Tips? - Flintlock Igniton
06-18-2011, 03:36 PM
#11
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
dribbling the powder into the touch hole doesnt slow anything down. Once you smack the stock a few times, it will settle into the main charge and mainly be closer to give it some extra oomph for a faster ignition.
06-18-2011, 03:47 PM
#12
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
I'll tell you what I thinks makes for slow ignition in a flinter...
A touch hole that's too high...When I build a flinter I set it up so that the
touch hole is behind the heel of the frizzen when closed...You put that thing
down low where it can be covered with powder and the powder has to burn down
to ignite the main charge...
Where is this touch hole??? I've even made touch hole liners, counter bored them
and drilled them off center so it would be in the right place...I'd also look at going
to a White Lightning liner...
I don't care much for those cut flints either, I prefer the black English flints...
A touch hole that's too high...When I build a flinter I set it up so that the
touch hole is behind the heel of the frizzen when closed...You put that thing
down low where it can be covered with powder and the powder has to burn down
to ignite the main charge...
Where is this touch hole??? I've even made touch hole liners, counter bored them
and drilled them off center so it would be in the right place...I'd also look at going
to a White Lightning liner...
I don't care much for those cut flints either, I prefer the black English flints...
06-18-2011, 05:04 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 1,607
If you're getting a WHOOSH-BANG, it should not be doing that. Too much powder in the pan may cause it, or too small a touch hole, or poor sparks from the flint. Dribbling powder into the touch hole is more likely to slow ignition than to speed it up. You don't want a fuse. You want a blast of hot gas through the touch hole to the main charge.
Powder in the pan should be below the bottom of the touch hole, not blocking it. In both of my flinters, a level layer across the entire pan seems to work best, and it doesn't take much. I would call my pans about 1/3 full. You should also consider some black English flints instead of the Agates. Some folks seem to have good luck with Agates, but I'm not one.
Where is this touch hole??? I've even made touch hole liners, counter bored them
and drilled them off center so it would be in the right place...I'd also look at going
to a White Lightning liner...
I don't care much for those cut flints either, I prefer the black English flints...
and drilled them off center so it would be in the right place...I'd also look at going
to a White Lightning liner...
I don't care much for those cut flints either, I prefer the black English flints...
nchawkeye, here's a pic of the touchole position.
06-18-2011, 06:26 PM
#18
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
Chunk-Bang? That indicates to me that the delay is not between ignition of the powder in the pan and ignition of the main charge (i.e. Whoosh-Bang), but between the c0ck fall and pan ignition. If that's the case you're not getting a good shower of sparks hitting the pan powder and a different flint will likely do the job.
The other possibility is the geometry of the lock is such that the sparks are not being well directed into the pan. But I would be surprised if that's the case with a Pedersoli lock. Can you post a picture of the lock at half c0ck, with a flint in place and the pan closed? Also, you can operate the lock in a dark room (give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness) with no powder in the pan to get an idea of how much spark you're getting and where they seem to be hitting.
The other possibility is the geometry of the lock is such that the sparks are not being well directed into the pan. But I would be surprised if that's the case with a Pedersoli lock. Can you post a picture of the lock at half c0ck, with a flint in place and the pan closed? Also, you can operate the lock in a dark room (give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness) with no powder in the pan to get an idea of how much spark you're getting and where they seem to be hitting.
06-18-2011, 06:45 PM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 1,607
Chunk-Bang? That indicates to me that the delay is not between ignition of the powder in the pan and ignition of the main charge (i.e. Whoosh-Bang), but between the c0ck fall and pan ignition. If that's the case you're not getting a good shower of sparks hitting the pan powder and a different flint will likely do the job.
The other possibility is the geometry of the lock is such that the sparks are not being well directed into the pan. But I would be surprised if that's the case with a Pedersoli lock. Can you post a picture of the lock at half c0ck, with a flint in place and the pan closed? Also, you can operate the lock in a dark room (give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness) with no powder in the pan to get an idea of how much spark you're getting and where they seem to be hitting.
The other possibility is the geometry of the lock is such that the sparks are not being well directed into the pan. But I would be surprised if that's the case with a Pedersoli lock. Can you post a picture of the lock at half c0ck, with a flint in place and the pan closed? Also, you can operate the lock in a dark room (give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness) with no powder in the pan to get an idea of how much spark you're getting and where they seem to be hitting.
I think it sparks pretty well but heck, what do I know I'm a flintlock rookie.
What are you guy's thoughts on using lead vs leather in the jaws? Make any difference?
06-18-2011, 06:52 PM
#20
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,762
I'd also try flipping that flint over so the part closer to the frizzen is on top. Also, if you're on 1/2 c0ck in that pic, I suggest larger flints to get you closer to the frizzen. I like my flint to be about 1/16" from the frizzen at 1/2 c0ck.