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Lock screws

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jason0012

Pilgrim
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I am building a flintlock and am curious what material recommendations I can get for screws. All my books it seems like soft steel is used by many builders. Most bolts i use in machinery building are grade 5 or better (4130).
 
Do you want to make your screws from scratch? Suppliers like Track of the Wolf sell over long screws that can be cut to length and blank screws that have to be threaded. In a few cases I've made a screw out of a suitable bolt.
 
Use what ya have. Most screw stock is lead bearing steel so it machines easily. I just cant justify paying $3 to$4 for a simple #10 or #8 lock bolt. I have examined many original rifles , and a lot of them show#10 lock bolts w/ the front bolt thinned to a #8 size to allow for ramrod clearance. In light of that ,I have a hardware store that sells unplated # 10 x 24 threads per " carriage bolts for $2 a pound. They come in many lengths . The rounded large heads need a slot sawed in them, and the square part of the shank filed off. The heads can quickly be reshaped by putting the bolt in an electric drill motor and holding the head against a fine belt sander , then against a hard buffing wheel for an extreme polish good enough to heat blue w/ soldering torch. Hold in the flame 'til the bolt head turns iridescent blue and quickly drop in water. oldwood
 
The leaded screw stock is quite soft. The screw slots get messed up real fast. I now case harden the heads. They then stay in good shape for a long time.
 
Hi,
I've built a lot of locks. Below are some of them. My forged springs are almost always SAE 1075 steel and I usually use mild steel screw blanks purchased from Brownell. I leave the screw heads large until I finish the lock. That way the heads and slots, which get a little worn during the frequent assembly and disassembly during construction get turned and cleaned up at the end. Then the heads are case hardened and temper blued.
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dave
 
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My opinion, you're going to build a rifle that will be worth upwards of a couple grand, why skimp out on bolts. A buck or two for a bolt isn't worth moaning over. You're gonna pay quite a bit more for lunch.
 
sounds like soft steel is the norm. I just can't see putting the effort in without using decent steel. I just have almost no small stock, but it seems worthwhile ordering some music wire or 4130 stock. Is there an advantage to soft steel with case hardening?
 
In much of the muzzleloading period wrought iron was used to forge small parts that were then case hardened. Mild steel case hardened is quite similar. No major advantage. Just easy to machine then case harden.
 
like Rich said, machining screw out of the tougher materials is a problem. They do not cut cleanly and look messy. Tiny diameters want to climb the slop in the lathe headstock. Leaded screw stock cuts like a dream and makes pretty screws. Case hardening them does the trick.
 
Hi,
Guys, this is no big deal. Mild steel works fine and especially if you at least case harden the heads. However, make screws from harder steel if you like. It doesn't matter.

dave
 
Dave's work is always impeccable and quite varied. The 2 lock bolts don't do much work, so why use tool steels to make them and why use #10-32 s? I buy the lock bolts ....#8'32 for the rear and #6-32 in front and case harden the heads. The #6-32 has an added advantage if it should interfere w/ the RR. The tang screw I use is #8-32.

The internal lock screws that come w/ the lock are soft and nothing is done to them.....except a very close fitting screwdriver is used. I don't disassemble the locks after shooting because the tight fit between the lock bolster and bbl flat allows no gas to enter.

Worked as a toolmaker and designer and using #10-24 screws of any kind was not acceptable.....The root dia is quite a bit smaller than the #10-32 and breakage is common. .....Fred
 
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Dave's work is always impeccable and quite varied. The 2 lock bolts don't do much work, so why use tool steels to make them and why use #10-32 s? I buy the lock bolts ....#8'32 for the rear and #6-32 in front and case harden the heads. The #6-32 has an advantage if it should interfere w/ the RR. The tang screw I use is #8-32.

Worked as a toolmaker and tool designer and using or listing #10-24 screws of any kind was not done....in fact the toolroom didn't stock #10-24 screws...they had some but only a foreman could dispense them. The root dia is quite a bit smaller than the #10-32 and is much more liable to snap.

The internal lock screws that come w/ the assembled lock are soft but are rarely unscrewed ...I don't clean the internals of the lock after shooting because the lock bolster to bbl flat fit is tight and doesn't allow gas leakage. When necessary, a custom fit screwdriver tip eliminates "buggering" the slots. .....Fred
 
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