Wheellock vents are angled!

[Teleoceras]

Well, I was talking with Leonard Day last week after putting in an order for a Doglock (Calling her Helga) about Wheellocks. I had mentioned this forum and the discussion about the vents being angled.

Leonard was intrigued and told me that he was going to check out two original Wheelocks that he has in his possesion and call me back. Tonight he did call me and said that the vents on the Italian and the French Wheellock pistols were indeed angled. The vent blast was directed to be forward and high of the pyrite.

With this discovery Leonard is going to make all his Wheellocks to this configuration! That includes the the Arquebus he is building for me (Bertha).

I after that, I told Mr. Day, "Too bad Sparky (my .58 Wheellock) wasn't built that way."

He replied "Well it wouldn't take much to plug up that vent and drill an new one. So send it up to me and I'll fix you up." :shocked2: :grin: :bow:

Ohhh yeah! I'll be packing Sparky up and shipping her out next week! I'm really looking forward to shooting her next year now!

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[Bookie]

See if you can pick his brain and find out the angles he uses so us less fortunate ones can emulate his work, please. Cheers, Bookie

 

[WRussell]

Forward, eh? The one I got to check out (I posted this elsewhere) was aimed back, so it just cleared the flash shield. The dog jaws I've seen all have the fixed jaw toward the rear of the pan, so if you aim the vent to miss that one, you're good. The position of the other jaw depends on the thickness of the pyrite, so it could get a little messy.

 

[robinghewitt]

That is quality information. I will appear much more knowlegeable than I really am when I slip that titbit in to the conversation :thumbsup:

 

[Teleoceras]

Bookie:

See if you can pick his brain and find out the angles he uses so us less fortunate ones can emulate his work, please.

I was told that the angle was sharper on the Italian Wheellock. I guess since the long gun locks are larger, the vent angle would be dependent on the lock size.

I'll let ya know what Sparky's new vent will be like once I get her back.

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[Teleoceras]

I'll let ya know what Sparky's new vent will be like once I get her back.

I didn't get her back, but I talked with Leonard Day earlier today and the new angled vent is finished. Because of the holidays, She won't be shipped back until Tuesday.

The one thing Mr. Day did note was that he replaced the small pyrite (from England) I had in the dog was replaced with one from Horst & Sons. He told me that the new pyrite was very hot and sent a shower of sparks into the pan.

I think that if the weather is good enough, I will take Sparky out for some BOOM BOOM on the Sunday after I get her back. Got to see just how good the new vent will perform.

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[Bookie]

Can you tell us any more about the angled vent specs yet? Cheers, Bookie

 

[Teleoceras]

Bookie:

Can you tell us any more about the angled vent specs yet? Cheers, Bookie

I had a hard time getting any pictures to be clear enough to see the new vent.

The first picture shows that the vent is now forward of the pyrite when the dog is lowered.

The second picture hopefully shows some of the upward angle that was ground into the pan to deflect the vent blast upwards.

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[Bookie]

Thanks for the photos. Having never seen an original, I gotta sleep on this info as I am still a little confused about the grinding of the pan. I see that we are using the same lock from TRS. My barrel was inlet tonight. Have found photos of two Dutch cavalry carbines that had straight octagon barrels in them, but the forward 2/3rds of the barrels have been filed round on the top 1/2 only. The muzzlea are full round and protrude about 3/16" from the metal nose caps. There are two wedding bands filed in place, but they have not been filed 1/2 way round the barrel. The bands are only suggested on the side flats. My spindle shaper inlet the barrel in about 1 minute and that sure beats hand inletting a tapered round barrel. Cheers, Bookie P.S., Did you harden your tumbler?

 

[benvenuto]

very informative! :hatsoff:

 

[robinghewitt]

Having never seen an original, I gotta sleep on this info as I am still a little confused about the grinding of the pan.

I have an old lock but it got abused when someone replaced the bridle while trying to fit a larger barrel (ECW perhaps) by angling the axle :shocked2: :nono: :redface:

 

[Leonredbeard]

Boy you Guys, Teleoceras and Squire Robin, make me anxious to get my new lock finished. I sure hope it works as well as I would like it to. Since my barrel already has its hole drilled straight I moved the pan forward and the wheel slightly forward in the pan so the blast will miss the pyrite. I sure hope it works!
YHWH bless.
volatpluvia

 

[Teleoceras]

Bookie:

P.S., Did you harden your tumbler?

The lock was originally constructed by Loyalist Arms (Who botched it! :cursing and rebuilt by Leonard Day.

So I have no idea if it was hardened or not.

I prefer working with wood instead of metal anyway.

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[Bookie]

Yee-Haaa! Many thanks for the additional photo. It turned on the light for this ol' boy when I compared all the photos! My barrel is pined in place now. Need to lower the sides of the barrel channel and narrow the top edge on the tail of my lock down so I can get the proper wrist shape after the lock is inlet. Gimme a week. The trigger pull is on the horrendous side and a decision needs to be made as to how I want to lighten it up a tad. Thanks again for the help, fellers. Cheers, Bookie