Issue with a flying flint

I like stonewall creek flint. and I have two vintage pure lead shower tubs. the lead is the perfect thickness for the jaws of a lock to hold the flint. I just cut a piece off with tin snips to the right size, I like it better than leather.

bevel up or bevel down? I see that you go bevel down.

Try both and see what your lock likes

bldtrailer said:

Try both and see what your lock likes

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My small lock Pedersoli likes flints bevel up. With French amber, it will go as long as I can go in one session.
My Bess doesn't seem to care. I shoot it until it gets "iffy" then turn the flint over, usually good for another 10-12 shots before knapping or changing.
I use leather strips on all flints.

Years ago when I fires started with flintlocks I had a Pedersoli Kentucky. The lock is very small, I had trouble finding flints that fit, so I went to cut agate. To sharpen them I bought a diamond block from Dixon's. this sharpened the agates and flattened the flints that I could find and as a bonus it made sharpening my stainless kitchen knives s breeze.

I find that it is impossible to really tighten a flint into the lock using a turnscrew. I drill a 1/8" hole through the bulb at the top of the screw. Find an Allen wrench that will fit through the hole to use as a Tommy bar. I cut off the bent end and epoxy the remaining Allen wrench into a piece of antler or wood. You will find that after you have tightened the screw as hard as you can with your turnscrew that you can get another full rotation or two with the Tommy bar.

Many Klatch, I also do the same and Cary a blunted end 6 penny nail in my possibles bag. with it you can rely get a good purchase on it!

I tend to buy flints that are double ended and turn them over when one end is all nubded over, and can't be napped any more. and i use lead that i cut out of dead soft lead sheating.

bidtrailer, I will do as you say. thanks.

In case this hasn't been mentioned yet..... remove the top jaw, and raise some teeth with a small chisel to grip the leather better. Should end your problem, that and a thinner, firmer piece of leather.

Flintandsteel said:

In case this hasn't been mentioned yet..... remove the top jaw, and raise some teeth with a small chisel to grip the leather better. Should end your problem, that and a thinner, firmer piece of leather.

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I looked over the locks and all of my flinters have a gripper pattern on the inside of the jaws.
I thought that was standard issue with all issues.... Guess I thought wrong!

I raised some teeth with a checkering file. No more slipping

tdudley said:

This is an L & R lock, and the flint is an English flint. The top doesn't have a large flat surface on it. The leather is thick and has a hole in the back of it. I have heard about using a lead ball to hold flints, we tried a different method with some patching material (I told him that would catch on fire and it did) but it still flew out of the lock. So can you flatten a flint on the top? I am still trying to figure out flintlocks. I am new with those. I have been shooting cap locks for years. But this was one that I happened to win at the NMLRA in June this year.

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I put an L&R lock on my GPR< and had a few issues that L&R remedied in short order, so they will have your back I'm sure. In the interim, check the instruction manual that came with the lock to be certain you're using the correct flint for the lock, sounds like it's too short. One last thing, the L&R locks have a piece on the underside of the frizzen which may be getting struck by the flint. The easy fix is to turn the flint so the enlogated edge is down, and it solves that problem.

When all else fails, read the instructions, or call and ask what isn't being done properly. Track of The Wolf is a great source for flints.

Hope this helps out

Get the flint back in the jaws.Cut a "V" into the folded leather so that it bears back onto the jaws screw. Use thin ( thick glove) leather. I'm a flat up person,always.. As Rudyard says "Follow Robert the Bruce "..
OLD DOG..

is flat up the same as bevel up??

My speculation is that GREENSWLDE meant the larger flat up or bevel down.

The flint needs to be held by the most secure means that produces the most sparks in the pan.

Thanks Grenadier. Sorry I left things in doubt.. "Flat"-- Level even area without projections.."Bevel"-- Sloping from the Horizontal or Vertical.. ( Oxford Dictionary)