No Sparks

[GregLaROCHE]

I bought a flintlock pistol a few years ago. I could never get it to spark. I thought I’d have another look at it. I’ve tried different types and shapes of flints, but never once a spark. What I’ve learned is that the problem is either a weak mainspring or the frizzen isn’t made of the right steel. Adding a thin piece of the correct steel to the face of the frizzen is the first thing I think I will try. Can I attach it with JB weld or does it need to be soldered or braised on. What steel do I need to use for best results? All advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Rockingkj]

At present when you “fire” it what kind of marks if any does the flint make on the frizzen? If you see evidence the flint is hitting but not sparking I should guess the frizzen is soft. That may be your diagnosis already. If that’s the case I would try to harden the frizzen or replace it. To harden take it off, heat to critical (a magnet will not stick) quench in oil or water. Then anneal by putting in oven at 400 degrees for hour. Let cool and give it a try. You could post a pic of two might help diagnose the issue.

[Sasquatch-1]

I agree with hardening first. Check the forum and YouTube for hardening techniques. On of the most common seems to be wrapping the frizzen in several layers of leather and putting it some sort of air-tight container and cooking it till the leather is burnt up. This is just a synopsis of how to do it. You should really look it up to do it right.

[RU shooter]

JB weld won’t work well I tried once it lasted about 10 shots . Solder or riveting is the way to go

[Rockindaddy]

Been tuning flint guns for over 50 years! Try to recase harden your frizzen. I like Kasenite. Wear a pair of sunglasses! Heat your frizzen until red hot with an Oxy-Acetylene torch and stick it in the Kasenite. A coating should be caked up on the face of the frizzen. Heat it to a medium red until the Kasenite powder on the face of the frizzen looks like baked beans cooking. Rapidly quench the frizzen in a 5 gal bucket of cold water. Clean up your frizzen and reinstall it into the lock. Take a little fine emery cloth and wipe the frizzen face a few times. Try it out! You should get a nice spark! Or you could send it to me and I will will recase it for you! NC

[LAGS]

I thought they stopped selling Kasenite.
Lucky I still have a half a can left for when I want to harden some things.
I made a frizzen replacement Face Plate years ago out of an old skillsaw blade.
I formed the old blade to a shape to fit the Frizzen face.
Then on the back side I coated most of it with Brass Brazing Rod.
Then I coated the face of the Frizzen with the brass rod.
Then I put the two pieces together and heated them up till the brass on both faces melted.
It is kind of like Brazing in a sweat soldering method.
I did that on a frizzen that was really old and I could not find a replacement.
But try the easier methods that others have mentioned first if you can.

[Rockindaddy]

Lags: That is a good fix! I have a saw mill here on the farm. Have used a broken piece of 1" bandsaw blade brazed to the face of a frizzen; works great. I quenched the freshly brazed frizzen and blade in a bucket of quench oil. Grind and polish em up. That lock will start a fire with the shower of sparks that comes off of it.

[GregLaROCHE]

This gun is like new. I doubt if it’s ever sparked to have been shot. I wonder what steel the frizzen was made from. Is it a steel that can be hardened by quenching or case hardening? That’s why I was thinking about adding a thin plate that I knew would work. How about an old saw blade?.

[LAGS]

Like I said.
Old Saw blades work great to face the Frizzen.
You can use Hack Saw blades , sawsall blades or like I did, use metal from a circular saw blade even though it is thicker

[HWooldridge]

JB Weld will work fine to test your hypothesis and a hacksaw blade would probably be good high carbon steel.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve been wondering, if I braze a piece of saw blade onto the frizzen, how will the heat effect the hardness of the steel? Will I have to quench and temper it afterwards?

[JimB..]

I’ve been wondering, if I braze a piece of saw blade onto the frizzen, how will the heat effect the hardness of the steel? Will I have to quench and temper it afterwards?

It won’t, brazing isn’t hot enough to significantly affect the temper of steel. Think soldering but with brass.

[Rockingkj]

Given the fact the pistol is about new can’t help be wonder if the frizzen hardness is the issue. Most makers do make a decent product. Does the frizzen snap open when fired? Does hammer speed seem fast?

[LAGS]

This may sound Stupid or a Bubba method.
But for soldering with brass to steel.
I use the brass chips and cuttings from my case trimmer or filings from brass that I worked on.
I warm the metal up.
Sprinkle the brass filings on the metal.
And sprinkle some Boraxo on the metal as flux.
Then heat up the steel till the brass filings melt.
It does take a lot of heat.

[GregLaROCHE]

Given the fact the pistol is about new can’t help be wonder if the frizzen hardness is the issue. Most makers do make a decent product. Does the frizzen snap open when fired? Does hammer speed seem fast?

I bought the gun from the internet. There are no proofs or other markings on it. Someone may have made it themselves as a personal project. However, the workmanship is very good. I wish I could send some pictures, but since I switched to a tablet, I haven’t been able to up load any.

The frizzen steel could be hard enough and the problem is that the spring isn’t strong enough. I don’t know. It seemed easier to start with the frizzen first.

[Sasquatch-1]

I bought the gun from the internet. There are no proofs or other markings on it. Someone may have made it themselves as a personal project. However, the workmanship is very good. I wish I could send some pictures, but since I switched to a tablet, I haven’t been able to up load any.

The frizzen steel could be hard enough and the problem is that the spring isn’t strong enough. I don’t know. It seemed easier to start with the frizzen first.

If you are worried about the strength of the main spring, try relieving as much tension as possible and wedging a small piece of hard rubber in the "V" area of the spring. If this works you than know you have a tension issue.

[HWooldridge]

A bad or dull flint can act like this - but you said you had tried different ones. If a known sparking flint will not spark on this frizzen, then it's probably the frizzen. A weak spring would still throw some sparks, even if not enough to ignite the charge.

A hard piece should let a file slide. If the file catches and cuts, the steel is not hardened enough or not at all.

[GregLaROCHE]

If you are worried about the strength of the main spring, try relieving as much tension as possible and wedging a small piece of hard rubber in the "V" area of the spring. If this works you than know you have a tension issue.

I’ve never thought about trying something like that. I thought I was going to have to buy or make a new spring. Thanks for the idea.

[Rockingkj]

When you have the lock off take a look at how the wood is inletted. Make sure none of the moving parts are binding against the wood. That will slow the lock. Overly tightened screws can be an issue from the stock screw to even the lock screws. A drop of oil while your there is a good idea.

[GregLaROCHE]

I took the lock apart today. I stoned all the contacting surfaces to be sure they weren’t slowing the cock down. Whatever I used to put in the spring for more tension, didn’t let it engage at full cock. I’m now thinking of pursuing a piece of saw blade brazed to the frizzen.

Could the problem be the angle that the flint contacts the frizzen?