Brown Bess has lost its spark, help please

[robkayak]

B.B is v frustrating now as even with new flints it rarely sparks (I have even got over my flinch with it as I pull the trigger in a very very hopeful expectation rather than any degree of certainty).
I note that the Frizen is scored in line with the hammer stroke and when new it was scored perpendicularly to the hammer stroke.
How would I re score it ? or do I need to retemper, how would I do that please ?

[tacfoley]

B.B is v frustrating now as even with new flints it rarely sparks (I have even got over my flinch with it as I pull the trigger in a very very hopeful expectation rather than any degree of certainty).
I note that the Frizen is scored in line with the hammer stroke and when new it was scored perpendicularly to the hammer stroke.
How would I re score it ? or do I need to retemper, how would I do that please ?

Sounds to me like you need a selection of things to try - before you buy a new frizzen, that is.

1. Try REAL English Brandon flints of the correct BB size.

2. Try an artificial agate flint.

3. What are you using to hold the flint in the cocking piece? Leather or lead? Sometime using leather means that the edge of the flint vibrates against the surface of the frizzen - perhaps judders is a better word - rather that the correct scrape the produces the sparks.

4. Not trying to be a PITA, but I'm assuming that the flint IS right way up?

Last but not least, frizzens DO wear out, especially if they were, ahem, not very good to begin with...

tac
muzzleloadingforum.com

[airgunnut]

ken at henry kranks said you can reface the frizzen with carbon steel, Power Hacksaw blades are ideal (ken said some do this from new as it improves the spark and it takes a long time to ware through) the Power Hacksaw blades are bigger than normal hacksaw blades so one can be found that is about the right width (if there is a metal working company near you then they might give you a old blunt one for free, they can be snapped to the correct length)

[robkayak]

I use lead to hold it, the BB is a cheap Indian repro, I have tried different orientations of holding the flint.
Your reply has been v helpful, thanks. Do you have any links to where I can get a new Frizen or any of the aggregate flints. Thanks

[Black Beard]

You can probably case harden the existing frizzen if you don't want to weld on a piece of harder steel. It will take several hours in a fire though (and some case hardening compound).

[airgunnut]

taken from http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.c...k#.VGypYMlj61g

You could try the following if you need to smooth and reharden the frizzen, but are naturally relectant to remove metal from an antique:

Reface the frizzen with a piece of carbon steel that is thin and flexible. This material is well-known to you - it's a hacksaw blade. Find a metal-working shop and ask for a worn-out hacksaw blade of sufficient width to cover the frizzen - after grinding off the teeth! The act of grinding off the teeth will probably detemper it a shade as well. A section of the blade can then be precurved to fit the frizzen and soft-soldered to it. You do not have to remove any metal from the old frizzen. Just make sure that the face is well tinned.

If the blade is so detempered that it does not spark well, it's no great problem to harden it again before soldering. A lot easier than rehardening the original frizzen, and if it is not satisfactory, take another piece of hacksaw blade. A typical hacksaw blade will provide refacing material for a cabinet-full of flintlocks. When the facing gets tatty, simply unsolder it and make another.

[enfield2band]

Have you checked the face of the frizzen is grease free?

Just wiping it with you finger can stop it sparking, especially if you have grease on your hands from the patch.