Siler Lock Spring Fix & Tune

[@billwessels207]

Excellent video describing and showing the tuning of the frizzen

[@lockbuilder]

I am a lock builder for Chambers Flintlocks. You are mistaken about the frizzen spring. The reason your frizzen wasn't opening up all the way is that you have a Gunbuilder's Lock. Until you shape your plate the hammer cannot fall to it's full resting place. The lock plate must be fully shaped and installed before you start any kind of tuning. Hope that is useful. I've built over 4000 locks for Chambers over the past 8 years, if I can be of any help just drop me a note! Best

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

I thought the hammer was resting a bit far back! I was going to leave it as the flints I knap are longer than store bought. Thank you for the information sir!

[@lockbuilder]

@@veteranironoutdoors8320 Yes, on the standard Siler (non-deluxe model) you really do need a shorter flint than most of the other Chambers locks. Usually I get away with a 3/4 inch flint, but I cut a notch in the flint leather so that the flint sits all the way back in the hammer. Right up against the top jaw screw. A flint longer than 3/4 is not your friend with this model. Again, if I can be any help in the future just holler. We need more folks in the smoke-pole hobby!

[@hokehinson5987]

Great observation

[@deanmacka4975]

The trick with them springs are that you must have polished sides so there are no weaknesses in her . Great stuff mate

[@bobquigley1957]

Excellent video. You pretty much nailed everything that needs to be covered, and did so concisely. Well done.

[@billwessels207]

One of the best videos that I have seen describing the tempering of a leaf spring and adjusting it. Thank you for sharing this, Sir!

[@drason69]

Click, click, BOOM! I got a highland pistol from TotW, had to do the same thing. Very tedious, making sure not to remove to much. Well done Sir. 👍♥️⚒️🍺😀

[@lukegraham1945]

Very interesting mechanism and video. Keep up the good work Jared!

[@jjppres]

She's getting there. Well done!

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

Heh, wish my inletting skills were as good as my metalworking skills. I had to bed the center of my swamped barrel anyways due to the stock blank I chose to start with.

[@justgonnagetbetter1037]

Nice job! I would have already dropped that screw a half a dozen times.

[@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400]

Excellent tutorial! Thanks for sharing

[@jonwrightinmiami]

Very good. Thanks much for sharing.

[@davefellhoelter1343]

Thanks for the lessons!! I will put into Use! want to bule little bits and pieces? drop them HOT into some KNO3 stump remover, gives a nice old-fashioned bluing.

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

I do as the old timers, place the parts in a shallow pan of oil and light the oil on fire. Tempers springs and blues steel.

[@davefellhoelter1343]

@@veteranironoutdoors8320 More for srews little or large pieces old fashioned bluing. Not fot tempering, but may work KNO3 is readly absorbed in water?

[@tom87pate]

Thanks for the videos. I have an original Charleville Flintlock (never altered to percussion cap) that was made in 1838 and that thing is busting flints left and right! I think that I have narrowed the problem down to the frizzen spring being too strong.

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

If you have the flints wrapped in lead, that may well do it as well. Switch to leather.

[@tom87pate]

@@veteranironoutdoors8320 I've tried lead and leather, but now I'm using leather. The mainspring is very strong and requires a hard trigger pull. Yesterday, I put in a different mainspring from DGW, but it's too weak to even open the frizzen. The frizzen is quite tough to open/close so I think it's the frizzen spring. Thanks for the advice.

[@hokehinson5987]

Our experience with the military throated hammers, the ignition angle is difficult to correct the flint should scrape; NOT slam into frizzen. Your on to something with the frizzen spring tension. Most re-po muskets arrive needing lock work if you want your flints to last...

[@tom87pate]

@@hokehinson5987 Thanks for the information. I ordered a new frizzen spring from DGW and tried to install it on Sunday, but the screw hole doesn't line up. I think that my next step will be to polish the cam on the bottom of the frizzen and possibly sole the frizzen with and old clock mainspring that I have. I love this old gun, but flints ain't cheap!

[@hannemannironworks1651]

Well done Jared!

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

Your hammer will be on its way soon 😂

[@hokehinson5987]

Drawing a spring, main or Frizzen use a metal coffee can lid to set spring upon heat from below. oil spring place on metal lid when oil begins to burn off its usually tempered The lid helps to spread heat Evenly And oil helps to know when to stop. Also polish Frizzen pivot / bearing surface and spring top. Some folks instead of heating spring...they grind it . Check it afterward when Frizzen pivot to well shaped & polished. If spring is ground well it will still be tempered then just polishing will do. It's a less historic way to adjust but seems more accurate & less problematic. Check for main spring drag against inside of lock plate. Many folks will grin down the spring to clear plate that way no tempering. Just a tad each grind with water cooling. Polish mainspring toe where toe fits onto tumbler. Look also for hammer / cock drag on hammer side of plate. Polishing tumbler pivot arbor and trigger sear helps as does adjusting trigger spring tension and polishing trigger sear lift bar and putting a bevel on trigger blade. Some folks also heat treat the tumbler hole to stave off egging...its takes practice to get it all working like a fine clock...to much main spring will batter the lock plate and/or the spot on hammer /cock stop comes to rest against lock plate. Too much resistance on Frizzell will batter flint face edge after only a few shots. Most important is the flint edge to Frizzen face angle. It should scrape in a continuous arc without smashing to high on Frizzen If the Frizzen tension is set good and Frizzen face smooth yet snaps open to fast then check angle of flint arc. Flint striking to high on frizzen. Sometimes the hammer can be heated and bent to create a good arc. Sometimes the frizzens face is shaped wrong needs to be re-ground. A correctly tuned lock and properly drilled touch hole will have ignition as fast as any cap lock. Don't fergit to polish the powder pan too. Later Frizzens used a roller on the spring. It's all fun ...

[@williamsommers727]

Great job. Can you discuss why you quenched with water instead of oil after tempering?

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

It really doesn’t matter, water was just handier at the time.

[@williamsommers727]

@@veteranironoutdoors8320 Thanks! I used oil for both and it all went well. Though it was hard to keep the whole spring red for the hardening with just a torch.

[@danielpowell1637]

I have an indian musket whos frizzen spring is to strong can i heat it to slightly weaken it or is there other ways?

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

@@danielpowell1637 sand it down, dont heat it. Make sure to sand lengthwise, never across the width, that will make weak spots that the spring WILL break at.

[@tommickey4244]

Turn your flint bevel down

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

No, works best this way. Already tried flipping it and it gets caught on the top of the frizzen.