TommyKid said:
flintlock62 said:
TommyKid said:
How can I tell if my frizzen is shot? This is a used rifle, so I can't do a before and after comparison. It's also my first flintlock. The frizzen has wear marks in the metal, itself. There isn't much spark at all, but I'm not sure how much there is supossed to be, really. When frizzens are shot is it time for a new one or can they be "reconditioned"?
Thanks,
Tom
First of all, what type of scrapes do you have on the frizzen? Do they go up and down or across? If they go across, your frizzen is too soft. If they go up and down, you either have a flint that needs to be sharpened or you may have a main spring that is too weak or the main spring/frizzen spring combo do not match.
What type of flint are you using, cut or knapped? Cut flints do not work well in some cases.
You should be throwing a shower of sparks that are yellow in color which would indicate your frizzen is properly hardened. To check, go into a dark room and test it with an unloaded rifle unless your mother in law is presenting too good a target. If the sparks look red, it is too soft. In that case, it does need to be case hardened. If you need assistance on that, there are many people who can help guide you through it.
The scrapes go up and down. I have no idea if the flint is cut or napped, to be honest. The sparks I see are yellow, but it's far from a shower. Mother-in-law is already 6 feet under...and no, I didn't do it :wink: How does one go about sharpening the flint? Wet stone..file..grinder? Sorry, this is all new territory for me.
Tom
The scrapes going up and down is a good sign. If after you get a sharp edge on the flint and it still will not spark too well, the main spring is most likely too weak and needs to be tempered.
Note too, that positioning the flint is critical to good sparks. It must be paralell to the frizzen and the point should be no more than half way up the frizzen. Some rifles fire better with the flint bevel down and others shoot better with the bevel up.
There are a few ways to sharpen a knapped flint (one that looks hand made). Machine cut flints are a lot more difficult to put a new edge on. Since I have never used a machine cut flint, am not much help here.
All flints can be sharpened while in the cock, by a process of chipping, or knapping. Basic tools can accomplish this in slightly different ways.
Brass tools should be used to prevent sparks! However, steel can be used if the rifle is unloaded and there is not powder in the pan. I hope I do not have to repeat that!
1. The fine point of a deer antler tine can be used for 'pressure flaking'. The tine is placed on the thin or leading edge of the flint, set at an angle not quite straight up, tilted a bit forward, toward the frizzen, and a sudden sharp push given. This will chip off tiny flakes of flint from the under surface of the cutting edge, leaving it sharp. This is the method I eventually learned and always use and is very quick.
2. A short small diameter brass rod can be filed to form a shoulder near the end. This shoulder is placed on the flint edge, the rod held at the same angle as before, and light taps given to the top end of the rod. The result is the same as with the tine.
3. A small brass hammer can be used to peck the edge of the flint, chipping it away.
4. The back of the patch knife blade can be used, but you have to be very carefull doing this, so I really do not recommend it, but it is an option.
5. You can also use the brass tip of your short starter with a little practice.
6. The frizzen can be closed until it touches the top of the flint edge and a sharp downward pressure applied. This is called 'hammering the flint', and works well on some locks, but takes practice. It also means repositioning the flint forward in the jaws for it to happen. I would use this only as a last resort.
