yrs of tapping.

[recurve]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=83842.msg821046#msg821046

here is a tumbler that has been replaced , I don't know why it chipped

[bones92]

Wondering if a small brace would help, like a piece of wood with notched ends, on like a U-notch to fit around the neck of the cock, the other notched to rest on the back edge of the pan.  Make it just long enough that it stops the cock a few millimeters off of the half-cock position.   Even better would be a threaded rod with U-notched ends that can be adjusted to lengthen the brace. 

[foresterdj]

What do you think about this one?




image hosting sites

I actually shot it a couple more times, then tossed it and put in a new one. Figured it was beyond repair.

[recurve]

 If it's your only flint
If french knapped style turn it around and shoot



it'a how it's knapped

if english knapped



turn it around and flip it over the back might give a few shots(bevel down)