Smoothing a frizzen

[Grimord]

What is the best way to smooth out a frizzen face? I have two very noticeable gouges in the frizzen face of my .58 that I would like to take out if possible, otherwise I may have to get a new frizzen.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Is it causing a problem other then looking at?

 

[rich pierce]

I use a grinding wheel, judiciously.

 

[Grimord]

Is it causing a problem other then looking at?

The problem seems to be with flint position. If I adjust the flint so that it is approximately 1/16" off the face of the frizzen at half cock, it will sometimes hang up on the high point between the two gouges, but when it doesn't it provides a good shower of sparks to the pan but causes the flint to wear faster. When the flint needs to be dressed, I have to move it out so that it actually touches the frizzen at half cock, and then it is not giving a reliable spark.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
If modern made, your frizzen is likely through hardened so just grind away the rough surface. You won't grind through the hardened steel. If it is an original made from case hardened wrought iron or mild steel, then you could grind away the hard surface layer and need to case harden it again.

dave

 

[EC121]

If you are getting strike lines that are too deep, the flint is hitting at too square an angle to the frizzen. The hammer/cock needs to be bent down slightly or the back of the flint shimmed up to make the strike at a more oblique/slicing angle. Shimming will let you experiment without any permanent changes to see if you want to bend the hammer down a little. Fred Stutzenberger has had a series of articles in Muzzle Blasts about that very subject. What lock is it?

 

[hanshi]

The flint really needs to contact the frizzen at around 60 (plus or minus) degrees so that it slices down the face. I've had a couple frizzens develop a similar "defect" and smoothed it enough with a few minutes and sandpaper.

 

[Grimord]

If you are getting strike lines that are too deep, the flint is hitting at too square an angle to the frizzen. The hammer/cock needs to be bent down slightly or the back of the flint shimmed up to make the strike at a more oblique/slicing angle. Shimming will let you experiment without any permanent changes to see if you want to bend the hammer down a little. Fred Stutzenberger has had a series of articles in Muzzle Blasts about that very subject. What lock is it?

It's a L&R early classic lock. The flint strikes at about 60 degrees to the frizzen, and that is where the gouging is taking place. I will try shimming the back of the flint up so that it strikes the frizzen at a sharper angle to see if that works better. I still think I will have to grind out the area that is gouged so that the flint can shave the face of the frizzen instead of "digging in".

 

[EC121]

If you haven't done it already, you might also try polishing the frizzen foot and spring contact surfaces to reduce the opening force. I use polishing sticks to get almost a mirror finish. I assume you are greasing the contact area.

 

[Fitzhugh Williams]

You could just resole the frizzen.

 

[MSW]

I would agree with Mr Williams, but i suspect that the geometry of the whole deal is a bit wonky

 

[Tenring]

You can just face it and knock of the height points by blending the surface with a piece of sand paper is what I do. Your not going to sand through that’s for sure.

 

[Cornbread]

I’m going to post a reply here rather than start a new thread on an often posted topic.

I got a new to me 1816 Harpers Ferry delivered over the weekend with a “jacked” frizzen face (see attached pics). I’ve had one in the past albeit with a repro frizzen and never had a problem with sparks on that musket. However, seeing this is an original in this condition, is there ANY hope of it sparking? I did sandpaper it a bit and managed a couple sparks both before and after sanding but nothing consistent and no shower. I flipped the flint and again got nothing to write home about.
Both frizzen and mainspring springs are solid and if I had weak thumbs, I wouldn’t be able to cock the hammer.

I will try a leather thong and/or toothpicks to angle the flint down.

Is there any other recommendation(s) I should try or anything I should do first?

Any tips or tricks not mentioned above would be much appreciated!

Humbly yours,
James

 

[FlinterNick]

I use a rubber wheel with a carbide paper belt, I start with 240 and work up to 800. I polish away the deep scratches with 240 and then smooth out the finish up to 800. I don’t do this very often, if it has to be done often because you’re getting deep gouges and the frizzen is always ‘textured’ then the frizzen is likely not hard enough.

https://www.riogrande.com/product/F...vJR1T0BoC9JcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&code=334053

 

[FlinterNick]

I’m going to post a reply here rather than start a new thread on an often posted topic.

I got a new to me 1816 Harpers Ferry delivered over the weekend with a “jacked” frizzen face (see attached pics). I’ve had one in the past albeit with a repro frizzen and never had a problem with sparks on that musket. However, seeing this is an original in this condition, is there ANY hope of it sparking? I did sandpaper it a bit and managed a couple sparks both before and after sanding but nothing consistent and no shower. I flipped the flint and again got nothing to write home about.
Both frizzen and mainspring springs are solid and if I had weak thumbs, I wouldn’t be able to cock the hammer.

I will try a leather thong and/or toothpicks to angle the flint down.

Is there any other recommendation(s) I should try or anything I should do first?

Any tips or tricks not mentioned above would be much appreciated!

Humbly yours,
James

I think the frizzen doesn’t look too bad actually, for an original too.

If you intend on using it, I would not mess too much with it, you could polish it down with some carbide paper but I don’t think that will make it spark better, especially with it being original. Original frizzens were case hardened on 1816 muskets to increase the carbon content of the wrought iron they used.

There are many suppliers of 1816 casted copies of original frizzens. Butch Schroller of Butche’s Antique Gun Parts is a supplier of copied castings. His are cast in 6150 (per the description). There will likely be some variance in the frizzen fitting so it will need to be fit, then hardened and tempered.

https://stores.butchsantiquegunparts.com/u-s-model-1816-21-flintlock-musket-frizzen/

 

[Fitzhugh Williams]

Just get it re-soled and it will be fine.

 

[FlinterNick]

Just get it re-soled and it will be fine.

That’s an option, not a cheap option though and it’s more valuable in its original form, I’d replace it.

 

[rich pierce]

That’s an option, not a cheap option though and it’s more valuable in its original form, I’d replace it.

This.

 

[Tenring]

Usually a soft frizzen Will gouge, and will become problematic over time no matter how you cock the flint. But I am glade you got it squared away.

 

[FlinterNick]

It's a L&R early classic lock. The flint strikes at about 60 degrees to the frizzen, and that is where the gouging is taking place. I will try shimming the back of the flint up so that it strikes the frizzen at a sharper angle to see if that works better. I still think I will have to grind out the area that is gouged so that the flint can shave the face of the frizzen instead of "digging in".

I confused myself on this thread, i thought an 1816 musket frizzen was in need to be refaced.

If its an L&R lock, factory replacements are usually around 20 probably slightly more expensive for one that is finished and ready to fit.