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My first flinter was a cva circa 1972. Wouldn't spark worth beans. Used kasnit and it corrected the trouble and I still have it, it still sparks and has not (though shot infrequently now) needed to be re treated and if it did as the Commodore said it is not a big deal to reharden with powder. The cva is still junk overall but as it was my first build from a kit it taught me a lot so I keep it.
Your CVA frizzen more than likely didn’t need to be carburized, it likely had a tempering issue. CVA frizzens are made of investment cast 1095 steel (depending on the production period) or 1084 steel, these frizzens ought not be carburized because they can break rather easily if quenched in water. If not tempered correctly it will eventually break its just a matter of when.
CVA frizzens can also be replaced rather easily if needed for a small cost, so why bother spending 20-30 bucks on cherry red which doesn’t work well, and buy a new one you could drop in?
The reference in the question was as in an Indian made arm. Indian made muskets don’t have drop in replacement frizzens, fitting a new one from another casting set is not easy to do without changing something about the lock.
Carburizing an Indian made frizzen to my point is not a good idea because it’s very temporary, and superficial. The frizzen steels are not made of high quality carbon steel, I’ve worked on enough to them to warranty this claim. Sure they will spark pretty well for a 30-60 rounds right after carburizing, but it will eventually need to be done again, with many heats over and Over, it simply ruins steel that is already poorer quality.
The best solution is to resole an Indian made frizzen.. (not a CVA frizzen), Resoling does not not take long and does and can be done rather easily if you have the right tools to do it. High carbon steel Shims be brazed, soldered, riveted, bolted on, even tack welded on.
Carburizing.. (Not case hardening) steel by consistently heating with a hardening powder, quenching and tempering over and over, and some even sand the frizzen face down smooth too often which loses the facing steel and possibly carbon. It also weakens the part.
Chad’s methods mentioned are not terrible suggestions, it’s just what i would not do personally for an Indian made frizzen. Of the frizzen’ I’ve resoled none of them have ever made it back to me, frizzens spark very well and the musket now as additional life.
Carburizing (with what is available) is best used for smalls things like screws, maybe a top jaw. Kaseinite worked very well, whats on the market today doesn’t contain key components such as potassium ferrocyanide, and the most important component, carbon. Track of the Wolf’s works pretty well, but is still missing the cyanide.
Case hardening with charcoal made from peach pits, chard leather and bone charcoal works best for me for infusing carbon to iron or steel. I burry the parts in a graphite crucible with a lid in an oven and proceed.
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