flinter won't spark

[Metalbender]

BHP FAN , if you can get it up to 1500 degrees or a little past were a magnet wont stick to it and have your oil pre heated to 140 -160 degrees you can dunk in there swish it around for a min or so to cool it and clean it and try temp in your oven @400 . I really dont think you need to temper it if you go the leather and can route because I doubt its going to be that hard that it will break . Wich ever way you decide to do it Id like to here the out come

 

[sltm1]

Metalbender, good tip on the "non-magnetic" suggestion. Not many folks know about that and try to eyeball the color. Took me almost 2 years of blacksmithing before I found out about that "secret". Being self taught has had it's drawbacks for sure !!!

 

[JamesKelly]

Before you harden the frizzen, which may well be necessary, you might want to look over the lock for places where excess friction/poor fit is reducing the power of the mainspring. First, even on well-regarded American made locks it can happen that the end (hook) of the mainspring is dragging on the lockplate. This may be because the hole for the mainspring tit is not drilled perpendicular to the plate. Someone probably has a good idea how to fix that, I'd be inclined to shim it.
Likewise how is that frizzen spring working?
Anywhere you see a drag or scrape mark in the lockworks, that needs to be addressed.

I was told on one forum the frizzen spring on my Pedersoli NW gun was too strong. Maybe so for others, but I put a stronger one on mine & seems to work. Depends on lock geometry, which is beyond me.

there are many ways to screw up a frizzen by rehardening it, when you don't know what is the steel to begin with and are unfamiliar with heat treating.

If you do heat the thing red, with or without Kasenit, and quench it be sure to temper the neck hotter than the rest of it. Just apply a torch to that area until sort of blue. Keep the frizzen face cool while doing this. If the neck is as hard as the face it will be prone to breaking off some time & surprize you.

 

[Metalbender]

Sltm1 yea it aint a exact thing but it works some guys that make knives and such have all the bells and wistles like a electric heat treat oven's and propane forges with pyro meters . I dont have the funds for these things since my disposable income is all but gone

 

[mykeal]

Mr. Kelly provides some sage advice. See also post #9. There's a lot of work that can and should be done before hardening the frizzen; that should be the last thing you do.

 

[BHP FAN]

Believe me,if the frizzen didn't need to be hardened,I wouldn't.I've done the file test [it failed] ,replaced the flint [twice] changed the angle [bevel up,bevel down] tried my flints in another gun,and another gun's flint in mine. It's the frizzen.

 

[BHP FAN]

Well,the can full of leather scraps is in the fire,as it were.

 

[vulture]

I have a feeling that your problem is the frizzen, it's just too soft. I think these pistols were made in Japan and they were made rather cheaply. There is one thing you might want to check just for the heck of it. I purchased a flint lock from Dixie years ago to build a rifle around, wound up putting it on a pistol instead but I was having trouble getting it to spark, come to find out the top jaw of the cock was striking the frizzen just after the flint hit the frizzen and it was driving the frizzen away from the flint. The solution was to use a slightly longer flint, or try to mount it out farther in the cock. To get it to work I had to mount it with the flint right up against the frizzen at half cock, any farther back and it wouldn't work right. Just a thought.

 

[BHP FAN]

and it's a good thought,so I tried it.Still no sparky.I'm going to take it in to work on monday and try the torch...

 

[flintlock62]

If your flinter does not spark, it could be for a number of reasons. If there are gouges in your frizzen at all, it is too soft. There should only be scrape marks. It also depends on your flint. English black flints are the best followed by French amber flints. Of course, I've used white chert and have had excellent results. Some rifles for some reason, like the machined flints.

If your frizzen is too soft, you need to case harden it with kasenit. Heat it to a cherry red for at least two minutes, apply the kasenit by dipping it or sprinkling it on liberally and then quinch it in water. After that, clean off the residue and you should have a good sparker!

Note: use at least an oxy-mapp torch, propane will not work. Do not heat it above a cherry red. Use a magnet to test it, it must be non-magnetic.

If that does not work, your hammer spring it too weak. If it is too weak, it needs to be tempered.

If your dog thinks you are the best, do not go looking for second opinions.

Keep your powder dry,
David

 

[flintlock62]

I forgot to mention. Use a pair of vise grips to hold the back part as it works as a heat sink. Apply ALL the flame to the back side ofthe fizzen.

 

[BHP FAN]

Well we'll try that next.Yes,there are gouges in the frizzen...and yes,I've got a buddy with Kasenit and torches.We'll get this thing up and running.

 

[BHP FAN]

SUCCESS! Huzzah! Kasenit rules!