Freekin' Frizzen Frustrations!!!!

[M. De Land]

If it works out for you and we can do it I would want you to test it out on your gun fully to see if it was a good fix. Welds can look good from the outside and fail miserably when fully stressed. It would be fun to learn about and see if we could pull off a good repair. We may well learn what NOT to do, but that's progress too.
Keep in mind I'm not a great TIG weldor but am willing to try and I could wind up making a Post Toastie out of it.
Oh, I have a good heat treating oven so we can re-harden and draw the temper accurately as well. Mike D.

 

[Razor62]

Sounds good Mike I'll be in touch.

Kevin

 

[Razor62]

Just got off the phone with L&R. I was told to ship the entire lock back to them and they'll determine if it's warranty or not. Either way way they'll fit a new one and send it right back within 24 hours. There may or may not be a fee but I'll have my gun in time for turkeys and that's very good news.

Thanks to everyone who suggested contacting L&R. That was my best move since my little setback.

Mike, I'll ask that they return the broken frizzen and if they do I'll get it to ya'.

Kevin

 

[LRB]

Good move.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Rifleman1776, You're absolutely correct. I'll give them the whole story and let them decide how it should be handled. I'm not the kind of person who can accept a refund / replacement based upon lies or leaving out details in hopes of bettering my chances.

:applause: :thumbsup: :applause: :thumbsup:

 

[Col. Batguano]

Rifleman1776, You're absolutely correct. I'll give them the whole story and let them decide how it should be handled. I'm not the kind of person who can accept a refund / replacement based upon lies or leaving out details in hopes of bettering my chances.

:applause: :thumbsup: :applause: :thumbsup:

I guess that takes politics out of your future! :rotf: :rotf:

 

[M. De Land]

Now that is funny!

 

[M. De Land]

I have a post card on my shop wall of and old cowboy shoveling out a horse stall pitch the manure over the fence. The caption reads................"training for politics"! :rotf: MD

 

[Razor62]

Just an update for anyone who cares to read it....
After calling Bill at L&R Locks and discussing the particulars of this episode. I left n nothing out. I told him about the fine wire wheel that was turning at about 900 RP?M and how it had snatched the frizzen from my grip and sending it to the floor and having it break in two and how it really wasn't a very violent impact. Bill told me that they'd excamine the frizzen and determine if it were warr

 

[Tumblernotch]

Bill is a nice feller and will probably do what he can.

A word of advice. Next time, just use 4 ought steel wool to card the rust. And do it by hand. Parts don't get snatched out of your hand (though if you're like me and have a senior moment you can still drop it) and you can better control how much rust is removed and make a more even job of it. You only want to take off the "loose" rust.

 

[Razor62]

.

Somehow I posted the above message while in mid sentence. Here's the rest of the story...

I received my lock back from L&R in less than a week during which time they fitted a new frizzen, tempered it and shipped it back to me all free of charge. I've already browned the new frizzen and reassembled the lock. Looks like I'll make it into the turkey woods on opening day after all. THANK YOU L&R!!!!
I just wanted to post this up for all to see in hopes of giving praise where it's due to a company who treats their customers with an over and above sense of fairness. They've certainly earned a loyal customer in me.

KanawhaRanger, Don't worry. I learned my lesson. :wink:

 

[Razor62]

 

[M. De Land]

Here is some pictures of your frizzen Kevin and what went on tonight.

Frizzen after annealing and wire brushing.

After cutting through past the middle of the break with a file and re-welding the face. All went well on the second attempt of lining up and tack welding. I had to break the first one and try again as the tack welds on the back drew the face out of alignment.The face weld did the trick.

After clean up and draw filing. I used the MIG instead of the Tig for these odd angles.


All looks well right? Wrong, while cleaning the face I noticed the frizzen cracked nearly all the way across above the weld about a half inch. This after annealing and preheating.
I leaned cast parts don't care for welding apparently.

Magic marker lines show where the hair line cracks appeared. Sorry Kevin but we did indeed give it the Ole College Try? Mike D.

 

[Razor62]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained right Mike? Ain't that what they say? I'll say this though, by the looks of your bead I'd say that if it could've been done you woulda' been the guy to do it.

Thanks so much for the effort. And what you gained I would assume is knowledge and I'm greatful for the opportunity to have been a part of this experiment.

Kevin

 

[M. De Land]

Thanks so much for the chance to try and I did learn more. Actually, I'm not quite done yet as I think I will try and TIG weld the crack from both sides now that I've gotten out of the constraints of a fillet weld in the inside corner on the back.
Had to weld half the thickness from both side to get full penetration without melting down the edges at pull out. The MIG wire would get right in there without the having to make a weld puddle first. I am surprised it cracked, especially with the preheat I used first.
I'm beginning to wonder if it happened when I annealed it in the furnace and I just couldn't see the hair line crack until clean up after welding both sides and expanding it.
I don't TIG weld much and can use the practice. Also I would like to see if it cracks any more from welding heat. Mike.

 

[M. De Land]

Kevin,in looking at the picture with the weld bead you can see the beginning of the hair line crack on the right side. I didn't notice that it could be seen before the clean up draw filing. I'm pretty sure now it didn't happen while being annealed. Mike

 

[Tumblernotch]

Preheat the part before welding. When you finish welding, do a post heat. Get it red hot and gradually reduce the heat until it's almost cool to the touch. That should relieve the stress. Cast iron and cast steel are kinda like women.

I welded a cast iron pump once with a TIG machine and didn't realize what I should do. I made a beautiful weld and as I stood back and admired my work I heard a loud TINK! and saw a big long crack appear right beside my weld. My instructor told me to get a torch with a rosebud and after I ground out the crack to preheat an area a couple of inches to either side of it. After I welded it, I fired the torch back up and heated the same area to a red heat. Then I backed the torch off till the iron turned to a black heat. Kept playing the torch over it for about 20 or so minutes then let it cool by air. No more cracks.

 

[M. De Land]

Thanks for the tip, I'll try it. MD

 

[Tumblernotch]

I won't guarantee 100% that it will work, but it did on a water pump. You already have a crack so it's worth the try. Grind a small bevel the length of the crack so you can get plenty of penetration. If you have a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel it ought to do the trick.

 

[matt denison]

MD

Anothe tip from from someone sho has welded 1095 frizzns before.

When welding the face of a frizzen I use slivers of 1095 with the TIG welder as the rod. I cut the sliver from an old frizzen or one that was a reject in the junk bin. If you use a soft rod you will be making an area on the face for the flint to dig in and stop. Using the 1095 rod will harden up along with the rest of the face of the frizzen. It does make a difference and it does work. (if this doesn't make sense PM me and will explain better)

I will admit that I have never tried to fix a snapped off frizzen. You have more patience and better technique than me. I trash broken frizzens and replace them before I would go to the trouble to try to weld one back together. When I have welded on them for various reasons I have never had one crack, maybe just luck.