Felt?

[Fly]

I have bought felt from the lady in Ark before. But I can't for the life of me remember the name of her
business. Some one here surly knows.

Fly~

[rodwha]

Durofelt

[Fly]

That's it. I knew some one here had bought from her. Very nice lady & very helpful also. Thanks bud!

Fly

[rodwha]

Indeed she is. And her prices are great!

Ive been thinking of trying other felts as filler.

[Czech_too]

For those unfamiliar with her/their products -
http://www.durofelt.com/products.html

[gnoahhh]

I bought a 3/8" punch to make my own greased wads for use in a .36 cap-and-ball revolver, but I'm perplexed as to which grade of felt to use. Can anybody make a recommendation?

[Maven]

I bought a 3/8" punch to make my own greased wads for use in a .36 cap-and-ball revolver, but I'm perplexed as to which grade of felt to use. Can anybody make a recommendation?

This is what you want: http://www.durofelt.com/image_26.html

[Fly]

Funny you ask. The first time I called her I did not know which felt to buy. She has all kinds.
Any way she ask what I was going to do with it. I told her & she said OK I know what you need.
Very nice lady.
Fly

[EricinFla]

What is a good tool to use for cutting wads for .45 and.50?

[gnoahhh]

This is what you want: http://www.durofelt.com/image_26.html

Thank you! I just ordered some of that.

As for wad punches, Track of the Wolf has .45's and .50's in stock for 20-couple bucks.

[Idz]

To punch out a lot of wads I made a press mounted die from a piece of 7/8-14 threaded rod and a steel punch. Its a lot easier on old hands than a hammer and punch.

[Maven]

What is a good tool to use for cutting wads for .45 and.50?

You may want to consider an arch punch, especially an Osborne rather than a General Tool: http://www.ebay.com/itm/C-S-Osborne-Arch-Punches-9-16-arch-punch-/291492135952?hash=item43de490410

[bedbugbilly]

I know a lot of folks like to use the felt wads - either store bought or ones they make themselves. I used to do the same thing. I've been shooting .36 Navies for 50 years and a few years ago decided to try something else for wads. I do leatherwork so have scraps. I use a 3/8" (.375) punch and punch mine out of leather that is around 1/8" thick - all depends on what I have on hand. My BP lube (been using it for 50 years as well) I make out of a pound of Crisco and one beeswax (real beeswax) toilet bowl ring - melt together and mix in a tupperware bowl in the microwave. I take the leather wads - toss them in the melted lube and then pick them out with tweezers and put them on a couple of layers of paper towel - pat them with paper towel to get excess lube off and then let them harden. I toss them in an empty Altoids tin can and keep them in my shooting box. They work great out of all of my .36 Navies. The grease swells them up so they go in the chambers tight over the powder. Not a thing wrong with the store bought or do it yourself felt - just another alternative. I was out shooting my '51 Uberti this afternoon and using the leather wads - noticed it's almost time to make more!

[Maven]

bbb, That's a great idea! I'm going to look around for a worn out (or too small, LOL!) leather belt to experiment with.

[Fly]

Ya it does sound like a neat way. I just do not have leather.

Fly

[gnoahhh]

You may want to consider an arch punch, especially an Osborne rather than a General Tool: http://www.ebay.com/itm/C-S-Osborne-Arch-Punches-9-16-arch-punch-/291492135952?hash=item43de490410

The ones ToW sells are Osborne arch punches too, and their .375 and .50 punches I'm sure are standard 3/8" and 1/2" punches. I do know they sell an Osborne punch in .45 diameter which they recommend for .44 C&B revolvers and .45 BPCF cartridges.

[Hellgate]

For cutting out 44 cal wads I just chuck a 5/16 hole punch into my drill press and punch them out over a piece of hardwood. I did take a Dremel and smoothed out the step in the hole through the punch so the wads would come out the side.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

To punch out a lot of wads I made a press mounted die from a piece of 7/8-14 threaded rod and a steel punch. Its a lot easier on old hands than a hammer and punch.

If you make it from hardenable rod, or from an old reloading die, you can use a soft metal or plastic pad on top of the ram, and have the die hollow all the way through, so that it spits the wads out of the top.

A lot of commercial punches for leather etc. are actually intended to produce holes, so the bore of the punch may be tapered or rough, and it is hard to get several wads out in good shape.

[alamogunr]

I use the ToW punches too. Works real good using a scrap end piece of 4X6 timber. Mine is long enough to set on the floor tap the wads out sitting on a stool. Don't try to use any but the end grain.

I'm old too but usually quit from boredom before fatigue takes over.

I don't know where or who suggested it but I originally tried punching out wads and then putting them in the lube. To me that was more work than I wanted to do. Following the suggestion, I cut a large(to fit a cheap aluminum pan) square of felt, poured the melted lube over it to just soak, took it out and let it harden on a piece of waxed paper. Then punch out the wads. Works better for me.

[Fly]

I have taken a ole .45 brass case & removed primer & drilled a 1/4 or so hole in that end. I spin
it in the drill press & use wood below & cut them out. When the case get full I take it out & push the wads
out with a 1/4 rod. A longer peace of tube works also.

Fly

[Ballistics in Scotland]

For shotgun wads the usual practice was to cut them from unlubed felt, and roll their edges in melted grease. The thin card overpowder disc kept the gases from penetrating through the wad. It saved on lube and with a breechloader compressed more easily from case to bore.

[Col4570]

I use Silcrete expansion Joint Strip for Shotgun Wads.I have made up a cutter that spins in the Drill Press,It is a piece of 12 bore Barrel with a spindle at one end and a Spring and Plunger inside,it pops the Wads out as I cut them.I then dip them in a hot Mixture of Cooking Oil and Candle Wax.I always put a card each side of the Wad when Loading either muzzleloaders or breach loading Cartridges.I use an old Deep Fryer and its Basket and dip in and out quickly.The wads turn out hard but easy to load.I have tried them against commercial made ones and they perform equally.