Flint maintenance

[Professor flintlock]

Buy a silcone carbide green grinding wheel. Cuts a flint like butter. I have to trim the back of my flints so they will go back far enough into the jaws to give me clearance between the flint and frizzen at half **** plus I can take some of the top with high lobes

If you are going to grind flints please wear a good particulate respirator. The dust from the grindings will get in your lungs and track havic lacerating the air sacks and the linings of your lungs .The old flint knappers were few and far between. The younger knappers had a name for the condition but I can't remember it. Be safe .

 

[DaveC]

There is another variation of using the frizzen to refresh a flint, although I’m not a big fan of the method as it, at least in my opinion, puts unnecessary strain on lock components. Basically you set the frizzen open bit, so that the flint will strike the frizzen near its base. You **** the piece and pull the trigger. Letting the flint hit the frizzen essentially square instead of swiping down it, and it will definitely cause the edge of the flint to calve flakes. But it has to be stressing some of the lock components, again, in my opinion.

Huh. My lock does that "automatically" albeit without the parallel edge or "refreshing" the edge, unfortunately!

 

[tenngun]

La Loop posted a list of French military issues. One flint was given for about sixteen shots or so

 

[SDSmlf]

Huh. My lock does that "automatically" albeit without the parallel edge or "refreshing" the edge, unfortunately!

Didn’t say it was a great idea that worked well.... stresses lock and busts up flints in my opinion. And those are the good points.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Toot, that's a 'when you absolutely positively must knap your flint without reaching in your bag' sort of technique. It might get you one more shot if there's an NDN on your tail and you missfired on the run...

It's not what the frizzen was designed to do. Especially if you have an unbridled frizzed. It's called "heeling the flint"and if you feel obligated to do it used steady pressure with just 1/16" of flint under the heel and don't "smack" it.

 

[toot]

I dress the edge of the flint with a small brass napping hammer. It's really simple and keeps me running

do you use the flat head of the brass hammer or the other end?

 

[toot]

It's not what the frizzen was designed to do. Especially if you have an unbridled frizzed. It's called "heeling the flint"and if you feel obligated to do it used steady pressure with just 1/16" of flint under the heel and don't "smack" it.

roger that, thank's.

 

[FlinterNick]

You can really do either. I use a tiny brass hammer on some flints but the fact of the matter is Brass is harder and chipping isn’t what you want to make a flint work better.... YOU may get 1 or two nice shots after smacking it with a brass hammer but if you properly flake the flint to an edge you’ll have a much longer lasting ignition (7-10 shots). Knapping the flint works, I always Knapp my flints before I go to the range. In the field I just simply change the flint out With a flint that is ffreshly Knapped.


Another rather unforeseen Matter of ignition is the face of the frizzen, hardness usually isn’t the problem but the gashes created will often chew up a flint. I recommend polishing the frizzen off working the gashes down to a smooth finish, this can be done with a dremel and sanding drum just watch your speed as you can take away too much rather quickly. If you shoot often going through 1-2 frizzens over the life of the gun is normal in my opinion, of course the size of the frizzen matters too, the more steel the more life.

 

[Mulebrain]

do you use the flat head of the brass hammer or the other end?

Well, both sides are flat, and I just lightly tap the front of the flint at a 45 degree angle. You will see very small flakes coming off, and just try to keep the flint straight. Never toss flints, you can use larger leather in the jaws, or even lead wraps to push the flint forward in the jaws

Here is my hammer

L&R lock, they told me about a match shooter that had over 3600 shots on the frizzen of one of their locks. They did tell me the frizzen was nearly broken through, but still doing the job. The guy came by to buy a spare frizzen, in the event of failure

 

[hanshi]

I've had flints that gave only three or four shots and could not be coaxed to give another. I've also had flints that self-knapped and got up around the 100 shot mark with nothing else done. The average has been maybe 20 to 35 shots before dulling. With knapping they normally will go another 20 to 35 shots. Being cheap frugal I use flints until nothing is left. A fresh flint goes in the lock just before every hunting season and is often removed after the close of it.

 

[toot]

Well, both sides are flat, and I just lightly tap the front of the flint at a 45 degree angle. You will see very small flakes coming off, and just try to keep the flint straight. Never toss flints, you can use larger leather in the jaws, or even lead wraps to push the flint forward in the jaws

Here is my hammer

View attachment 42841

L&R lock, they told me about a match shooter that had over 3600 shots on the frizzen of one of their locks. They did tell me the frizzen was nearly broken through, but still doing the job. The guy came by to buy a spare frizzen, in the event of failure

is the hammer home made by you or store bought? I like the antler handle. makes it look period.

 

[Mulebrain]

is the hammer home made by you or store bought? I like the antler handle. makes it look period.

She is a custom built hammer, came in a shooting box I got full of goodies

 

[Art Caputo]

I had made this flint knapping tool some years ago. Antler handle with a copper nail. About 3 1/4”long, either the copper nail can be used with pressure or tapped, or the antler handle can be used with pressure....depending on the characteristics of the particular flint.

 

[toot]

She is a custom built hammer, came in a shooting box I got full of goodies

it is a great piece.