Frizzen Problem?

[Artificer]

I agree with Dick and others that the casting was not fully cleaned up and left this long/thin "casting line" on the frizzen. (As an example, think of a ball you cast and can't completely cut off the sprue with a sprue cutter.) It could also have been where the molds did not line up "persactly" and left this casting line.

There is a distinct possibility that casting line is holding the bottom of the frizzen up off the top of the pan and could allow powder to be flung out when loading, handling, or moving. My Unit had problems with that on many of our reproduction Italian and Japanese Muskets when we did "cast about" during the loading and firing of blanks because the frizzen to pan fit was so sloppy in many of our repro muskets.

"Dressing" that casting line may be able to be done with a fine file, but more likely it will be too hard for that. It could be done with a diamond file, but many people don't have one. The easiest thing to do is tightly wrapping a piece of 180 or 120 grit garnet paper (sand paper for metal) around a file that covers the whole bottom of the frizzen and putting pressure on the area of the line while you file/sand to clean the casting line off.

Some hardware stores sell individual sheets of garnet paper and at others, you have to buy a small package of a few sheets. The latter may be a good option as it might contain coarse, medium and fine grit garnet paper and after getting the casting line off, you can polish the bottom of the frizzen with the finer grit garnet paper sheets.

Gus

 

[Zonie]

Most of the red garnet sandpaper I've seen is made for sanding wood. (By the way, it is much better for sanding wood than the aluminum oxide or flint paper).

The sandpaper that is made for sanding metal is the black "silicone carbide" paper, also often called "wet/dry" sandpaper.

 

[Artificer]

Jim,

Well, I messed up and thanks for pointing it out. I MEANT to suggest Emery Cloth. Not sure why I wrote garnet paper, which is not good to use for this purpose. Probably been doing too much sanding lately on stocks and it stuck in my mind that way.

Thank you.

 

[Zonie]

I know how that can happen. :grin:

 

[Artificer]

:thumbsup:

Gus

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have a Pedersoli trade gun with a “Lott” lock”¦and you can see the hardening line is at an angle a short distance above the bottom of the frizzen. So”¦the frizzen is softer at the base. You have to have an experienced person heat and air cool the frizzen”¦then use a stone to remove the marks by hand”¦.then reharden the frizzen, and then temper it.

LD

 

[matt denison]

I have a Pedersoli trade gun with a “Lott” lock”¦and you can see the hardening line is at an angle a short distance above the bottom of the frizzen. So”¦the frizzen is softer at the base. You have to have an experienced person heat and air cool the frizzen”¦then use a stone to remove the marks by hand”¦.then reharden the frizzen, and then temper it.

LD

One-half a second on a belt sander ZZZZZZPT! and that burr will go away. Or wrap some emery on a stick or a file and sand it off that way. No need to soften or re harden. Keep it simple.

 

[poco47]

Thanks to everyone for the great responses to my query!
I finally was able to locate my mainspring vice and get the frizzen off the lock. My eyes aren't so good anymore and taking it off enabled me to see that what I thought a burr, in reality, just an unfinished casting line. (Now I feel a bit foolish about being so quick to post my need for help. Sorry about that.) A light touch with a sanding drum on the dremel and it was gone. I then swapped over to a polishing tip and shined it up. While I was at it, I went ahead and polished the pan as well as the foot where it rides on the spring.

Haven't had time to get back out to the range with it to see if removing this defect was only a cosmetic improvement or if it positively effectS the service life of my flints. One thing that seems apparent is that the frizzen opens a bit easier and with a little more snap, though this may just be my imagination. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks again!

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well done so.

Any slight ease of opening to that frizzen on these pedersolis helps a lot in performance and flint life I found.
I still carry a brass rod and Knapp/chip regularly though!

B.