Flint placement and other??

[750k2]

Do you center your flint in the jaws or line it up with the edges of the frizzen??
If I center my flints in the jaws I have a little hang over on the inboard side and if I line the flint up with the edges of the frizzen it is offset a little in the jaws??

Maybe I just go to a bigger flint??

How long will a frizzen last??
Iknow they are not hardened all the way through, If and when the time comes do I just re harden the frizzen or replace??

I have great ignition with no problems - just trying to dot the I's and cross my T's.... ::

 

[roundball]

Do you center your flint in the jaws or line it up with the edges of the frizzen??
If I center my flints in the jaws I have a little hang over on the inboard side and if I line the flint up with the edges of the frizzen it is offset a little in the jaws??

Maybe I just go to a bigger flint??

How long will a frizzen last??
Iknow they are not hardened all the way through, If and when the time comes do I just re harden the frizzen or replace??

I have great ignition with no problems - just trying to dot the I's and cross my T's.... ::

Usually, flints can be ordered that match the width of the frizzen...ie: my frizzens are 3/4" wide and I buy 3/4" flints;

I line up the 'breech side' of my flints with the breech side of the frizzen so the edge of the flint doesn't hit the breech;

I'll speculate that frizzens will last thousands and thousands of shots...other's may know more precisely...I've got a couple spares but after shooting a few rifles year round, I now realize I'll probably never wear one out for years and years...if one ever should need attention, I'll just replace it with a new one.

:m2c:

 

[Dave K]

I center my flint on the frizzen. I don't want the flint to nick the barrel and if it is off the side of the frizzen when it strikes it, it is doing you no good as a flint anyhow.I try to find a flint that covers the full width of the frizzen.I am not anal about it though, if it sparks good and is a little narrow, that is ok too. I really can't tell you myself how long a frizzen will last, but I would assume I will have alot more white hair than I have now, when I need to know.

 

[750k2]

How tight do you clamp your flints??
Tight tight or just snug enough to get the job done??
I've been using mine snug enough that I could still twist it a little as I figure as it wears it will be able to find its own best angle of attack - seems to work but always open to advice...

::

 

[Dave K]

I tighten her down. I will even check tightness after awhile, as it seems that the leather will loosen some as it crushes out.

 

[roundball]

How tight do you clamp your flints??
Tight tight or just snug enough to get the job done??
I've been using mine snug enough that I could still twist it a little as I figure as it wears it will be able to find its own best angle of attack - seems to work but always open to advice...

::

I use 1/8" thick leather and screw it as tight as I can get it

 

[2172]

I center the flint to be sure an overhang doesn't nick the bbl. I use either a flattened lead ball, or a piece of leather around the flint, and tighten as tight as I can. I have been glueing some thick leather pieces on humpback flints, and that seems to work better than just wrapping the flint. As to which is better, the flattened lead ball or the leather, I don't see much difference. Hank

 

[musketman]

If the flint is too far out of the jaws it could bottom out in the pan once fired, thus ending the working life of that flint...

Be sure to check the bottom end clearence...

 

[750k2]

Clearance is good all the way around and I seem to have excellent flint life.. Must be doing somthin right or my rifle is just that good the latter I suspect.