1755 British Land Pattern Lock Restoration.

[FlinterNick]

Restoring a British Land Pattern Lock welded the pan back on.

Welding pans back on is a bit tricky.

I start by filing out the dished area for the percussion bolster / drum. Then I use candle black to find the high spots and fit the new pan just around 90 degrees. I use bricks and graphite to hold the pieces with very little friction.

I set the pan at 90 degrees with the upper edge of plate as best as i can, there’s room for some tolerance and I make sure the bridle arm is lined up with the bolster.

Then I tack weld the pans edge to the top bolster and 360 weld the rest. The underside of the pan is tough because of the back flow of gas, TIG is not as effective in these circumstances, so I use an Oxygen acetylene  torch. I use a number 3 torch tip and have my gauges set to 7 and 20 PSI on both tank regulators slowly increase and decreasing the gas pressure with the torch head while welding. The wrought iron melts pretty easily and flows well.

Next I will clean up the welds and begin to install the frizzen and frizzen spring.

Another way to attach a pan is by adding an arm to the separate Pan section and screwing it on and then welding over the screw and seams. I often will do this on locks that will be used because it allows me better control over the pans positioning.

This lock will be used on a marine and milita musket restoration.

[rich pierce]

A lot of work there, especially cleanup.

[Hudnut]

Finishing underneath the pan, with the little fillet and engraving has to be done just right.  Sometimes necessary to touch up the King's Mark and the Crown.

[FlinterNick]

Finishing underneath the pan, with the little fillet and engraving has to be done just right.  Sometimes necessary to touch up the King's Mark and the Crown.

no crown or broad arrow on this lock, just the border engraving. single lined too.

[FlinterNick]

A lot of work there, especially cleanup.

restoration are always like this. especially with integral pans.

[FlinterNick]

Pan area cleaned up well. Just going to spot weld some of the gas pockets. Next up is the tumbler which is more challenging because it’s been drilled out to 1/4 x 24, with a lot of stripping, will have to close up the hole and redrill it.

[Clint]

Nick,   Nice job on the pan weld. Wrought iron and steel castings can sometimes provide the added 'sport' of collapsing into a casting void or a slag pocket. I always used a gas welder for this kind of work, largely because I could never remember to turn the brand new argon bottle off . By the next morning the bottle was M/T. So I just put the tig torch away and used acetelene. It was all good fun.Clint w

[FlinterNick]

Welded up the tumbler.

Welding tumblers is complicated and risky.

The reason why is because the hole is blind and deeper and shielding gas and oxygen doesn’t get in there for assist with the weld, and there’s back drafts. 

The tumbler screw was drilled out to 1/4 “ with nearly all of the steel gone for threading, i installed a screw and bottomed out, cleaned with acetone before.

I preheat the part to orange red before I start welding with the oxygen acetylene torch. My tank pressures are around 7-10 and 15-20 slowly reducing pressure as the weld progresses. The weld will travel around 1/4 deep into the tumbler with a small portion of it being unwelded, this is generally ok.

I begin by melting down the screw into the tumbler until the heat and weld expands. Into t he iron.

Another way to do this is to drill straight through the tumbler and weld up both ends, the back axel will need to be replaced if this is done and additional work to line up with the tumbler.

Today finishing up the the frizzen frizzen spring.

[FlinterNick]

Frozen drilled and tapped

Welded up the tumbler.

Welding tumblers is complicated and risky.

The reason why is because the hole is blind and deeper and shielding gas and oxygen doesn’t get in there for assist with the weld, and there’s back drafts. 

The tumbler screw was drilled out to 1/4 “ with nearly all of the steel gone for threading, i installed a screw and bottomed out, cleaned with acetone before.

I preheat the part to orange red before I start welding with the oxygen acetylene torch. My tank pressures are around 7-10 and 15-20 slowly reducing pressure as the weld progresses. The weld will travel around 1/4 deep into the tumbler with a small portion of it being unwelded, this is generally ok.

I begin by melting down the screw into the tumbler until the heat and weld expands. Into t he iron.

Another way to do this is to drill straight through the tumbler and weld up both ends, the back axel will need to be replaced if this is done and additional work to line up with the tumbler.

Today finishing up the the frizzen frizzen spring.