Serpentine thumb screw

[spugnoid]

What exactly is the purpose of the serpentine thumbscrew? Does is clamp directly onto the match? Or does is spread/pinch the "jaws" of the serpentine? Is the hole drilled through both sides or just one?

For that matter, how far is the serpentine split? Just on the "dragon's head" or farther?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm on MkII of my lock and it looks like I will be scrapping my serpentine again and building another.

I wish I could find pictures or drawings of a period lock. I know how they function but a lot of them have long thing lock plates and I'm curious about the geometry on the inside and how they get away with so few holes.

If anyone knows I would appreciate any links or pictures you may have. Been googling and yahoodling hot and heavy with minimal results.

Thanks,

Rod.

 

[robinghewitt]

The pinch screw is rivetted in to the back jaw and screws in to the front jaw, which may be thinner than the back.

The serpentine is made from folded plate, hammer welded at the bottom and someway up the arm.

Inside lock is one pivot. The trigger should pivot at the top so it pulls backwards on the lever as much as up. If you don't do this you have to try for a precision pivot (they weren't) and expect all kinds of problems if the lock plate bends :thumbsup:

 

[mckutzy]

take a good look on the forum here, in this section, matchlocks are a plenty here, u can get quite a selection of homebrews and others made. but as to ur comments, thumscrew pinches the match to hold for ignition, as for how long a split, what ever looks good, inside the lock doesnt need to be complicated.

post a pic of the work u have made so far, what ever u have, including the "scrap parts". u might be supprised it might be nice enough.

 

[bioprof]

I found the diagrams on this website helpful when I was building my matchlock:
http://www.geocities.com/matchlock36/index.html


Plus, there's lots of helpful links here:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/fpage.php?page/links/#Historic

 

[robinghewitt]

I just took a picture of one I made, viewed from above -Picture Link- :grin:

 

[spugnoid]

Thank you guys, this helps a lot.

Now to start on the MkIII.

 

[bioprof]

I just took a picture of one I made, viewed from above -Picture Link- :grin:

Squire Robin,

I'm just curious. What is the purpose of the piece of metal between your pan and the barrel?

 

[robinghewitt]

I'm just curious. What is the purpose of the piece of metal between your pan and the barrel?

That is there to blow out when you fire it and rip the lock plate off :grin:

When I bought the gun it had already happenned once, I fitted a new lock plate and did it again. The metal fillet was bent out when I got it. I bent it back in, fitted a new lock and it promptly bent out again.

The gun has a chequered history, it was a pub wallhanger fitted with a thin plywood side plate, tastefully painted silver when I got it. Presumably the empty lock mortice faced the wall.

Sometime before that it was restocked and eaten by woodworm. What remained of the lock inlet looked like a late pattern matchlock so that's what I made.

Before that it was an English Civil war musket c1640. To fit the late pattern lock someone removed the pan from it's dovetail and filled the empty slot with the offending fillet.

It has been eating locks ever since :thumbsup: