tv_racin_fan
40 Cal.
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If that bottom picture is after sparking a couple of times it looks like an awfully dull flint. Dull flint wont spark or will spark poorly.
No spark from my flint
- Thread starter fredrader
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Wait til your REAL flints arrive. :grin:
Ok,I received my new flints from TOW and installed one..It did the same as the German flints(Sparked 4 or 5 times then no more spark)
I took off the hammer and frizzen and heated the hammer and bent it some more..I also heated the frizzen and cooled it..I then tried the same flint and no spark..I tried a new flint and it sparked a few times and again no spark... :cursing:
I'm on a mission now to make it spark but I don't know where to go next...
Here are a couple pics of the new hammer geometry with the german flint installed for comparison.Top pic is halfcock and bottom pic is all the way down.
I took off the hammer and frizzen and heated the hammer and bent it some more..I also heated the frizzen and cooled it..I then tried the same flint and no spark..I tried a new flint and it sparked a few times and again no spark... :cursing:
I'm on a mission now to make it spark but I don't know where to go next...
Here are a couple pics of the new hammer geometry with the german flint installed for comparison.Top pic is halfcock and bottom pic is all the way down.
fredrader: Could you post larger pictures?
The ones you posting are only 160 X 120 pixels in size making them difficult to enlarge.
Try something like 350 or larger.
That said, I did enlarge your picture and something looks totally wrong about your flint.
Where the part of it that will hit the frizzen should look like a knife with about a 15-30 degree blade angle, your flint looks more like a club with a 70-80 degree edge.
Is it possible that you installed it with the front edge pointed towards the barrel?
The red lines show what the flint should look like
The ones you posting are only 160 X 120 pixels in size making them difficult to enlarge.
Try something like 350 or larger.
That said, I did enlarge your picture and something looks totally wrong about your flint.
Where the part of it that will hit the frizzen should look like a knife with about a 15-30 degree blade angle, your flint looks more like a club with a 70-80 degree edge.
Is it possible that you installed it with the front edge pointed towards the barrel?
The red lines show what the flint should look like
By the way.
That knife edge on your flint should be as sharp as a scalpel when it is new. It can easily cut you very badly.
As you shoot your gun, small pieces of it will chip off, dulling the edge but this is easily fixed.
For right now, don't worry about sharpening (knapping) the edge yet. Just install the flint so that it looks like the red marks in the picture above and then try your pistol.
I'm betting the sparks will fly (unless all of this heating you did to the frizzen softened it too much).
That knife edge on your flint should be as sharp as a scalpel when it is new. It can easily cut you very badly.
As you shoot your gun, small pieces of it will chip off, dulling the edge but this is easily fixed.
For right now, don't worry about sharpening (knapping) the edge yet. Just install the flint so that it looks like the red marks in the picture above and then try your pistol.
I'm betting the sparks will fly (unless all of this heating you did to the frizzen softened it too much).
zimmerstutzen
70 Cal.
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You can try half soling the frizzen. You will need a piece of metal clock spring stock to laminate to the frizzen. You can either strip an old wind up clock from a junk store or buy stock from Divxie gun works. It should only be about 1/64 thick. The best stock has that dark blue color.Cut the spring steel to closely match the face of the frizzen. Rough one edge of the frizzen on a sharpening stone and the same with one side of the spring steel. Spread epoxy over both roughened surfaces and then put the glued sides together and clamp tightly with a c-clamp or vice. let it harden for 24 hours. Then slowly grind off any excess where the spring protrudes beyond the frizzen face. Be careful so the steel doesn't heat up. Keep it cool. re-install and you should have lots of spark. It sounds involved, but is easier than trying to reharden a frizzen properly. I have done this with a few guns over the years. My brother still hunts with a TC hawken flinter that I half soled 25 yrs ago.
If you click on the pic it will take you to my photobucket album showing a larger pic..Then you can click on the larger pic and it will get even larger..
I wasn't using the flint in the pic I just installed it for the pic to compare the angle with the previous pics I posted that had the same flint installed..
I will install one of my new flints and post another pic..
I wasn't using the flint in the pic I just installed it for the pic to compare the angle with the previous pics I posted that had the same flint installed..
I will install one of my new flints and post another pic..
Zonie,I did what you said and it was still hitting the frizzen at a bad angle..I heated the frizzen and bent it back a little and it works every time now..I even smashed up a little FFFG and put it in the pan and it worked first time..Thanks everyone for all your help..Now I just need to figure out how to sharpen the flints I dulled and I will have extras..Thanks again
Here shows the angle of the flint now and also the angle of the frizzen..Click on the pics for a larger view..
Here shows the angle of the flint now and also the angle of the frizzen..Click on the pics for a larger view..
Your flint is striking awfully low on the frizzen. Try turning the flint over and trying it. Should strike higher that way. May work may not but you never know till you try. Good luck.
Well I mashed up some fffg goex to make some fine powder for the pan and loaded 20g FFFG and a PRB and took it out back for a test run today..I had a flash in the pan on the first try and then I loaded the pan again and it worked :thumbsup:
I loaded it back up and gave it another try and same thing,Flash but no bang,,Loaded the pan again and it went off just like it was supposed to..I tried it a 3rd time ans the same thing,Flash and no bang...Fill the pan and bang worked fine...Maby I am doing something wrong but it is igniting the powder in the pan every time :thumbsup:
I loaded it back up and gave it another try and same thing,Flash but no bang,,Loaded the pan again and it went off just like it was supposed to..I tried it a 3rd time ans the same thing,Flash and no bang...Fill the pan and bang worked fine...Maby I am doing something wrong but it is igniting the powder in the pan every time :thumbsup:
Your just having more fun than any grown person should be able to have.
If you can figure a way to adjust your flint pad or your cock (hammer) so that the flint is positioned like the red lines in the following photo, you will have even more sparks, the flint won't get banged up as bad and it will look more like it should.
As for resharpening your flint, try the search button at the top of the screen and put "knapping" in as the word to look for.
It also would be a good idea to click on the word FLINTLOCKS over on the left side of the screen.
There have been several posts about knapping flints to resharpen them.
If you can figure a way to adjust your flint pad or your cock (hammer) so that the flint is positioned like the red lines in the following photo, you will have even more sparks, the flint won't get banged up as bad and it will look more like it should.
As for resharpening your flint, try the search button at the top of the screen and put "knapping" in as the word to look for.
It also would be a good idea to click on the word FLINTLOCKS over on the left side of the screen.
There have been several posts about knapping flints to resharpen them.
There are several things you can try to keep the flash in the pan minimized. Don't over fill the pan, use your vent pick and push some particles of your fine priming through the vent, NOT into the vent, through the vent so it is slightly into the main charge. also try rocking the gun slightly to the right after closing your frizzen.
This puts the flash a little farther from the vent, The theory is that flash can enter the vent better. All guns are entities unto themselves and
sooner or latter the guys on this forum will come up with the combination. GLAD you got your lock working better.
Jon
This puts the flash a little farther from the vent, The theory is that flash can enter the vent better. All guns are entities unto themselves and
sooner or latter the guys on this forum will come up with the combination. GLAD you got your lock working better.
Jon
Is that the flint you are using to test the sparking? I must agree with Zonnie, it is all wrong. Did you order some hand knapped flints? Rich Pierce or Tom Fuller are good.
Think of it as slicing some thin slice off the frizzen.
Think of it as slicing some thin slice off the frizzen.
How big is the vent hole? If under 1/16" you might try drilling it out to 1/16". Kep the prime below the vent, pick the vent before priming, If it has a vent liner try coning the inside. All things to try out.
I tried changing the angle of my flint and I could just raise it up a little and when I went past a certain angle it wouldn't spark..
I ran a wire in the touch hole after loading just to make sure it was clear each time..As for the powder in the pan,I am thinking I had it up past the touch hole so maby that was my problem..I will give it another try once it warms up a little..
I ran a wire in the touch hole after loading just to make sure it was clear each time..As for the powder in the pan,I am thinking I had it up past the touch hole so maby that was my problem..I will give it another try once it warms up a little..
As zonie said the vent looks to be too small. I'd run a 1/16th bit in the vent just to be cewrtain theres not a curl if metal partlly blocking the vent. Also you might want to make a scraper and dress up the breech area where the vent hole comes through. To me a 1/16th vent is pretty small, but if you get the main charge going off every time the pan ignites, leeave it be. For some reason the hammer just looks like it dosn't belong to that lock but here again if you get the lock functioning well, leave it be. Good luck and keep us p[osted on the outcome.
You ain't kidding..,I tried it again and I got a flash in the pan 3 times in a row and on the 4th try it went bang..I decided to try drilling the touch hole out to 1/16" since it was a little smaller...It was going fine when I heard a snap :shocked2: and you know the rest of the story...The very tip of the bit snapped off about half way thru the hole..I have a buddy with a machine shop so I ordered a couple vent liners and I will take it over to his house and we will (He will)drill and tap my brl and install the liner..Yea I am having way too much fun with this thing but I am learning a lot thru the whole process..(One way to look at it I guess) :idunno:Zonie said:
