Building a Bess lock

[flint62]

I've been working on a Bess lock from TOW castings.
I've got all the pieces fitted and now I'm up to the fianl clean and polish phase.
Does anyone have any experience in this work that they would like to share?
In other words......help?
Thanks, Kevin. :hatsoff:

 

[George F.]

I have built a few locks from kits, but not the TOW Bess lock. Final clean -up of all the casting lines I do with jewelers files, then 320 silicon carbide paper/crocus cloth which ever is more readily available,then 600 paper, then 1000 then 1500. When that is all done I put it on the polishing wheel/buffer with red rouge, then ZAM polishing compound.You might not want a highly polished lock though. The interior of the plate I make sure it is flat, by putting a mill file in the vise, and holding the plate flat and drawing it into the cutting teeth of the file(I go back and forth without taking my hand off the plate seems to help me keep the plate in the same position) Then when I'm done and satisfied that its true I'll lay it on a sharpening stone(soft arkansas) and see how flat it is by rubbing it a few times and see where the stone cuts the plate. I don't go real crazy here, But I have spent alot more time on this portion of the work at times than I'll admit. Then I'll polish it. The finer the polished part the less a chance for rust to take a bite into the metal.I try to keep my protruding screws just slightly higher , then dome the ends. You want to try to keep your edges crisp and not rounded, unless you're trying to have a worn appearance.
That's basically what I do. Others may offer another view and options.
.........George F.
P.S. You might want to start your sanding paper with a courser grit, maybe 180-220 would get faster results and get some of the file marks out alittle better.

 

[Swampman]

The originals weren't polished.

 

[Bill Bounds]

Hey:
Did ya put teeth on the cock and top jaw?
Bill

 

[Mike Brooks]

The originals weren't polished.

Better recheck your research.

 

[Swampman]

With brick dust? How smooth would that be? Not very I'm thinking. I think we over finish both metal and wood.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Gunmakers in Great Britain used brick dust as abrasive?

 

[Swampman]

You may be right Mike. I thought Brown Bess Muskets were pretty much unfinished when they were shipped.
[url] http://www.militaryheritage.com/browning.htm[/url]

 

[Okwaho]

The originals weren't polished.

I am sitting here looking at two flintlocks.One is the lock on my repro fusil with a hand forged cock and plate made by a fine New England blacksmith about two years ago and an original East India Company lock in original flint dated 1779.Jeff finished the inside of the fusil plate much as was stated above.The plate on the old lock as stated was finished in 1779 and there is no appreciable difference between the finish both inside and out between the two plates.I have looked at a number of old guns and they were all well finished on the inside.My woodsrunner gun has a mid 18th century W.Ketland lock in originl flint and it is well finished on the inside.I agree with Mike here.
Tom Patton

 

[Swampman]

Why Tom, I'm so suprised that you agree :bow:

 

[LSU TIGER]

The finish applied to most military arms up to the 1860's was "armory bright." It was a dull finish, like brushed stainless steel. The brick dust and oil issued by the British Army was to maintain this finish. The redcoats were so vigilant in polishing that often the "King's mark" was polished off.

 

[flint62]

I have not put the teeth in yet, and I am open to suggestion as to how. Thanks, Kevin