Best way to resurface a frizzen?

[john12865]

Well I've read the post about leather VS lead for securing your flint. I'll make a long story short see my recent post. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...2c70268726d50c6fa3cea206f8b79d2/fbb_uid/6027/
I don't have any flints yet, but noticed that the frizzen has chatter marks. What is the best way to remove the chatter marks and do I need to re harden the frizzen after removing them. I don't think this is an issue of a soft frizzen because I can not scratch it with a file.

 

[mckutzy]

if it still sparks then u shouldnt need to re-sole the frizzen. the marks are from the flint digging in a bit and not scraping against the frizzen.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Don't mess with the frizzen! All frizzens will show marks after use. In fact if you ever looked at a welders striker they are made rough.Wait until you get flints and see how it works before trying anything. If it doesn't spark look for a local flint user to give you advice on why it doesn't spark.

 

[roundball]

I don't have any flints yet, but noticed that the frizzen has chatter marks.
What is the best way to remove the chatter marks and do I need to re harden the frizzen after removing them.

Speaking only from my own experience, I wouldn't waste any time worrying about 'chatter marks'.

Suggest you read through a few of the Flintlock articles in the 'articles section' near the top of the forum.

Also, suggest reading through the locked thread at the top of this Flintlock section for tips on Flint positioning, flint life, etc.

Then when you get your flints, just go enjoy shooting your rifle...if you actually HAVE any "ignition problems", then post back.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I use a sanding disc on my dremel tool to smooth out the chatter marks on the locks I tune. Then I use progressively finer grits until I get it down to a nice smooth finish.

If the frizzen is case-hardened, it may need to be re-hardened after you clean it up. Its not that hard a thing to do. If that is your situation, send me a PT and I can walk you through it. :thumbsup:

 

[john12865]

Thanks Paul. :hatsoff:

 

[john12865]

Hey Paul that worked really great!! All the gouges are gone and it looks like a mirror! :bow: It was much easier then I thought it would be. I'll PM you so that you you can teach me how to tune the lock correctly so that it doesn't happen again. Thanks a million! John

 

[zimmerstutzen]

You didn't say what kind of frizzen/gun it is. A frizzen of proper geometry should not show markes on the surface from use. If it does, the frizzen is too soft or not of proper steel.

Some folks will dremel or polish the frizzens but that shouldn't be necessary, and isn't possible with some real hard frizzens. I have a few twenty year old guns that have been fired thousands of times and the frizzens show no wear.

If it comes down to halsoling, a piece of 1/64 clock spring can be cut and epoxied up against the frizzen and held in place with a clamp for 48 hours until the epoxy sets. After tthe epoxy sets and hardenes, slowly, without building up heat, grind the edges flush with the sides of the frizzen face. I did my brother's TC that way 25 years ago and it goes off more reliably thn when new.

 

[Black Hand]

A frizzen of proper geometry should not show markes on the surface from use.

Sorry, I don't buy this. The entire concept of the frizzen is that steel is shaved off by the flint. Having marks is unavoidable, scratches and some chatter are OK. Deep gouges would indicate a soft frizzen to me. If you have a cheap, case-hardened frizzen, the polishing would probably wear through the hardened layer leaving you worse off than before. IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.....!

 

[sproulman]

if you take a agate flint,bevel down ,let it go and it puts gouge in frizzen,frizzen is SOFT. :hmm:

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Sorry, but a frizzen that shows gouges is too soft. Properly hardened and proper alloy make for a flint that throws a shower of very fine very pale yellow sparks without digging up the surface of the frizzen. Along the same lines, if the flint is dragging larger amounts of steel off the frizzen, it is working harder and probably moving slower. Hence the large reddish orange sparks. I have guns with many different locks. A well hardened and tuned L&R flint lock won't show scratches. I have an older custom gun with a very old Siler lock and it does show some minor marks but only after thousands of shots. I have a 30 year old CVA, which shows virtually no marks on the frizzen. My North Star trade gun is about 25 yrs old and shows no appreciable marks. (I don't know what lock is on it)

The other thing is lock geometry. Does the arc of the flint travel approximate the arc of the frizzen surface? Or does the flint just bash into the frizzen knocking it open? A proper flint should fall aginst the frizzen and gradually push it open as it travels down the surface of the frizzen. Some cheap guns just bash the frizzen knocking it open, before the flint travels down th frizzen. Sort of like some of the really old Spanish locks of the 16th century.

I have an original flint lock from the middle east from about the mid 1600's. It is a basher, with a frizzen face that has no arc.

A frizzen that is striated with vertical scratches is too soft.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

A frizzen of proper geometry should not show markes on the surface from use.

Sorry, I don't buy this. The entire concept of the frizzen is that steel is shaved off by the flint. Having marks is unavoidable, scratches and some chatter are OK. Deep gouges would indicate a soft frizzen to me. If you have a cheap, case-hardened frizzen, the polishing would probably wear through the hardened layer leaving you worse off than before. IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.....!

Ditto. :thumbsup: