lock inletting

[chuck-ia]

Do any of you cheat when inletting a lock by using bedding compound? I spent many hours inletting a lock in a blank of wood, thought I had a perfect fit, soot showing around the lock mortise, nice fit against the bolster, could not slip a .0015 gage between the lock and bolster, only to discover the next day I had too much rock from top to bottom, I filed down the bolster a bit and started to fit the lock again, better but still have a little rock. I threw in the towel and mixed up some bedding compound and clamped the lock in, will see how it looks in the morning. I really wanted to build this gun without using any epoxy or bedding compound, maybe next one. Geez, I think this lock took about as much time as inletting the swamped barrel. Just curious as to how you guys handle these kind of problems. flinch

 

[Birddog6]

Another alternative to that is some Elmers stainable wood glue. Put a dollop on a piece of cardboard, take some sawdust from that rifle where you have rasped it some & mix to a thick paste, put paste where needed, put a piece of saran wrap over it & press the lock into place & clamp lightly. Take it out tomorrow & you can work it if necessary like the wood & also stain iside the lock area dark & most will never know the dif.
:wink:

 

[bioprof]

If there's no gaps around the lock plate, I don't know how it could rock very much. When you apply the finish, it will fill in some of the gaps. The lock bolts should help hold it in place too. I guess I'd wait and see how it is after you get it all buttoned up. It might be just a perfect fit by the time you get done.

 

[bioprof]

Are you sure that there is no wood touching the lock internals? If there is, that could be what is keeping the lock from settling in tight in the mortis. I'd suggest covering the internals with inletting black and checking it again and remove any wood that is touching inside the lock mortis.

You might also try taking the lock apart and try fitting the lock plate without the parts. If you have no movement, then keep adding the parts one at a time to see where the problem is located.

 

[streetsniper]

Have you checked to see if your mainspring isn't touching the barrel? I had a similar problem on my build and used some lipstick on the spring. I took a little bit off with a wetstone.

 

[Stophel]

Simply saw out a thin slip of wood to fit into the bottom of the lock inlet at the nose or tail of the lockplate (generally, the problem is going to be at the nose. The tail end doesn't even have to bottom out, it can float and will be fine), fit it into place and glue it in. When dry, reinlet the lock. It will be virtually invisible, and no epoxy needed. :wink:

 

[Mike Brooks]

As Stophel hints at, your lock is binding at the nose and tail, that's why it rocks. A little more work in those areas and you would have been good.

 

[chuck-ia]

I think if I would have taken a little more off the bolster I would have been fine, after bedding the lock the bedding was very thin, (I could see the wood under it) most of the way around the lock, a little thicker at the nose. I probably would have been fine as is.One of my problems is, when to stop, sometimes I try to get things perfect and end up going the other way, inexperiance I guess. thanks, chuck