I have a Flint Hawken with the new lock and after about 5-6 shots I fail to get a fire at all. I am cleaning with alcohol, the frizen, pan and flint. I wipe dry. After a while it starts back working. Maybe do not wipe the flint and frizen with alcohol or what. I am not getting a flash in the pan at all. It is simply not getting sparks. The new lock is not damaging the flints, so that is not the problem. I am using TC flints. Help me, please
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Missfires or nofires
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A good lock, with a good flint, which is not a TC flint, should not need that much wiping. Is it possible that the alcohol is causing condensation that evaporates in a few minutes, then it starts sparking again? Try a good English flint, and lose the alcohol.
First, you know that the flint's edge needs to be positioned so it's all but touching the frizzen at half cock...a sheet of paper distance away from the frizzen...and very importantly that the edge will be striking the frizzen with a slightly downward slicing/shaving angle when it hits it (bevel up / bevel down).
When I started with TC Flintlocks, I never had much better luck than yours with TC's agate flints either...always had to keep fiddling with them every few shots, flip them over back and forth between bevel up & down, etc.
In frustration I switched to 3/4" black english flints and they're simply outstanding...they're all I use. The interesting thing is they have very long life, are far less expensive than a T/C agate flint, and are the real deal...what the settlers used.
3/4" BEF's in a TC Flintlock average 40-60 shots per flint, so I usually make it through an entire 40 shot range session with the same flint. Sometimes I'll have to take 30 seconds part way through the session and knapp / or flip the edge bevel up to bevel down...or, sometimes I only have to slide it forward in the jaws if it's worn down a little shorter from use to keep it's relationship to the frizzen...but half the time I'm able to just run through the whole session without ever having to touch it other than to clean it with alcohol on a rag.
The best price I've found is buying bulk bags of 25, 50, or 100 from October Country...tell them you were referred to them by somebody on a muzzleloading message board.
Roundball, you must stay up all night on the internet just to help ignorant people like me. I had a feeling that I would hear from you and hear about the english flints. I really appreciate your input. I have a few and will try them out. Many thanks.
Good question...as you know, when ordering flints you usually order by the size that is the width of your frizzen...ie: T/C's frizzens are 3/4" wide.
At some places, like the company that's recently been selling French Flints, their 3/4" flints are square 3/4" x 3/4"...I tried a couple dozen and half of them were even shorter than they were wide so I resold those to someone who had a small pistol lock or something...I used up the remaining square ones and won't bother with them again.
The 3/4" Black English Flints I've gotten from October Country have always been longer than wide...3/4" wide x 7/8" to 1" long like the one in the photo...really helps with long flint life...and the English flints are very hard, very sharp.
So that's a good comment to make when ordering some...that you do not want the 3/4" square ones...unless they've changed their supplier, if it was me, I'd contact John & Linda at October Country and just make it clear what you want.
Mule skinner im new to flint locks myself.My first couple of range sessions was with black english flints.I wipe the flint,frizzen and pan every shot with a dry rag.They always spark.Only napped the edge when ignition seemed to slow a little.
I tried the tc arkansa flints the next time out,once they get dull,which dont take very long,they wont spark at all.They need napped often for a decent spark.I use a deer antler tip for nappen.Takes less than 30 seconds to knap a sharp edge.
I picked up some chert rock down at the creek the other day,i made a crude flint when i got home.Man that stuff really sparks good,Might eat a firren up in short time,dont know but it was free.May go on a rock hunt here today just to see what kind of sparking rocks i can find in these here parts.
I tried the tc arkansa flints the next time out,once they get dull,which dont take very long,they wont spark at all.They need napped often for a decent spark.I use a deer antler tip for nappen.Takes less than 30 seconds to knap a sharp edge.
I picked up some chert rock down at the creek the other day,i made a crude flint when i got home.Man that stuff really sparks good,Might eat a firren up in short time,dont know but it was free.May go on a rock hunt here today just to see what kind of sparking rocks i can find in these here parts.
I dunno it really sounds like a vent pick is needed here--- :imo:---that typically sounds like "goop in the ventitis" ::, a rare but well documented disease common to flintlocks ::. The alcohol ( if it isn't a dilution ) should evaporate rapidly---however an alcohol water solution, the water can can dissolve certain residual salts leftover after detonation. So water in the alcohol will form this "goop" and wiping only jams it further down the barrel and into the liner and vent opening. S-o-o-o my read is to carry some fine 15-or 20gauge copper wire, or a good vent pick and jiggle that "goop" loose. :m2c:
Found out a deer antler tip will only work so far then the flint is very hard to knap with the[url] antler.Made[/url] one of them nails with a step in it today.Brought sum flints back to life that i thought were too far gone.Sparked like the dickens.Few taps on the nail with a short starter and the old flints became sharp again.Learn sumthin new everyday ::
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i have an old tc hawk. same prob.
english flints, positioned the way that works best for my lock (upside down). and jaws tightened down with a screwdriver. last night i got 15 shots w/two missfires
one wasno spark. tc's are finicky. last night was the best i had in years
english flints, positioned the way that works best for my lock (upside down). and jaws tightened down with a screwdriver. last night i got 15 shots w/two missfires
one wasno spark. tc's are finicky. last night was the best i had in years
jimbo15563
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On the subject of TC agate flints. I have 6 of them, 5 unused. I will order some BEF's. In the meantime, when I lose spark on them, after turning the bevel in the other direction, should I:
a. try to sharpen them or b. throw the dull one away and use a new on. If sharpening is the answer, should they be ground or knapped?
Jimbo
a. try to sharpen them or b. throw the dull one away and use a new on. If sharpening is the answer, should they be ground or knapped?
Jimbo
Rocky Johnson
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Mule Skinner I get my flints from TOW and there catalog points you in the right direction on witch flint fits your lock. I am new to flintlocks also. :winking: Rocky
I only tried knapping an agate flint once and it didn't seem to work for me...so I flipped them back and forth a couple times...seems like I tried to resharpen one on a wetstone of something but never really got into it as my order of BEF's arrived, and they were were so outstanding, I tossed the agates, never fooled with them again
jimbo15563
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Went to the October Country Website and ordered some 3/4" Black English Flints. They recommended 5/8 for the TC's but I took your advise and ordered the 3/4. I measured my frizzen and it's just shy of 3/4, something like 23/32. Thanks for the tip.
Jimbo
Jimbo
Great...I had tried a small bag of the 5/8" and it was a waste of money...they're so small they don't last very long, and give a less sparks than a 3/4"...tried the 3/4" and have had perfect ignition and long life ever since.
A suggestion you might want to consider is to sort them into two piles when you get them...target range and hunting.
Just by the luck of the draw the way flints are made, you'll get some that are nice and flat on top ("flat tops")
The other typical shape of a BEF has a high top, or hump on it's top ("hump backs")
So I sort them into two categories by their distinctively different shapes:
>>the flat, thin, sharp "flat top" flints I save for hunting;
>>the thick, steep sloped "hump back" flints I use at the range, where I can more easily knapp them if I need too.
Or, instead of messing with the humped flints, get you a Mizzy, wheel on line or from a jeweler, and grind the humps off making them all flat tops.
