Wit's end with patchbox latch!

[SimonKenton]

I have a VERY nice TVM Tennessee rifle with an oval patchbox. The part of the latch that grips the lid had snapped off. Funny it was just sitting in a dry corner of the house all the time.

Anyway Toni sent me a new latch but it was too short so I tried ever so gently to bend it out a bit and the same part snapped off again. I'll be damned if I'm going to ship it back to MS just for that!!

Any ideas short of a rubber band to hold it closed?

-Ray

 

[billd]

Duct tape

 

[jtmattison]

Duct tape

Not PC :nono:

I don't have any suggestions.

Can you find or fabricate another one?

HD

 

[J.D.]

I'm assuming that you are talking about the latch spring. A piece of worn hacksaw blade or a piece of heavy banding material might work to fabricate a replacement. Heat 'em to red hot and let 'em cool slowly, then cut to shape, heat to bright red and quench in light oil. Clean off the oil, polish so you can see the colors, and heat slowly, very slowly, to just beyond a bright blue. The bright blue will fade into light blue,then gray. Drop the spring into light oil or water to stop the heat when the color transitions to the light blue, and you should have a spring.

 

[flashpanner]

I temper mine on a molten ladle/pot of lead. Lead melts around ~615F Works great for me.

 

[Vaino]

A call to TVM would be appropriate informing them that these springs might not be tempered properly. Breaking 2 springs in a row isn't normal unless undue force was used w/ the 2nd spring. They'd probably appreciate the info if done in a considerate manner....Fred

 

[paulvallandigham]

I would call Toni, explain the problem, and then send the broken spring back, and ask them to weld it back together. Tell her how much shorter it is than what you need. If this can't be "fixed" with a few strokes of a file, it can be done during the welding process, by making the spring longer at the weld. Matt and Toni want to work with customers, and want happy customers. They fully understand that some customers have " bad days " with parts, and they may ask you for a bit of money for a new replacement spring if that is called for, or some money to work on and repair the existing spring. Work with them. But, don't turn one of their kits into a broken piece of junk. You won't be happy until it is fixed correctly, and now is the best time to do that.

If you don't have the skills, and equipment to make your own latch, Don't hesitate to send back the stock and the parts you have, and pay them to do this work for you. They will do it right, and at a cost you will find surprisingly reasonable.

 

[SimonKenton]

The frustrating thing is that I DIDN'T apply much force to it. There is so little flex in it that it snapped immediately. It won't even bend backward with reasonable pressure to engage the lid.

-Ray

 

[FV Rago]

I have an old Lancaster that had a problem with the patchbox always opening.

It was fixed with a little magnet, flat piece of steel, and epoxy.

 

[brubincam]

-----I don't like patch boxes so I put a little glue around the edge of the latch & GLUE THE SUCKER SHUT-----

 

[SimonKenton]

FVR,

I have an edge. My patchbox IS steel! :grin:

Ray

 

[BLAHMAN]

Can you send pics?

 

[SimonKenton]

I'll try to take some. Got classes all weekend. Continuing ed and all.

-Ray