Siler lock kit????

[BLAHMAN]

I built a couple of Siler kits with just the drill press follwing the instructions in the Siler kits. The problem with this method is that the axels on the cast tumblers can be out of round as cast, filing them in the drill press just makes this worse, you really need to use a lathe, or, if your making the tumbler from a blank, a tumbler mill, to keep things concentric at this stage. I know lot's of kits have been built with nothing but a drill press, but it isn't ideal, if you want a world class lock than you need to start things off right. These days a lathe is a relatively small investment and the things you can do with it will add a level of versatility to your gunshop not matched by many other tools.

Alex

I can agree to that.

 

[Terry Zboril]

Alex,
All the new Siler kits have the the tumbler pins already machined to size. (I recently got 10 of them in mixed flint and perc, lg and small, and they were all turned).
Regards,
Terry

 

[Terry Zboril]

Blah,
Here is a pic,(I hope), of my "Po Man's" jig.

Just 2 blocks of hardwood glued to a straight pine board .Make sure everything is level and plumb before drilling. Small C-clamp with rounded nose holding the frizzen tight

Poor folks gots poor ways.

Regards,
Terry

 

[alejohns]

Several years ago I got a great deal from a friend and bought 20 assorted large & small Siler lock kits and have not gone through my stock yet, all of these still need to have the tumbler turned, if they have since gone to lathe turned tumblers that would be a nice point, and would spare the builder the expense of the lathe, unfortunately it probably also has something to do with the expense of the Siler kits now too. I've been considering the purchase of the blank lockplate kit, I might have to check these new ones out. Thanks for the info.