I could use some good advice

[talkingamoeba]

Hello, I anxiously waited for my kit to come. Life has it's turns and I buried a parent the day it came. Thinking it might give my mind a break, I started on it a few days later. Lesson #1 that one or all of you already know, have a clear head when working on a rifle.
This was several months ago- I set it aside after thoroughly messing things up. While trying to fit the lock, a large Siler, I thought that filing on the main-spring bolster was a good idea at one point.
I picked up my tools the other day for the first time since. I got the tang bolt fitted OK and in the process of securing the lock, I find that the filing had rendered the frizzen too wide at the base. It is about 3/64" too wide where it should go down past the barrel to cover the pan. I had already taken that side of the stock down to near final thickness before parking it, so even a new lock won't fix it. I think that at this point (with a little clearer head now) it might be salvageable if the side of the frizzen could be filed. I'm sure none of you ever did this, but if you had- how would you fix it?
Thanks,
Jim

 

[Vaino]

The frizzen is hard so excess mat'l has to be ground off. I use a pedestal grinder and finish up w/ a stone so it doesn't score the side of the bbl. Also the sharp corners have to be rounded a mite. Hopefully, not too much will have to be removed from the mainspring if it contacts the bbl...Good luck....Fred

 

[Robby]

I file the lock bolster sometimes, to change the angle that the lock lays against the barrel. After the lock is fit to the stock, remove from the stock, close the frizzen and run a scratch awl across it using the bolster as the guide, then proceed pretty much like Fred does. If I feel the need to use a pedestal grinder, I am very careful not to over heat it, so I don't have to re-temper it. I always final finish by hand, with stones.
Robby

 

[J.D.]

Good advise above, the only thing I would add is remove only enough material so the frizzen clears the barrel. It would be a good idea to leave as much width, as possible, above the barrel to produce as many sparks as possible.

in addition, a Germanic lock, like the Siler should not sit flush on the lock mortise. The lock should fit to the bottom of the bevel on the edges of the lock plate,so you may have more room to move the lock out, than you think.

God bless

 

[rich pierce]

I sure hope you have enough wood on the lock panel as suggested above. If so, you might be best off welding, brazing or silver soldering a piece of sheet steel to the inside of the bolster. The challenge will be that you most likely got into filing on the inside of the pan and fence, complicating things a little.

 

[Birddog6]

I would sand it down on a belt sander with it ON the lock. (lock stripped except the frizzen) Take it down a little at a time, cooling it in water allot as not to change the temper.

Another option is send the lock back & have them build it on a new lockplate.

Keith Lisle

 

[talkingamoeba]

Thanks to all! So all is not lost, that's good to know.