Flint to frizzen angle?

[awreis]

Does this look like my flint is striking my frizzen at a good angle? Or is it more of depends on the particular lock?

 

[IanH]

I'd like it a little steeper than that to keep from digging a ridge into the frizzen face and shredding the flint edge, but it isn't terrible. 30 degrees at contact between the average of the two flint face angles and the frizzen face at the point of first contact is about right. It might be just right if you flipped the flint over. If it only hits the frizzen at the midpoint, so what? As long as it sparks and the frizzen kicks open....and stays open...you're good to go.

Another consideration is where the flint edge ends up at the end of the stroke. You want it pointed at the center of the pan but not so far down that the edge gets torched directly by the flash hole jet.

 

[jdw276]

I'd like it a little steeper than that to keep from digging a ridge into the frizzen face and shredding the flint edge, but it isn't terrible. 30 degrees at contact between the average of the two flint face angles and the frizzen face at the point of first contact is about right. It might be just right if you flipped the flint over. If it only hits the frizzen at the midpoint, so what? As long as it sparks and the frizzen kicks open....and stays open...you're good to go.

Another consideration is where the flint edge ends up at the end of the stroke. You want it pointed at the center of the pan but not so far down that the edge gets torched directly by the flash hole jet.

My Durs Egg lock the flint will hit the pan edge if I am not careful digging into the pan. But it sparks and is pretty easy on flints.

 

[TDM]

Agree with @IanH. A little more contact angle is desirable but what you have will work.

 

[awreis]

I'd like it a little steeper than that to keep from digging a ridge into the frizzen face and shredding the flint edge, but it isn't terrible. 30 degrees at contact between the average of the two flint face angles and the frizzen face at the point of first contact is about right. It might be just right if you flipped the flint over. If it only hits the frizzen at the midpoint, so what? As long as it sparks and the frizzen kicks open....and stays open...you're good to go.

Another consideration is where the flint edge ends up at the end of the stroke. You want it pointed at the center of the pan but not so far down that the edge gets torched directly by the flash hole jet.

The top jaw will hit the frizzen and the flint completely misses if the flint is the other way. Its a jukar lock and sparks pretty decently but it's not the best in that aspect. Though I am happy with it for what I have invested in the rifle.

 

[hawkenhunter50]

The top jaw will hit the frizzen and the flint completely misses if the flint is the other way. Its a jukar lock and sparks pretty decently but it's not the best in that aspect. Though I am happy with it for what I have invested in the rifle.

Perhaps try a little larger flint or shim that one out a bit? I assume in the pic that you are holding it in that position and that it's not actually at half cock. If that is half cock then forget what I said.

 

[Celt5494]

As some others have noted it looks to be hitting the frizzen a bit too squarely for my liking. From that angle I think it would be awfully hard of that flint and the frizzen carving out some deep groves that may need to be addressed later. It might just be me but that flint seems to have a lot of girth to it where it contacts the jaws. I might look for a thinner flint or try flipping it upside down to see how the strike is. I know you said it wasn't working correctly if flipped upside down but sometimes you can fool with the leather jaw patch or smash down a round ball with a hammer or similar to your liking. That may change things up for you.

 

[Juniata]

The first thing Brad Emig would do would be flip the flint.
I used to debate it with him, and others now I realize it's not debatable.

 

[duca]

Are u holding the cock or is that Half cock? How does it spark? Looks good to me if your hold it to show where the flint hits. It’s not the highest quality lock, so if it works great!

 

[awreis]

Are u holding the cock or is that Half cock? How does it spark? Looks good to me if your hold it to show where the flint hits. It’s not the highest quality lock, so if it works great!

yes, I am holding it there. The flint hits the feizzen at half cock and if I flip the flint, the top jaw hits the frizzend and the flint completely misses.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Flinting is pronounced "frustrating". Finding wat works best is a matter of experimentation. What some would say is wrong but works is what you should use. Often it is no more than trying bevel up or bevel down. The key is to keep at it.

 

[Pioneer flinter]

Does this look like my flint is striking my frizzen at a good angle? Or is it more of depends on the particular lock?

I would turn the flint over. Make sure the flint is back against the cock jaw screw. And possibly go with a shorter Flint so it would hit the frizzen a little lower and at a steeper angle.

 

[IanH]

The top jaw will hit the frizzen and the flint completely misses if the flint is the other way.

Then get a longer flint.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

yes, I am holding it there. The flint hits the feizzen at half cock and if I flip the flint, the top jaw hits the frizzend and the flint completely misses.

You need to move the flint back a bit, especially if it is resting against the frizzen at half cock.

It appears that you are using a rather thick piece of leather to hold your flint that is causing that problem. You should be able to actually fix this pretty simply. Just take the flint and leather out of the cock, bend the leather in half and then cut a "V" in the middle of the bend. That will actually put a diamond-shaped hole in the middle of the leather, which will allow you to move the flint farther back because there will no longer be a piece of leather butting up against the screw that holds the flint in place. After you have cut the hole in the leather and moved the flint back farther it should not be touching the frizzen when it's at half-cock. If that doesn't fix it, then you need a shorter flint. But your leather is pretty darn thick and that should take care of it.

After you have modified your flint leather, then you want to position your flint. The angle it hits the frizzen now will smash the point. You'll be lucky to get 2 shots out of it before it no longer sparks. The tip of the flint needs to scrape along the face of the frizzen to generate the sparks and continue to do so repeatedly. It's the Goldilocks Effect at its best. Not too much angle, not too little angle, just right!

Not enough angle will cause the tip of the flint to smash head on into the frizzen and smash the tip. That's how yours is set now. Too little angle will actually impact the top of the flint instead of the point of it, and that will break a piece off the bottom of the flint, often leaving a concave edge on the flint instead of a straight one. That's too much angle.

The right amount of angle will slice along the frizzen as it pushes it, showering lots of sparks down into the pan. And it will do it over and over and over again. That angle actually self sharpens the flint and keeps generating a good amount of sparks, and you may get as many as 100-shots or more out of a single flint. That's known as "just right". That "just right" angle is usually anywhere between 55° and 60°.

The illustration below should help with that. Be aware that of course your frizzen is curved as are all frizzens. To get that angle you need to draw an imaginary line from the contact point on the frizzen straight up - 90°. Too little angle, say 45° to 50° will be crushing the tip. If you go beyond 60° to perhaps 70° you'll start breaking pieces off the underside of your flint or possibly break the tip of it off entirely. Usually 55° to 60° does the trick very nicely, so give that a try. Do whatever you need to get that angle. Turn bevel up or down as needed to get it to hit the frizzen at the correct angle. Cut a hole in the back of the flint leather if it's too long; or put a twig or toothpick behind the back of the flint if it's too short. When you get the correct angle on it for your rifle, you will get good, consistent sparking and long flint life.

Hope that helps,
Dan
Twisted_1in66

 

[Gvilleddie]

That’s a fat flint. Try a thinner flint. May fit the jaws better.