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Flintlock ignition question

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Joined
Nov 30, 2020
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Location
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I have a Syler (sp?) Lock but recently has not been getting a strong spark. Flint set up is good with an English flint held tight and properly aligned and spaced. Is it okay to dress the frizzen by gently sanding with sand paper or emery cloth. If so what grit would you flinters recommend. Thanks!!
 
I’ve never sanded one. Flint is vary hard.
Quick and dirty is to use a small brass hammer or the back of a knife and gently tap the edge, this will pop flakes off and leave you a new sharp edge..... but it eats flints.
A better way is to have a brass or antler or again even the edge of a knife and gently apply pressure to the edge. This breaks off micro chips leaving a straighter sharp edge and will buy you a longer life to your flint.
 
What the others are trying to tell you is that it is probably more a flint issue than it is a frizzen issue. Knap your curren flint or install a new one before you mess with the frizzen. Sometimes I get a bum flint that doesn’t make good sparks.
 
No, you do not want to "dress" the frizzen surface. A Siler lock should not have any issues with frizzen hardness so my guess is you need to address the flint. Either by knapping the flint or replacing it.
 
Thanks for the advice it has some pits or dings in it. Here is a pic of the frizzen. What do you guys think.
258837A4-B39A-4BC7-8F29-20B1525E4429.jpeg
 
Yes, I would rub that with the nearest scrap of sandpaper. Mostly cuz it would make me feel better. Once the frozen get longitudinal marks across them it seems to help smooth them off a little. This may be as valid as my mother's theory that a clean car runs better.
 
I have a Syler (sp?) Lock but recently has not been getting a strong spark. Flint set up is good with an English flint held tight and properly aligned and spaced. Is it okay to dress the frizzen by gently sanding with sand paper or emery cloth. If so what grit would you flinters recommend. Thanks!!
Gentle sanding will get you nowhere on a hard frizzen. Dress it down with a grinder, but only if it has chatter or washboard gouges.
Flintlocklar 🇺🇸
 
I've done it. once on a frizzen that looked like yours, I used a belt sander. It made no difference.
The second time was with emery cloth to remove the protective coating on a new frizzen. That did work.
 
I would polish the casting mark out of the bottom of the pan, to ameliorate my OCD. Don't take a grinder to anything, other than a dull axe.
 
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