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Traditional gunsmith
- Thread starter cephus
- Start date
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If we knew your location and what specific gunsmithing services you want.
There are some threads on the forum in the gun builder section on how to install a touch hole liner. Its relatively straightforward for a competent machinist to drill, tap and install a touch hole liner. Since I would recommend the Chambers' White Lightening Touch Hole Liner, you will need the special drill and tap for the liner. Get the full kit for your rifle. What is the across the flat measurement so we can recommend the correct liner size.
How does your gun shoot. At the range. banking the charge away from the touch hole may improve speed of ignition.
Texas is a big state. Unfortunately the gunsmiths I know are in Missouri, so where in Texas are you located?
How does your gun shoot. At the range. banking the charge away from the touch hole may improve speed of ignition.
Texas is a big state. Unfortunately the gunsmiths I know are in Missouri, so where in Texas are you located?
I do not know of any traditional gunsmith's in Texas.
You might give Log Cabin Shop a call in Lodi, Ohio.
They get went over a flint lock pistol for me which did not want to fire, turned out to be the firizzen. I am happy with their work and turn around time.
They offer full gunsmith work and I see touch hole a work listed.
You might give Log Cabin Shop a call in Lodi, Ohio.
They get went over a flint lock pistol for me which did not want to fire, turned out to be the firizzen. I am happy with their work and turn around time.
They offer full gunsmith work and I see touch hole a work listed.
That's pretty bad, definitely liner time, I wouldn't waste time enlarging the pan with it that far off. I have a gunsmith friend here in town that builds mostly B/P guns, he has a milling machine and could fix that problem in a heartbeat and has probably done a bunch just like it, we live in Florence Al.
Sidney Smith
58 Cal.
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That looks like it might not be too difficult to drill for a liner. The current touch he looks to be far enough off center that a new hole can be drilled that should wipe out the existing hole with enough meat to cut threads for a liner
You do have a little bit of room to deepen the pan. You also have a bit of room to benefit from banking the powder away from the side of the pan away from the touch hole.
Of course, Eric's recommendation is the surest solution to your touch hole situation. If your barrel is straight, then installing a touch hole liner in the correct location that you mark, is a simple operation.
Everything you need to know is in Eric's post in the Gun Builder's forum on vent placement.
Of course, Eric's recommendation is the surest solution to your touch hole situation. If your barrel is straight, then installing a touch hole liner in the correct location that you mark, is a simple operation.
Everything you need to know is in Eric's post in the Gun Builder's forum on vent placement.
Last edited:
SamTex1949
32 Cal.
you might want to try contacting this gentleman, he is located in the Houston area
He is also on facebook under same name
http://www.chrishirsch.com/?fbclid=IwAR3MC89ICE4LJPIBrkO-HImuz-4nQFYWaogBATu6W66F_nxvE9uvNrOW95c
He is also on facebook under same name
http://www.chrishirsch.com/?fbclid=IwAR3MC89ICE4LJPIBrkO-HImuz-4nQFYWaogBATu6W66F_nxvE9uvNrOW95c
I would deepen the pan to fix that problem. If the bottom of the pan was about 1/16" to 3/32" lower than the vent hole it will improve the situation a great deal.
Now, by going with a vent liner I have no doubt that the speed the gun would fire at would be much better than it is but that's going to cost some money.
As for needing a gunsmith that specializes in black powder guns, that would be good if one can be found. On the other hand, any gunsmith worth his salt should easily be able to install a liner at the right location. The problem with that is, many gunsmiths that work only on modern guns don't know where the right location is.
With this in mind, if I was going to take it to a modern gunsmith I would first buy the liner. Although a White Lightning liner is probably the best, it takes a special tap with a 32 thread pitch. I've used dozens of the liners sold by Track of the Wolf with standard threads on them and they also have the short vent length of the White Lightening liners and they work fine.
After getting the new liner I would then, make a mark on the side of the barrel that is in line with the top surfaces of the pan. Then, I would make another line that is perpendicular to the first line that is centered in the middle of the pan using a pointed punch or even a good sharp nail.
Just to make sure there was no mixup in the location of the new vent liner I would use my nail or punch to make a indentation where the two lines crossed. A good rap with a hammer on the nail should make a noticeable indentation.
Then with gun in hand I would go to the local gunsmith and ask him if he could install the liner exactly at the location of the indentation.
He will need to have a good milling machine to do this job to have the ridgidity needed to keep the tap drill from walking off of the exact location because the drill bit will be making an interrupted cut due to the existing hole.
Of course, that is what I would do. Not what someone else would do.
Now, by going with a vent liner I have no doubt that the speed the gun would fire at would be much better than it is but that's going to cost some money.
As for needing a gunsmith that specializes in black powder guns, that would be good if one can be found. On the other hand, any gunsmith worth his salt should easily be able to install a liner at the right location. The problem with that is, many gunsmiths that work only on modern guns don't know where the right location is.
With this in mind, if I was going to take it to a modern gunsmith I would first buy the liner. Although a White Lightning liner is probably the best, it takes a special tap with a 32 thread pitch. I've used dozens of the liners sold by Track of the Wolf with standard threads on them and they also have the short vent length of the White Lightening liners and they work fine.
After getting the new liner I would then, make a mark on the side of the barrel that is in line with the top surfaces of the pan. Then, I would make another line that is perpendicular to the first line that is centered in the middle of the pan using a pointed punch or even a good sharp nail.
Just to make sure there was no mixup in the location of the new vent liner I would use my nail or punch to make a indentation where the two lines crossed. A good rap with a hammer on the nail should make a noticeable indentation.
Then with gun in hand I would go to the local gunsmith and ask him if he could install the liner exactly at the location of the indentation.
He will need to have a good milling machine to do this job to have the ridgidity needed to keep the tap drill from walking off of the exact location because the drill bit will be making an interrupted cut due to the existing hole.
Of course, that is what I would do. Not what someone else would do.
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I would grind the pan deeper first. Looks like there is enough metal under the pan to do the job. If that isn't satisfactory, the liner could still be done later. What size is the vent now?
!/4 x 32 taps are easy to find. Just not used or needed by most folks. It happens that they are also used for the glow plugs and small spark plugs on model airplane engines. I have a 1/4 x 32 tap and die.
!/4 x 32 taps are easy to find. Just not used or needed by most folks. It happens that they are also used for the glow plugs and small spark plugs on model airplane engines. I have a 1/4 x 32 tap and die.
Brokennock
Cannon
I think Eric and Zonie are spot on, but I'm no builder or flintlock gunsmith. I'll ignore the remark about converting to caplock.
I do have a question for the more mechanically/engineering knowledgeable.
It looks to me like the existing flash hole is not just too low, but also too far forward. Would it hurt anything to just drill a second flash hole in the correct spot and leave the existing hole? I seem to recall Pletch testing some liners with 2 holes.
I do have a question for the more mechanically/engineering knowledgeable.
It looks to me like the existing flash hole is not just too low, but also too far forward. Would it hurt anything to just drill a second flash hole in the correct spot and leave the existing hole? I seem to recall Pletch testing some liners with 2 holes.
I know of at one member of my gun club that uses an allen screw with two smaller than 1/16" holes for his touch hole liner. But he kept the touch hole area to about that of a 5/64" hole. I don't recall that he had a really significant advantage.
The drilling of a second touch hole would make the touch hole too large and this would make ignition of the main charge too variable.
The drilling of a second touch hole would make the touch hole too large and this would make ignition of the main charge too variable.
Two 1/16" vent holes have an area that is about 26% larger than one 5/64 diameter vent hole. As a general rule, I consider a 5/64" vent hole to be about the largest size for a vent. Larger than that lets out too much of the pressure in the breech and leads to inconsistent accuracy.
Put another way, I don't recommend having 2, 1/16" diameter vent holes.
