Working on a Wheellock

[Zonie]

You may be using a high carbon steel rather than alloy steel.
If this is the case, it won't fully harden unless you use a water quench.

If the parts won't harden using a water quench and the part was heated to a bright orange color when it was cooled you may be using a low carbon steel which will never "through harden".
The only thing that can be done with low carbon steel is to carburize it and carburizing will not work if the part is to be used as a spring.

 

[bingo1952]

Try a water quench. That may not be oil hardening steel. If that doesn't work and you have access to a furnace build a small box that will hold your wheel and cover in Kasenit and let it soak at red heat for 20-30 minutes and then drop in cold clean water. It will develope a case that is 1/64-1/32" and will be as hard as a file and they same gray color you see when you break a file.

 

[ChrisPer]

Hi Owen, glad to hear you are progressing.

Just to check - is your pyrite cut from a single cube? I asked one of those market stallholders selling specimens to get me some, and he found me 3 good cubes about 18-22mm on a side. Price was too high at AU$12 each but as I had asked him to get them I just wore it. I reckon we ought to be able to get a supply down to $3 or so a cube in the right place - somewhere.

Do you have cross notches in the wheel? I think Bookie or Volatpluvia tried without and was not impressed.

Bioprof's Blackley Brescian gave him some grief with springs too soft and he got good advice from JD here http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/535488/

It is very likely your wheel is the same material!

Cheers
ChrisPer

 

[widget350]

Wow, really nice project you've got there. I've been looking at buying or making a wheellock for a few years, and the many projects on here are very helpful.

That said, do you have any update on getting this lock to spark?

 

[Owen]

frustation has set in ..... im giving it a break for a week or so.But it did spark but not very well or offern