New member, building a wheellock.

[ChaseR]

Greetings,

I'm new to the forum, but I've been collecting and shooting for quite some time now. I've recently gotten back into black powder after frustration with low end kits steered me towards cartridge rifles long ago.

Anyway, enough back ground info, as I've gotten older my knowledge and skill with woodworking and metalworking tools has grown considerably, I'm even finding that those "impossible" kits of my youth (collecting dust for years) are no trouble at all now.

So I'm looking to plan my next project, a matched pair of "dueling" wheellock pistols. I've got an idea in my mind how I want them to look, even if its not historically accurate. I plan to build them as large caliber smoothbores (probably .62 caliber) with polished barrels and locks, German silver inlays, and very dark (almost black) stocks.

I have a copy of Lauber's "How to build a wheellock..." and I have researched on this site and am aware of the shortcomings of the book and the general cranky-ness of wheelocks, but I have wanted one since seeing a drawing of one as a child.

My first question concerns the grades of steel needed to build the locks, Lauber only refers to the needed material as soft workable steel, which I take to mean plain mild steel stock. However, he constantly mentions hardening parts, and I was hoping that somebody could recommend a specific grade of steel?

I am well equipped with a wide range of tools, missing only a mill (its on my wish list), so I would prefer to use the best material for a long lasting, quality build.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Stophel]

Other than for springs, plain, mild steel should be fine. Case harden it. For the wheel, I don't know (never done a wheel lock...yet), but would think a through-hardening steel would be better. 1095 maybe. Although the wheel does not wear off like a frizzen face does, so case hardened mild steel would probably be fine for that too.

For springs, 1070 or 1095 or something like that. Just my thoughts on it, anyway.

 

[ChaseR]

Thank you for the info,

I did a little research on 1095, and it seems to be very difficult to properly heat treat... according to the custom knife guys.

I'm still a novice when it comes to different grades of steel. Most of my metalworking skills comes from fab work on classic cars... so this is a new step for me.

I'm think of using 1018 for most of parts requiring easy working steel. Its low carbon and seems to be easy to work... but is easy to case harden.

That leaves two components, the wheel and the spindle, that I am unsure about. The spindle must not bend under the pressure of the wound chain, and the wheel must be hard enough not to wear down. I'm thinking these pieces should be higher grade steel.

There is also a question of springs, the book suggests using the leaf spring of a car as a source of the mainspring. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Stophel]

Difficult to heat treat? 1095 is one of the easiest steels to work with. Plain, simple, high carbon steel.

 

[BlackNet]

1095 is EASY to heat treat, I make custom knives and 1095 is one of the common used metals. in a nutshell heat it evenly to cherry red then quench in oil (RC 66)

If you want it softer then transfer to a toaster oven at 500F for an hour, do the toaster oven 3 times and your done. (RC 59)