Belding and Mull powder measure- need lube?

[quack1]

Just got a B&M powder measure at a sale. The original owner must have planned on storing it for a while, it is dripping with oil.
Once I get it de-greased, does the lower chamber need some sort of dry lube on the sliding surfaces? I have graphite, wax, and molybdenum disulphide spray.

[country gent]

I occasionally lube the slides and pivots on both of my Belding and mull measures with dry moly powder rubbing it in with a leater pad I made up on a popcycle stick to reach in easily. Mine are used mostly with black powder. I would recomend graphite or Moly as wax may hold fines and dust building up to bind and make the measure sticky to operate. A great old powder measure. One nice thing with these is you can make as many measure tubes as needed easily. 1/2" od brass hobby tubing, a piece to fit inside lightly snug sliding fit, A length of 7/16 threaded rod either fine or coarse thread, nuts to match rod, and 1/2" stop collars. Cut the 1/2" od tube 3"-4" long depending on charge weights to be thrown. Cut 2 pieces of the sliding tube 1 piece 1" and 1 piece 1/2" long. Cut a pice of 7/16" threaded rod 1" longer than 1/2" tube is. file a flat on the threaded rod thru threads and 1/8" - 3/16" wide on side. JB weld 1" tube to emnd of threaded rod, leave 3/16" - 1/4" proud on end of rod, fill this with JB weld epoxy. It can be left flat or a concave surface formed with a small ball. Wax ball with several coats to keep epoxy from adhereing to it. Glue 1/2Length of tubing into bottom of the 1/2" main tube even with the bottom and glue stop collar over the outside same end. let cure and transfer drill set screw hole thru tubing and tap. Remove burrs and excess glue with a fine file. Slide threaded rod assembly into main tube alighning flat with set screw. and polish to desiored fit. Add nut and set screw. This makes a nice thread adjustable measure tube. I put a wrap of masking tape against the top of the stop collar to ID the charge they drop and leave them set for my most used charges. making more tubs as needed. Hobby SHops have the brass tubing you need in 12" lengths. ( 12" length will make 3-5 tube bodies depending on length you make them. 3" is about the shortest you can go though). You may have to lightly polish the OD of the brass body tube to fit your measure due tolerences of tubing and measures.

[quack1]

Country gent- Thanks. Would you have a picture of one of your measure tubes? The measure didn't come with any tubes. I was planning on boring out 1/2" dia. brass and turning a piece of rod to fit and then using calipers for depth measurements for each different charge. Your method sounds like less work, plus, I have a foot or so of 1/2" OD brass tubing. I think I can visualize your instructions, but like the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[corbinace]

I would like to see a picture too please.

[country gent]

I have a hard time posting pics here with my computer. Ill PM and see what can be done

[country gent]

This may help to "see" the way these are made more so. Bill of materials for 1 measure tube. 1 ea Part #1 1/2" X .015 wall brass hobby tubing 3"-5" long this is the outer body of the tube. 1 ea Part #2 7"16 ID X .015 wall brass hobby tubing 1" long This is the top of the adjuster rod/spindle. 1ea part #3 7/16" od X .015 brass hobby tubing 1/2" long. This is the base to allow rod /spindle siupport in bottom of body tube. 1 ea Part #4 7/16 threaded rod 1" longer than body tube can be coarse or fine thread. This is the adjuster rod / spindle. 1 ea part #5 stop 1/2" stop collar this provide thickness for the lock screws threads and a gripping surface. 1 ea part #6 7/16 nut to match threaded rod. This makes the adjuster for the rod spindle. 1 package JB weld. File a flat thru threads and 1/8"-3/16" wide down the side of part #4. This makes a lower surface for lock screw to hold on. Glue Part #2 onto one end of Part #4 leaving it 1/8-1/4" above end of threaded rod. Let cure. Raised end can be filled and filed flat or a ball can be waxed and used to make a concave surface. Epoxy part #3 intop bottom of part #1 with ends flush. Epoxy part #5 onto the same end of part #1 that part #5 is in. Let cure. Transfer screw hole thru tubes and tap to match stop collar. The set screw can be used or a thumb screw depending on preference. These tubes are very similar to the factories tubes and work well. I have foth flat ended and concaves with black powder I dont see much diffrence maybe with flake or stick powder you will. I deburr and fit the parts then I can glue everything with one mix of the epoxy. Other than filling the end of the rod / spindle. A light polishing may be required on the tubing to get the sliding fits needed in the measure and the rod / spindle. If you cut with a tubing cutter be carefull not to compress tubing more than needed. A case deburring tool or chamfering tool does good removing burrs and rolled edges on the tubing parts. If you want to glue everything including the end at the same time use a slave 7/16" nut to hold tube at correct hieght and clamp against it.

[Wayne Smith]

Country gent, try writing with a paragraph structure. It makes long posts much more easily read.

[country gent]

I had it in paragraphs and when posted it reverts to that.

[corbinace]

Thank you for the super tutorial. I hope you do not mind, I tried to make it into paragraphs for Wayne and me too before I copy pasted it into my tools file.

This may help to "see" the way these are made more so.

Bill of materials for 1 measure tube.
1 ea Part #1 1/2" X .015 wall brass hobby tubing 3"-5" long this is the outer body of the tube.
1 ea Part #2 7"16 ID X .015 wall brass hobby tubing 1" long This is the top of the adjuster rod/spindle.
1ea part #3 7/16" od X .015 brass hobby tubing 1/2" long. This is the base to allow rod /spindle support in bottom of body tube.
1 ea Part #4 7/16 threaded rod 1" longer than body tube can be coarse or fine thread. This is the adjuster rod / spindle.
1 ea part #5 stop 1/2" stop collar this provide thickness for the lock screws threads and a gripping surface.
1 ea part #6 7/16 nut to match threaded rod. This makes the adjuster for the rod spindle.
1 package JB weld.

File a flat thru threads and 1/8"-3/16" wide down the side of part #4. This makes a lower surface for lock screw to hold on.

Glue Part #2 onto one end of Part #4 leaving it 1/8-1/4" above end of threaded rod. Let cure. Raised end can be filled and filed flat or a ball can be waxed and used to make a concave surface.

Epoxy part #3 into bottom of part #1 with ends flush.

Epoxy part #5 onto the same end of part #1 that part #5 is in. Let cure.

Transfer screw hole thru tubes and tap to match stop collar. The set screw can be used or a thumb screw depending on preference.

These tubes are very similar to the factories tubes and work well. I have both flat ended and concaves with black powder I don't see much difference maybe with flake or stick powder you will.

I debur and fit the parts then I can glue everything with one mix of the epoxy. Other than filling the end of the rod / spindle.

A light polishing may be required on the tubing to get the sliding fits needed in the measure and the rod / spindle. If you cut with a tubing cutter be careful not to compress tubing more than needed. A case deburring tool or chamfering tool does good removing burrs and rolled edges on the tubing parts.

If you want to glue everything including the end at the same time use a slave 7/16" nut to hold tube at correct height and clamp against it.

[quack1]

Country gent emailed some pictures of his charge tubes.

[country gent]

A quick Thank-You to both Quack1 and Corbinance for their assistance here. I appreciate it. CG. These tubes are easy to make like this all off the shelf parts and a little cutting and filing is all the machining needed along with some simple fitting. The parts could be soft soldered together even and cooling time would be quicker than the cure time for the epoxy. When I do more tubes I start in the evening cutting and fitting then glue up before going to bed, In the morning they are ready to have excess epoxy removed and assembled. I ussually do 3-6 at a time. I havent tried soldering them yet but soft solder should work and be plenty strong enough also. The only issue soldering with a propane tourch will be getting the threaded rod and Stop Collars mass hot enough to get a good bond with the solder.

[JCherry]

Another option is replacement parts from the original manufacturer, you can find them at;

http://www.beldingandmull.com/chargetubes.html

Have Fun,

JCherry