akapennypincher
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Anyone have any list of Web-sites that show how to tune Up a Lock to make it FASTER....
Lock Tuning
- Thread starter akapennypincher
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Mike Brooks
Cannon
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What kind of lock?
No websites, but you can make a lock faster by releaving or removing the material on the sides of the tumbler leaving about 1/16 of the orignial side surface to act as the thrust bearing. Do this on both the lock plate side and on the bridle side.
This eliminates the drag between the tumbler and the lockplate and bridle.
Polishing the hole thru the lockplate to a shiny appearance can also help but you have to be careful not to increase the size.
Same goes for the round bearing surface on the tumbler.
The only other ways of increasing speed is to increase the power of the mainspring by inserting a thin plate between the upper end and the bolster and reducing the mass of the hammer/cock by removing material.
Inserting the thin plate runs the risk of breaking the mainspring due to overbending and removing material from the hammer/cock obviously reduces the strength if the material was in a stressed region.
This eliminates the drag between the tumbler and the lockplate and bridle.
Polishing the hole thru the lockplate to a shiny appearance can also help but you have to be careful not to increase the size.
Same goes for the round bearing surface on the tumbler.
The only other ways of increasing speed is to increase the power of the mainspring by inserting a thin plate between the upper end and the bolster and reducing the mass of the hammer/cock by removing material.
Inserting the thin plate runs the risk of breaking the mainspring due to overbending and removing material from the hammer/cock obviously reduces the strength if the material was in a stressed region.
"you can make a lock faster by releaving or removing the material on the sides of the tumbler leaving about 1/16 of the orignial side surface to act as the thrust bearing. Do this on both the lock plate side and on the bridle side" Quote
Do you mean to actually reduce the thickness of the tumbler? 1/16" on each side would be 1/8" reduction in thickness overall. Or, did you mean 1/16th of its overall thickness or bearing surface on each side? Also, would you reduce the entire thickness of the tumbler or ignore that area surrounding the pivot hole, leaving that area its original thickness to act as a spacer?
Sorry, I just don't get it yet.
Thanks,
Idaho PRB
Do you mean to actually reduce the thickness of the tumbler? 1/16" on each side would be 1/8" reduction in thickness overall. Or, did you mean 1/16th of its overall thickness or bearing surface on each side? Also, would you reduce the entire thickness of the tumbler or ignore that area surrounding the pivot hole, leaving that area its original thickness to act as a spacer?
Sorry, I just don't get it yet. Thanks,
Idaho PRB
No. The 1/16 of an inch refers to the radial dimension of the side surface which will remain around the shaft or axle of the tumbler.
Perhaps if I said that most tumblers have a shaft diameter of 5/16 inch, so starting at 7/16 diameter, remove the remaining side surface of the tumbler on the lockplate side.
The shaft on the bridle side is about 3/16 diameter so starting at 5/16 diameter, remove the remaining side surface of the tumbler on the bridle side.
The amount of material which needs to be removed from both sides of the tumbler is only a few thousanths of an inch deep so the actual width in these relieved areas is reduced perhaps .005-.015 total. Just enough to keep the sides of the tumbler outside the 7/16 or 5/16 diameter from rubbing on the lockplate or the bridle.
IMO, this should have been done by the lock builder in a lathe when the tumbler was being machined and before it was hardened.
For folks reworking a finished and hardened tumbler, the material will have to be ground off using something like a whet stone.
You can protect the shaft and the adjacent bearing faces and establish the area where material should be removed by placing a short piece of 3/16 inside diameter or 5/16 inside diameter rubber or clear plastic tubing on the shaft right up to the tumblers face. The clear plastic tubing I'm thinking of has a wall thickness of about 1/16 or so.
With the tubing installed, remove the exposed side surfaces material outside of the tubing.
This will leave the area around the shafts untouched so the original width, when installed in the assembled lock will be the same as it was before you started.
Clear as mud? :hmm:
Perhaps if I said that most tumblers have a shaft diameter of 5/16 inch, so starting at 7/16 diameter, remove the remaining side surface of the tumbler on the lockplate side.
The shaft on the bridle side is about 3/16 diameter so starting at 5/16 diameter, remove the remaining side surface of the tumbler on the bridle side.
The amount of material which needs to be removed from both sides of the tumbler is only a few thousanths of an inch deep so the actual width in these relieved areas is reduced perhaps .005-.015 total. Just enough to keep the sides of the tumbler outside the 7/16 or 5/16 diameter from rubbing on the lockplate or the bridle.
IMO, this should have been done by the lock builder in a lathe when the tumbler was being machined and before it was hardened.
For folks reworking a finished and hardened tumbler, the material will have to be ground off using something like a whet stone.
You can protect the shaft and the adjacent bearing faces and establish the area where material should be removed by placing a short piece of 3/16 inside diameter or 5/16 inside diameter rubber or clear plastic tubing on the shaft right up to the tumblers face. The clear plastic tubing I'm thinking of has a wall thickness of about 1/16 or so.
With the tubing installed, remove the exposed side surfaces material outside of the tubing.
This will leave the area around the shafts untouched so the original width, when installed in the assembled lock will be the same as it was before you started.
Clear as mud? :hmm:
Power of the mainspring versus friction and inertia are the things you could work on. Power- stronger spring. Friction- polish bearing surfaces. Inertia- make the hammer or cock lighter.
akapennypincher
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Mike Brooks said:
Big Siler.
Mike Brooks
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Who built it, that will make a big difference what you need to do to it. Most Chambers made locks just require a lubrication and that's about it. Other locks will need almost a complete rebuild on occasion.akapennypincher said:
DrTimboone
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Peter Alexander has apretty good section in his "Gunsmith of Grenvill County" book about how to tune a lock.
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
I had a professional tune my Chambers late Ketland.
It so fast now, the deer die before I pull the trigger
It so fast now, the deer die before I pull the trigger
