Tightening Flint in the Jaws

[musketman]

What do you use to secure your flint, a screw driver or a metal rod?

I use a metal rod through the eye of the top jaw's locking screw, I found that a screw driver will (over time) mar the slot on top of the bolt, making it ugly and rough...

My flint tightening rod is one of those "I can't live without" accoutrements I carry with me in the field in my possibles bag, it's also the handle to my small brass knapping hammer...

:winking:

 

[Deadeye]

I made short screwdrivers to fit the slots perfectly for my flinters,none of which have holes for a rod. I can see that that would work well though, especially in the field.
Deadeye

 

[Stumpkiller]

One of these works as a tightening tool, also, if the top jaw screw has a hole. I rap mine with the flat of my pouch knife's blade.

I used to use a large sailmaker's needle to tighten mine - until it snapped one day and gave me a nasty gash across my thumb pad.

 

[Deadeye]

Stumpkiller, That's the kind of knapper I use. It's the best, easiest to use and always takes the same flake off. I've never seen them for sale but they're very easy to make.
Musketman, Did you put the hole thru your lock screw? Very few come that way.
Deadeye

 

[musketman]

Musketman, Did you put the hole thru your lock screw? Very few come that way.

Both of my flint locks came with a hole through the upper jaw screw, the brown bess has a 1/8 inch hole in it...

I think this works better than a screw driver because the bolt becomes a "T" handle when the metal rod is through the hole...

I had a screw driver slip before and I came very close to stabbing my leg, after that I make sure that all of my flinters have holes in the upper jaw bolts.

You can drill the bolt easy enough if there is not one there, make sure that you use a punch to start the hole and square up the screw so you do not drill off center...

Take the top jaw screw out and thread a few nuts on the shank, lining up the flats, then torque the screw down a bit in the nuts...

Place the screw/nut combo in a vise with the jaws of the vise holding the nuts, not the screw itself...
Now you can drill the hole without the screw rolling off center... ::

Once through the other side, get a slightly larger bit and counter sink the hole on both sides (like the crown of a muzzle) this will remove any burrs...

Last thing to do is to re-blue/brown the part if it was that way to start...

 

[Deadeye]

thanks, I just might try that.
Deadeye