Working on an 'Ottoman' FLINTLOCK:

 Delivered LOADED .. mud wasp nest + ball & powder indicate this charcoal burner has been inactive somewhere for many years: I'm so much happier now that the bore is clear - but there seems still to be a ring of lead from the ball remaining right at the bottom - where the 'spike' of the auger prevents the cutter going flat to the plug .. 

I cut-off that spike and flat bottomed the auger to remove the last bits of the lead ball, - then using a dowel wrapped in Scotch-Bright abrasive, polished the surface rust from the "smooth" bore.

Small thing, but I've now placed an antique "Brown Bess" flint into the jaws and it sparks OK .. a giant step for man ..

I bought an old Sterling Silver dish to cut and fit a replacement escutcheon for the one missing from back face of the stock ..

How difficult can that be?

Well the answer is difficult .. for me anyway. I sweated bricks cutting into the silver dish with old 'tin-snips' that I first needed to sharpen with a file - then I leaked in panic as I tried to cut, bend and file the thin silver "escutcheon" to shape & size - then I got myself into a right sticky mess mixing, applying and manoeuvering that silver leaf into place while trying to hold it down tight before the two-part 5 minute epoxy set up into it's death grip. - I seem to have ruined another wooly jumper with splodges of epoxy glue in at least three patches of my puku (beer belly in te reo maori) - and my shirt is now a grubby sweaty mess.

- Was it worth it? ..

Rough Enough.

- Oh Yeah .. that 100 plus year old powder charge that had been pooped-on by a mud wasp - wet with CRC - then soaked in water still managed to crackle & pop on my laundry back step .. smelling a bit like a pommie burnt-banger barbecue:

Next task is to give the whole thing a good wipe-down before a light coating of oily wax gently polished on. - All good, what's next?

Marty K.