Polish the pan

[Blackfoot]

After cleaning the blue ridge flinter and doing the lock I always wonder if the pan should be polished up as it is kind of rough.
Any benifits to polishing the pan?
Cleaning, faster ignition, other?
What is the easiest way to do this, with a dremmel?

 

[George]

Any benifits to polishing the pan?
Cleaning, faster ignition, other?

When shooting in conditions which tend to make that wet black soup in the pan from the residue, it's very important to clean and dry the pan as well as possible. With a polished pan it's easier to do that. A rough pan leaves a bunch of tiny pits and crevices which it's hard to get clean.

Spence

 

[Rhett Griffith]

I have polished the pans on several of my flintlocks, and can say that cleaning these pans is much easier than cleaning the unpolished ones (which will also eventually be polished when I find the time). Ignition also seems somewhat improved, but this is a subjective assessment at best. :wink:

For the first pan I polished, I used wet-dry sandpaper wrapped around a dowel rod. It took a while, but got the job done. I now use small, soft waterstones and work from 150 grit all the way up to 800 grit. This is pretty fast and very effective. The Cratex points in a Dremel also look like a good option, but I have not tried this personally.

 

[gordy]

I don"t think it will make a great deal of difference in ignition speed , but in my opinion it shouldn"t do any harm . I keep the pans on my locks smooth , but don"t polish them . :thumbsup: :grin:

 

[B.Habermehl]

Rough Pans are harder to keep clean and dry. Clean and dry = faster ignition in my opinion for what it's worth.

 

[Birddog6]

I don't know that it will make the ignition any faster, but they sure wipe clean easier if they are polished.
I use a 1/4" sanding drum on a dremel, medium & then find til it looks very smooth. Then I pout a cone shaped felt tip drum & jewelers rouge on it & dremel it til it shines like a new nickel.

Keith Lisle

 

[Stumpkiller]

The only thing I have noticed with a polished pan is that it is easier to wipe clean with a piece of spit-damp patching while shooting. Worth doing just for that reason.

 

[mazo kid]

Keith, I use my Dremel like you but haven't tried the felt wheel and Jeweler's Rouge yet. Will have to give it a whirl :rotf:

 

[Birddog6]

Oh that buffing makes that pan shine up like chrome. After shooting, I take a piece of rag & wet it with spit, wipe the frizzen face, then flint bottom, then wipe the pan out & it really wipes easy once it is polished well. :thumbsup:

Keith Lisle

 

[JOHN ZUREKI]

I have used Cratex wheels to polish lock pans and they work like a charm. Quick and easy. They also work great on trigger guards, butt plates anything brass; within reason of coarse.

 

[texcl]

I polish my pans and there is a net increase in ignition speed, but it is connected with the fact that it's cleaner and absorbs less moisture, you might as well polish the bearing points, while you are at it, that'll tends to really speed things up.

 

[Vaino]

A softer stone which is pretty close to the pan radius is used in the Dremel. Also if the pan isn't quite centered w/ the TH, that's done too and then the pan is polished.....Fred

 

[david50]

i use a Dremel to polish mine,wire wheel then a final polish with some damp baking soda on a buffing wheel. a polished pan will draw much less moisture.almost forgot,i also polish the flat part of the frizzen that covers the pan.realy does make a noticable difference.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I suggest you read Claude's article "is something stuck in your barrel?" at the top of the main page. He tells why it is a good idea to polish the pan.

 

[Dphar]

After cleaning the blue ridge flinter and doing the lock I always wonder if the pan should be polished up as it is kind of rough.
Any benifits to polishing the pan?
Cleaning, faster ignition, other?
What is the easiest way to do this, with a dremmel?

Dremel tool with shaped grinder (if needed) with cratex as final polish.

Or 220-400 wet or dry in a properly sized dowel.
Dan

 

[hoochiepapa]

What is cratex?

 

[Dphar]

What is cratex?

Its a polishing material. Comes is a different of shapes for dremels. http://www.amazon.com/Polishing-Grinding-Cratex-Tools-Dremel/dp/B000RAYBWQ
Dan

 

[hoochiepapa]

...and you get it where? Man, am I stoopid? Sorry, didn't see the link. I think I'll get my glasses fixed. :redface: