Best Way to Cut Felt Wads?

[Themoose]

The title pretty wells ask the question.. I would like to cut hard felt wads for my .45, .50 and .54 muzzleloaders... I got some cast iron pipe nipples and sharpened one end and tried punching them out with pretty poor results... perhaps I should have heat treated them to harden them? Anyone have a good method short of buying store bought wad punches?

TheMoose

[rodwha]

I bought my two punches from a retired machinist on another forum. Very good and fairly priced ($10 + shipping). He sends them with several thick leather wads to ensure sharpness. I highly recommend him, and I'd skip the Harbor Freight junk. I bought the $7 set and it wouldn't even cut through the felt.

This fellow makes them to the size you want was well, which might be nice if you wanted an oddball size.

[longbow]

Simple is to buy gasket punches at a local auto parts store. Depends what sizes you need though. Standard sizes are often close enough like 3/4" for 12 ga. 1/2" might be a bit big for .45 and just too small for .50 cal. though.

I make what I need on my little lathe.

By the way, you cannot harden pipe except by case hardening. A heat and quench will not do anything for iron pipe.

Not a lot of help.

Longbow

[fouronesix]

The title pretty wells ask the question.. I would like to cut hard felt wads for my .45, .50 and .54 muzzleloaders... I got some cast iron pipe nipples and sharpened one end and tried punching them out with pretty poor results... perhaps I should have heat treated them to harden them? Anyone have a good method short of buying store bought wad punches?

TheMoose

Iron pipe is very soft and has a somewhat rough interior- neither of which makes for a good punch. The better punches are of good, hardened steel. They also need to have a smooth, undisturbed interior surface with the actual sharpened bevel on the exterior. There are several sources for "store bought" punches like Buffalo Arms. Unless you can do it or know someone willing to make them of the correct design, out to the right material- might have to just bite the bullet and get a set of good "store bought" ones.

[**oneshot**]

punch cutter from harbor freight. http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-hollow-punch-set-3838.html Cut them on a block of hardwood.

[oldracer]

I bought one some years ago that goes in my Rock Chunker press and I am not at home so I cannot look at the maker, sorry so I can not be sure but I think it is like the one in the link below. It cuts newspaper, felt, milk carton, fiber gasket material and for 30 minutes work I get a years worth or wads.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/press_mounted_wad_punches_pr-4112.aspx?CAT=4112

[JeffinNZ]

Rotary knife is the way to go. Won't squash the felt and create the dreaded hourglass effect.

[HARRYMPOPE]

I use a cut off and sharpened 7mm Mag case for my Ruger Old Army felt wads.I can cut about 10 before i have to push them out from the drilled out primer hole.I get about 300 cuts before the case is buckled .I run it in the FL die and resharpen and back to it for another 300.After that its pretty much ready for a new case.

[OverMax]

This place oneshots advice look a whole gaggle of them punches. 54 wads you might have to buy those pre made >28 gauge is close. Consider Circle Fly wads.

http://www.circlefly.com/html/wad_sizing_chart.html

[largom]

If you can spin the punch/cutter in a drill press it will cut cleaner and easier.

Larry

[johnson1942]

i broke down a few years back and bought cutters for .40 .451 .458 and .50. barrels. from buffalo arms. they arent cheap but strong and well made. they fit on a loading press and with a downward motion of the lever the round cutter goes up into a slot and cuts a perfect felt or fiber or poly wad. once you have one of these your always set for perfect wads. also you can buy felt wads from buffalo arms fairly reasonable. if your going to make a cutter, do it on a lathe and make sure it is razor sharp. heat treat it and sharpen again. make sure the board you cut through on isnt of a type that dulls it fast. wads do help accracy.

[Hellgate]

For 45 cal wads I chuck the harbor Freight hole punch (7/16") into my drill press, put it on slow speed and punch the wads out over a hardwood block. Then I lube them after collecting them off the floor & table.

[357maximum]

I use cheap comblock gasket punches, I sharpen them by hand and use ENDGRAIN hardmaple for the cuttinblock....never any issues here and I make a bunch of em from durofelt.

[swathdiver]

I'll second the recommendation to have OhioRamrod make some custom ones for you. If you make a go with what you have, have a hard surface underneath, like thick plastic or hardwood, 2-3 good whacks with a mallet should do it through 1/8" felt. Harold made 3 for me and I'll be ordering up a couple more soon.

[Mike 56]

There are some nice high dollar wad cutters out there. What you are punching on is more important than the cutter you use. I have a 30in piece of 4x6 i stand on end and use it as a table. I use a cheap set of harbor fright wad punches that i have never sharpened. Using a HF 16oz dead blow hammer one hit one wad. All so works great when using Lee Loaders.

[bob208]

you need a 7/16 a 1/2 and a 9/16 arch punch. you spin them in a drill press to cut the wads out. i do it for my wads i make grease cookies and hard card wads out of.

[bangerjim]

HF gasket punches!

banger

[curator]

I have some of the press-mounted wad cutters from BuffaloArms in .38, .40, .45, & .50. I use Durofelt 1/8 inch stock, cereal boxes, and recycled LDPE can tops. In a half hour I can cut a several hundred perfect wads while listening to books-on-tape. 5X the productivity and 1/4 the energy using other methods. (and I have tried everything others have suggested here) Only so much time in the day and I'd rather be shooting not punching out wads. I use felt, card, and LDPE wads in many of my loads, both black powder cartridge, and muzzle loaders to include revolvers. Wads can improve many loads but the time to make them (or their cost) has to be worth the investment.

[CastingFool]

I have made some punches by simply sharpening the end of stainless steel tubing. Sometimes I sharpen the tubing so the sharp edge is on the outside diameter, sometimes in the inside. Just depends what I'm after. But no, I have not used them to cut felt wads. I normally rest whatever I'm cutting on the end grain of a piece of 4x4. Punching on the end grain seems to cut cleaner than on the side grain.

[Mike 56]

I have made some punches by simply sharpening the end of stainless steel tubing. Sometimes I sharpen the tubing so the sharp edge is on the outside diameter, sometimes in the inside. Just depends what I'm after. But no, I have not used them to cut felt wads. I normally rest whatever I'm cutting on the end grain of a piece of 4x4. Punching on the end grain seems to cut cleaner than on the side grain.

Yes makes a big difference i use a 4x6 just a little bigger.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Before spending money on decent wad cutters for your MLs you might want to explore with competitive RB shooters as to whether felt wads are actually worthwhile for accuracy improvement.

Not to miss off some here, but I have never heard of such use by first class shooters. How about custom barrels and rifles, first class moulds, teflon patching, swiss powder and carefully tuned locks and bedding for aids to accuracy? BvT

[Dan Cash]

What ever punch you use, use it in a drill press and use a piece of Delrin stock under the cutter. Really lengthens the time between sharpening, cuts cleaner than a wood underlayment and lasts forever.

[mooman76]

I didn't use a drill press but I did use a chunk of lead to stamp on. Worked good and I can always melt it down again.

[dagger dog]

Track of the Wolf has arch punches in the sizes needed, they are relatively inexpensive.

I use one for 45-70 Gov., they work well using a soft wood block under them, I've cut waxed paper to cork, felt and card material with excellent results.

[telebasher]

punch cutter from harbor freight. http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-hollow-punch-set-3838.html Cut them on a block of hardwood.

The Harbor Freight punches work very well, I use a piece of mud flap from a OTR truck that I found on the highway. I cut a 6x6 piece and it works great for a cutting block. I comb the second hand stores from time to time for old western hats to make wads out of and after I cut the wads I melt some BP lube and soak the wads and store in bean dip cans or altoid cans.