Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Craftsmanship => Gun Building and Repair => Topic started by: Uncle Russ on August 23, 2017, 03:15:13 PM

Title: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: Uncle Russ on August 23, 2017, 03:15:13 PM
I have never used or even as much as seen or held this new tool.
But there has been dozens of times I have 'wished' I had such a tool.

The number of improvised tools for this operation is limited only to the users imagination, and believe me, I have made and used some that were really lacking in every aspect for the job at hand.

Needle Nose Vice grips have created bruised fingers, a hole in the palm of the hand, an overhead light fixture broken, and several other nightmarish things have happened over the past 45 plus years that I have dealt with coil springs....thankfully nothing has ever hit my eyes, or even my face or head.

If you are truly interested in polishing the inside workings on the lock of a T/C or Lyman product, you have to remove that mainspring.

I am very anxious to see and use this new tool from TOTW...it looks good, but will it handle that mainspring correctly?
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1038/1/TOOL-VISE-COIL


Uncle Russ...
Title: Re: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: Bigsmoke on August 23, 2017, 04:15:02 PM
Strangely enough, they didn't do much of a job at photographing it from all angles.  Strange because the pictures are typically Track's main forte - great photos.
Right after I got my first T/C, I noticed that I needed something like that and I made one out of what I referred to a a pair of duck bill pliers.  Basically what I did was thinned the tips and filed a notch in each tip.  Worked great!
I think that for the price of that tool, it would probably be less money and no work compared to what I wound up doing, assuming it is stout enough to do the job many, many times.  Sure wouldn't want to go to the trouble and expense of buying it only to have it go SPROING the first time one used it and the tool goes one way and the spring goes the other.  Then finally find the tool and have it bent out of whack.
Like I said, better photos would be a plus.
John
Title: Re: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: Ohio Joe on August 23, 2017, 08:05:19 PM
I have never used or even as much as seen or held this new tool.
But there has been dozens of times I have 'wished' I had such a tool.

The number of improvised tools for this operation is limited only to the users imagination, and believe me, I have made and used some that were really lacking in every aspect for the job at hand.

Needle Nose Vice grips have created bruised fingers, a hole in the palm of the hand, an overhead light fixture broken, and several other nightmarish things have happened over the past 45 plus years that I have dealt with coil springs....thankfully nothing has ever hit my eyes, or even my face or head.

If you are truly interested in polishing the inside workings on the lock of a T/C or Lyman product, you have to remove that mainspring.

I am very anxious to see and use this new tool from TOTW...it looks good, but will it handle that mainspring correctly?
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1038/1/TOOL-VISE-COIL


Uncle Russ...

Only one way to find out... I will most likely get one for two reasons,,, a. I now have three rifles with this type of spring, and b. I usually work on quite a few muzzle loading rifles when the ML hunting season comes around and a tool just like this may come in handy. I naturally prefer the old style main spring, but 99% of repairs I've done to to traditional style muzzle loading firearms, have these coil springs. As my grandson will say,,, "another tool grandpa???"  :laffing
Title: Re: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: Bigsmoke on August 23, 2017, 10:54:23 PM
. As my grandson will say,,, "another tool grandpa???"  :laffing

As they say, "He who dies and has the most tools - wins !"

You in the running, Joe?
Title: Re: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: RobD on August 24, 2017, 05:50:17 AM
aye, a good tool indeed!  and cheap enuf, to boot.   :bl th up

i would get it in a heartbeat but alas, my newly stuck together GPR .50 kit gun is in the process of a serious makeover.  the barrel is off to bobby hoyt to get rebored as a .54 with 1:56 fast ball rifling of .012 radiused grooves, and the L&R RPL05 lock sits on my workbench, glaring at me, wondering when it'll replace the GPR's coil spring stock lock ... soon enuf, methinks!  :applaud
Title: Re: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: Eric Krewson on August 24, 2017, 09:10:49 AM
I have only repaired one TC lock but found the mainspring very easy to remove with needle nose pliers, took me about 2 seconds, no problems.
Title: Re: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: BEAVERMAN on July 20, 2020, 11:39:59 AM
Well I'm tardy to the party on this post but... I received one of these the other day and just had to try it out right away on both a TC lock and a GPR lock, works very well! no more pliers and screw drivers and praying that the springs does NOT fly into oblivion!  Recommended by the Beav!
Title: Re: Finally! A fairly nice tool for coil springs.
Post by: gonetocamp on July 28, 2020, 06:58:40 PM
I gave up on the needle nose pliers method and bought the TOW tool. Happy that I did!