Gather 'Round the Stove
Click on one of these to move down the page to that section:
Applying Beeswax « Arrowheads as Flints « Ballpeen Hammer Tomahawk
Bear Claws « Casting Round Balls « Cleaning Up Metal Filings « Copper Tube Timer
Cork-top Bottles « Determining Sundown « Dome-top Trunk « Dry Firing
Dry Firing - 2 « Easier Way to Make Cartridges « Fire Starting « Fitting a Ramrod Tip
Front Rest « Hardening Metal « Hardtack Pigeons « Heat Treating Small Pieces of Metal
Horn Holder « Horn Muzzle Cap « Horn Vise « Homemade Sanding Pads
Inlet Barrels with Hooked Breeches « Lapping Tool « Lead Line Wrap
Marker Tool for Even Spacing « Machine Shop Access « Multiple-Use Tool
Muzzle Protector « Navigation by Clouds « Negotiating the Spring Snow Pack
Pack in Candle Holder « Pack-Saddle Forks « Patch Puller « Pencil Sharpener
Poor Boy Lathe « Ramrod Tapering « Ramrod Thimbles
Rear Sight Adjustments « Recycling Needle Files « Recycling Old Hardwood Chairs
Rendering 'Coon Grease « Sealing Finishes « Seam Repairs « Skinny Ramrods
Stop Water Keg Leaks « Simple Tinderbox Solution « Storing Patch Strips « Storing Tent Ropes
Striping a Ramrod « Stripped Screw « Stuck Ramrod Solution « Target Frames
Target Stands « Tempering Springs « Tipi Liner Hook « Tips on Ramrods
Transporting Muskets « Turkey Wing Bone Needle Case « Use Old Gunflints for Fire Starting
Vacuum Hose Extension « Versatile Fire Tongs « Versatile Tool « Weighing Balls
Keeping char in the tinderbox is very handy, but the flint and striker usually flop around in the box, rendering the char into useless dust. The solution--place your char under a pad of leather. Your char will stay neat and whole, and the pad cuts down on the rattling noise.
-Rex Norman, Valley Forge, PA. N/D 90.
An old iron can be used to put beeswax or wax-based waterproofing on your leather gear or haversack. The iron melts the wax and spreads it. I use plain brown paper under my haversack for a blotter, which makes wax paper in the process. A word of warning--the iron will not be good for much afterwards because the wax coats the bottom of the iron as well as the haversack.
-Dave Wade, Elwood, NE. N/D 90.
If the weight of your rifle is
not a concern to you, consider using a brass ramrod. They don't swell with rain and never
break.
There is no need to by expensive rods, either. Use brazing rod from a
welding supplier. It comes in a variety of sizes and 36" lengths. The cost is under
$3.00. I drill and tap both ends to accommodate all of my cleaning attachments, including
a threaded T-handle.
--Mike Harmon, Ankeny, IA M/J 90.
The fire tongs I'm about to describe are one of the most-used items in my primitive camp. Their utility ranks right up there with the big red bandana. I make them by bending a 36" length of steel rod (1/8" to 1/4" diameter) to shape as illustrated. In this form they have many uses around the campfire. They may be used to pick up the lid or bail of a Dutch oven or may act as tongs to pick hot coals or your charcloth can out of the fire. Spread the tongs slightly apart and you have a grill to set your coffee pot on. You can even use them to scratch your back. You might wipe 'em off on the red bandana first, though.
--Charlie Everett, Santa Fe, TX. J/F 90.
When I
worked as a prospector in the artic, Alaska and the Yukon, I often had to travel long
distances through wilderness country. Most of the time I had no air photos for reference.
Taking compass bearings every hundred yards was too time consuming, and the thick
vegetation made bearing sightings impossible.
I learned to use the clouds as my bearings. Just take a compass bearing
on the direction you want to travel, face that direction and note the way the clouds are
heading. The prevailing winds will blow them in the same direction for hours. As you
travel, look up and see that the clouds are still heading the same way. Shadows on the
ground can be used similarly.
--Sid Bell, Tully, NY M/A 90.
For those who like a
little bit of neatness and take pride in their tipi, here's a little gizmo that helps. It
winds on the liner rope between the poles. Depending on the size of hook you make, you can
hang lanterns, clothes, guns, possibles bags, drinking cups, etc.
Start out with a 12" piece of 1/4" rod; taper both ends.
Fashion a hook on one end, putting an extra curl on the tip for safety reasons and
decorative purposes. Then heat up the straight portion to orange hot and grip the hook
with a pair of vise grips. Grip the pointed end and a piece of 1/2" round rod (that
is clamped in a vise) together with a second pair of vise grips and wrap the hot 1/4"
rod around the 1/2" rod to fashion a large corkscrew. Then bend the hook, adjusting
it so that it has a 30 degree offset. That way the hook will be vertical when weight is
put on the liner rope.
--Randy Chappel, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada N/D 91.
When you are fishing out on a trek, you sometimes need a little weight on the line. Take a lead rifle ball and using your polled belt axe, flatten it to approximately 1/32" or thinner. Then cut or tear off the amount of lead you need in a small strip no wider than 1/8". The length of the strip will be determined by the needed weight. Wrap the lead strip around your line to form a low profile spiral. Make sure you wrap the lead tightly around your line so that the weight doesn't slide. If you need more weight, simply add another strip or two. You'll find that this lead weight doesn't get hung up as easily as split shot does.
--James S. Moore, Latrobe, PA J/A 91.
Learned this from an old woods rat on the Yukon and it really works. You extend your arms fully. Bend the flat of the hand at 90 degrees to your arm. Judge the bottom of the hand at the horizon and use different combinations of fingers. This works at any latitude and is handy to know when you are hurrying like hell to get back to your camp before dark.
-Sid Bell, Tully, NY M/A 91.
Take a turkey wing bone and cut. Plug one end shut permanently and whittle a plug for the other end that you can pull out. The size of the wing bone will determine how many needles will fit into the case. A small case is great for putting a couple of needles in. Wrap a length of linen thread or sinew around it and it takes up no room at all in your hunting or belt pouch.
--James Moore, Latrobe, PA M/J 91.
Using #9 wire, wrap around 3/4 dowel as shown. Two or three complete wrappings should be enough. Cut at arrow. Bend long end to position it in the center of the twists and cut to desired length (3"-6"). Taper long end to a point that is sharp enough to stick into a stump, etc. You can file or forge this end square and add twists for decorative purposes.
--Mike Harmon, Ankeny, IA M/J 91.
Negotiating the Spring Snow Pack
On the north-facing slopes of the mountains and amid the thicker stands of
spruce, fir and the like, remnants of the winter snow pack linger well into the warmer
months and can present a formidable obstacle to the overland hiker whose thoughts
long ago turned from snowshoes and skis to more carefree modes of cross-country travel.
The energy sapping effects of plunging crotch-deep into the remaining snow pack can
discourage, delay and even exhaust the hardiest hiker, not to mention the exposure
problems of cold and wetness he will most certainly not be prepared for.
The longer spring snow remains, the more uniform its top-to-bottom
consistency becomes. Crusts and powder are replaced by a soft, slushy consistency that
comes from the permeation of meltwater, running from the melting outer surfaces during the
warmer parts of the day down through the pack, and which freezes nightly as evening
temperatures plummet in thin mountain air.
Refrozen meltwater adds rigidity to the pack in the earliest morning
hours till the direct rays of the next day's sunshine repeat the melting process. This
rigidity will support the weight of even a heavy, pack-laden traveler who has planned to
cover as much distance as possible before softening begins. Then he can often extend his
travel time by choosing routes amidst the heaviest shadows along the edges of clearings.
But stay away from areas which never get sun during the course of the day. These
lightly-crusted drifts usually contain no meltwater and so retain their winter powder-like
consistency right up till the time they disappear.
--Robert Freeman, J/F 92.
I was raised in western Wyoming, and when hunting large game in the Wind River
Range years back, a pack horse was about the only way to get elk or moose out. We never
used much rope, if any, when taking the game out. Once dressed, cut the elk in half at the
third hind rib and separate two halves. Next use a sharp axe and split the backbone
through the center of both sections, taking care not to cut through the hide. With each
half now laid open, cut two five-inch slits across each section the distance between the
pack saddle forks.
Now you are ready to load the horses. We were real pros at this, having
only had to blindfold one once. He was a saddle horse drafted that day for packing. We
loaded by lifting the quarters up over the side, hooking the split hide, hair down, over
the forks. With this method each side is of equal weight, and the leg joints are pointing
down and back so as not to get hooked on trees. With ten more miles to base camp, we
didn't lose or have a load shift on us.
--Gary Heathman, J/F 92.
For
trail walks or timed events, this item makes the laid-back pro sit up and pay attention.
The length of pipe and slope will determine the amount of time allowed for a shot to be
taken.
Requirement: 1/2 I.D. copper pipe (soft), .45 cal. round ball. Place it
on a stand, tie it to a tree, or wrap it around a tree.
The competitor places the round ball in the top end of the tube and
must aim and shoot before the ball drops in the can. Rumble, rumble, rumble--PLUNK!
--Edgar Lansing, J/F 92.
If you haven't yet bagged a bear but feel that you need
to make a bear-claw necklace for your Indian or buckskinner identity and are being stymied
by the expense, you can go the bone claw route. Purchased bear claws are over $7.00 each
for claws 1-3/4" or larger, which would make a 12-claw necklace $84.00. But bone
claws are far less expensive, about $1.00 each or a little more.
However, even a "Cheechako" can tell the difference between
bone claws and real ones. A way to make the bone ones appear more realistic is simple. You
can "enflame" them. Pass them back and forth over a match flame (or burning twig
if you must be strictly 18th century). Be sure not to burn the bone, just slightly scorch
it. Rub the carbon in with your fingers. Bone is grainy and the carbon will impart a
brownish-gray color to the white bone. The points of the claws chip easily and charred
bone will chip easier yet. As time goes by (your necklace long completed), you will find
yourself absentmindedly fingering the claws. The habit will help deepen the patina,
imparting a pale yellow to the muted tones, while at the same time giving them a realistic
polished look.
If you live long enough, finger grime and campfire smoke may eventually
darken your bone claws without going through the above process. But it will take a long
time.
--Peskcunck Larrabee, M/A 92.
If you have a leaky seam in your tent that you only remember at rendezvous when you have no proper fixins, use your candle like a crayon to coat the seam. I only do the inside, because if I ever do remember to do it proper like, the outside will be fairly clean. I found it works best with an unlit candle!
--Tom Piotrowski, M/A 92.
A nifty way to stop your water keg from leaking in a fairly quick way is to pour about an ounce or two of cinnamon in after you have filled your keg with water. The cinnamon sticks in the cracks, then swells and seals them.
--"Shorty" Zilverman, M/A 92.
I
learned about 'coon grease from a Canadian backwoodsman some years ago. When his mother
baked 'coon, the family would drain off the fat and use it to oil their leather boots.
Since then I have put 'coon grease to a variety of uses similar to that of the relatively
hard to obtain bear grease. These uses include softening and protecting leather goods,
patch lube and oil for wooden knife handles and powder horns. I once even used it mixed
with walnut hulls to stain and oil the stock of a poor boy rifle! Oil from a freshly
killed 'coon can also be spooned warm onto ground nuts or corn meal as in some Native
American recipes or used in making gravy to go with the baked 'coon.
To render 'coon grease, first procure a 'coon-preferably during
November when they are roly-poly with fat. Check your local game laws about trapping,
hunting and picking up road kills. Or contact your state wildlife agency for a list of
local fur buyers. These businessmen handle a lot of fur "in the round" and thus
usually have skinned carcasses and scraped off fat on hand, by-products that are
of the
sold to rendering plants anyway. A dollar or two would be a fair price for a skinned
carcass or a pound or two of fat globs.
After skinning the 'coon, scrape and trim off the ample globs of white
fat from the pelt and carcass, making sure all meat or dirt is removed. A large metal
spoon or dull table knife can serve as a scraper. Throw the chunks in a large metal pot
over a medium flame. When the fat melts to a clear liquid, pour off the liquid into a
small crock or slightly warmed Mason jar. Make a pestle from a two-inch wide hardwood
branch, then use it to squeeze out more oil from the leavings in the pot-these leavings
are what is fried for cracklin's during a hog butchering.
After the rendered grease cools, it will have a consistency similar to
room temperature margarine. Store the 'coon grease in period containers in a cool place
for use when needed or refrigerate it if wanted for food. Finally, use caution in dealing
with wild animals, alive or dead-rabies is a growing threat, especially in the Northeast
states. Contact your local wildlife agency for correct information.
--Mark Bender, M/A 92.
This
is a good a way as I've seen for hanging knife and hawk blocks. You will need: a length of
two-inch canvas or rubber fire hose, a round cut from a long for a block, and spikes.
Wrap the hose around the trunk and spike it to the block on each side
of the tree. The block can be raised or lowered as required and won't slip.
--Edgar Lansing, J/A 92.
You
can make a patch puller that is as good or better that any you can buy.
Simply cutoff a portion of an old, worn out bore brush, remove the remaining
bristles with needle nose pliers, spread the wire out and sharpen the ends with
a file. I put a drop of epoxy glue on the twisted part for security.
If you want a mirror finish on your powder horn, try sanding
it with progressively finer sandpaper, the last being 600 grit, then polishing
it with Brasso.
--Jim
Buie Raleigh, NC, M/J 94.
In Reginald and Gladys Laubin' s book, The
Indian Tipi, I found an interesting item that would help us modern-day
trekkers with the job of fire starting. Page 108 talks about a "fire
keeper" that was used by Plains Indians. They carried punk smoldering in it
for the next time they needed to start a fire. Basically, a horn (theirs
was buffalo) with vent holes in one end.
The book goes on to say it was carried on a belt or slung
over one shoulder and carried like a powder horn. For today's use you need to
make it differently than your own powder horn (like the upside down one in the
picture) and carry it on the other side from the one with powder in it. Would be
an easy, historically correct help.
--Michael D. Moore Lakewood, CO, S/O 94.
Ever
had a ramrod stuck at the range or hunting? That can be a real problem for
you when you have no threads in the end of the rod or your threaded handle is in
your shooting box
back at the truck.
To
get out of this dilemma, simply take two pieces of wood 1/2" X 3/4" X
2-3/4" long, drill a 7/16" hole 3/4" from the end of each block
of wood. If you have a large caliber rifle, you may need a 1/2" hole
instead of 7/16". Slide the blocks over the disabled rod. With the rifle
gripped between your knees or a buddy's hands, place both of your hands on the
blocks and pull, with little effort the rod will release.
--John L. Covert,Tiffin OH, N/D 94
I have read
a lot about tempering springs. After hardening you can dip them sometimes in
oil and burn this off or blue it by a torch or put it in a baking stove for 1-1/2
hours at a certain temperature. All these methods didn't work or look too long
and are so expensive. The trick is to have equal hardness of all parts of the
spring. If you heat them by a flame, the thin parts are soft and the thicker
material is still too hard and the spring can crack.
The best method to anneal springs I have read is in an old
German book for Buchsenmacher (gunsmiths).
Melt lead in a pot big enough to contain the spring. Put the
spring into this liquid and let it stay long enough that the heat can warm the
spring through and through. The molten lead is of the same temperature for
bluing steel. If you anneal springs with a thread, put the screw into the hole.
I
have made springs of different shapes, and they are still flexible and no one is
broken.
--Hennig Isensee, Germany, J/F 95.
Inlet Barrels with Hooked Breeches
Barrels with hooked breeches are harder to inlet than others because of their two-piece construction. Temporarily joining the two parts simplifies the proper alignment of the two during inletting. The conventional method is to join them with a bit of soft solder. An easier method (requiring no cleaning or heating of the metal before and after) is to drill and tap the male portion of the breech plug fore small screw (3-56 TPI is fine) so that a thin washer will overlap the female section as shown in the photo. If properly done, it protrudes very little and is easy to remove and replace anytime during inletting. If coated with a little beeswax or modeling clay, you can even glass bed the whole assembly and remove it easily.
-- Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC J/F 95.
Here’s a simple, durable and cheap case for
transporting muskets and long-rifles. I had the washers, rivets and leather
string. The carpet scrap cost $4.35 and easily holds my 42-inch trade gun.
Use a Phillips screwdriver to poke the holes for the rivets
and use washers on both sides of the rivets to prevent them from pulling
through.
-- Richard Emory Davenport, IA J/F 93.
Are you looking for a source for small cork-top bottles to fill up your cook-kit or plunder chest? Next time you are at the doctor's office, ask them to save "multiple dose vials" for you (or check at the hospital surgery department). These vials are used to hold injectable solutions and have a rubber stopper in them that allows the needle to penetrate and then reseals. Simply remove the aluminum ring that holds the stopper in, remove the stopper and soak off the label. Don't forget to wash the vials thoroughly. Go down to the hardware store and get small corks to cap the vials. Most vials are mass‑molded but look primitive enough. They come in 5cc to 60cc sizes (about 1/4 ounce to 2 ounces). Best of all they are free! I use mine to hold gun oil, spices and herbal extracts. Another item that makes an authentic-looking medical kit is to have your doctor or pharmacist order "sterile water in single use ampules." These large, sealed glass ampules look like authentic old pharmacists vials but are filled with water.
--David Genuit Bremerton, WA M/A 91.
I easily made a dome-top trunk using a large wooden wire spool. After taking the spool apart, I estimated the size of the curve that I wanted and cut two end pieces. After nailing the lid onto the end pieces using square nails, determine the depth that you want the box to be. For the lumber on the bottom of the trunk, I used pieces from several pallets. The hardware included two buckles, small nails and tacks. I put a leather hinge on the back and nailed and tacked it to the box and lid. The closures are like belts only nailed to the wood, and I used rope for the handles.
--Chris Bezold Sinclair, WY. J/F 91.
If rear sight adjustments have been frequently made to accommodate different loads or shifting point of aim (or if you accidentally cut the dovetail a tad too big when installing a new sight), the sight can get loose enough to drift sideways in the slot or even drop out, as experienced by one of my friends. A loose rear sight can be stabilized by installing a small set screw as shown in the adjacent photo. A 3-56 Allen head screw (available at auto parts stores) works fine and the tiny socket does not detract from the appearance of the sight. The screw can be tightened with a 0.050-inch Allen wrench. The wrench can be carried in the bottom of the patchbox cavity by inserting it in a small hole drilled for a snug fit. An added benefit is that you can use it as a pick to clear the touch-hole.
--Fred Stutzenberger Clemson, SC. J/F 92.
The
most versatile tool that I've seen was said to have been found in an old bag
but be assured that it wasn't used in general. I'm referring to the tang end of
a broken, smooth cut file. It was approximately four inches long by one inch
wide by 3/16-inch thick. The tang was shortened a little and filed into a
screwdriver blade with a hole drilled in the center just above where the teeth
start for use as a ramrod puller. One edge was ground smooth for the fire
striker. The end where it was broken off was ground et a 45 degree angle for use
as a flint knapper. There you have it: a screwdriver, a ram rod puller, a fire
striker, two files, and a flint knapper—five tools in one. Very versatile and
most useful.
The
above information came from the article "Do It as 'Twas Done" by Bob
Caswall (MUZZLELOADER, Nov/Dec 1991, 57). I improved on the tool by adding a
vent pick, making it six tools in one. The vent pick is a piece of piano wire
wrapped around a rivet that has been added to the left of the ramrod puller.
--Hubert
C. Henon Louisville, KY
In “Gather ‘Round The
Stove” for Nov/Dec 1995,
Ramon Carson had a suggestion for making a tool to taper or resize ramrods. His
method works and making a special tool is fine, but many shops will already have
another tool that works for this job and may not realize it.
My tool for sizing ramrods is my drill gauge. Mine is a number 14
fractional size drill gauge made from tempered steel and having holes sized from
.062 to .500 inch. Use it the same way Ramon Carson describes, inserting the ramrod
into a hole of the proper size and pulling it through. Oh yes, I've been using
the same gauge for twenty years and it hasn't worn out yet.
--David
M. Dolliver, Shelton, WA M/A 96.
This is just a simple little trick that I learned years ago. If you want to get even spacing on an uneven or odd length surface, such as finding equal points around a powder horn base plug for tacks, try the following: cut a wide type rubber band, lay it flat, and mark it in measured distances (by a scale) according to how many tacks you intend to use. Stretch the band around the horn base where the tacks will be used. The marks will stretch out evenly, resulting in the desired spacing. This way you don’t have to calculate or guess at the even distances between points.
--Don Bills,Stuart, FL M/J 05.
Tool assortments are often packaged in foam inserts. Don't throw the foam insert away after removing the tools. The resilient foam can be cut into handy little sanding pads. Cut out the shape that you need and spray one side with spray adhesive (or apply double-stick tape). Press the foam down on the back of some sandpaper. After the adhesive sets, cut around it with a knife or shears.
--Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC M/J 04.
I have always had problems hardening metal. One blacksmith said to heat it till it’s bright red, almost orange, and then quench it in oil. Simple—not if you 're colorblind. Another said heat it until it's 1550 degrees. How do you know when it's that hot? When it's bright red, almost orange!
But now I’ve solved the mystery: Heat the frizzen or knife blade until it's non-magnetic. When a magnet will not stick to the metal, it’s the proper temperature. Quench in automatic transmission fluid (the transmission fluid should be warm) and do not drop the part. If it hits a cement floor, it will break like a piece of glass. To double check, if a file will not cut it, it's time for the second process. Clean the metal with sandpaper and then put it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for one hour. This works great for a frizzen. For a knife blade, heat and quench three times (only quench about 1/3 to 1/2 of the blade, leaving the upper half soft), cleaning the metal between each heating. Then heat again three times in the oven.
--Daniel R Hendricks, Broomfield, CO M/A 04.
Over the years I have purchased a dozen or so target frames, ranging from inadequate to absolute junk. After a recent primary election, however, I saw potential in the many electioneering campaign signs scattered down our roads. They are attached to a heavy wire flame and are made of weather-resistant cardboard. Very often the staff that puts them up does not return to retrieve them, so I did.
Just staple or tack your paper target onto the sign and drive the legs into the ground. Stick-on targets work great. What do you do when you have shot the sign to pieces? I found that pizza boxes have two slits at the hinge that fit perfectly over the upright wires. Tape the box shut and you now have a new, free target backing. Furthermore the roadside is cleaned up.
--“Banjo Bill” Higbie, Branchville, NJ M/A 04.
Those electronic balances are great for weighing balls down to a tenth of a grain for competition shooting. However, where the ball lies on the pan makes a difference in the recorded weight. Robert Mims solved this problem by making a little round cup that cradles each ball in the center of the pan.
--Fred J. Stuzenberger, Clemson, SC N/D 03.
Sooner or later every muzzleloader wishes he or she had a convenient adjustable front rest for either sighting in or competion. If you don’t want to invest a $100 or more on a commercially available rest, you can probably make one from a salvaged car tire jack. The best part is that most junkyards are happy to be rid of them.
--Jim Jaskoviak, Forest City, IA N/D 03.
Office pencil sharpeners often will not put a nice fine point on pencils used to draw carving patterns. An easier way to sharpen the tip is to use the fine wheel of your bench grinder. The surface of the wheel is running at about 5000 feet per second, so use a light touch while rotating the pencil. With a little practice, you can put a tip on your pencil much sharper and sturdier than any regular pencil sharpener.
--Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC N/D 03.
Heat Treating Small Pieces of Metal
To heat treat a small piece of metal uniformly, place it on a larger piece of scrap. Heat both pieces together. When the small piece reaches the correct color, pour the small piece into the desired quenching fluid.
--Doit Ross, Minooka, IL J/A 03.
A handy vacuum hose extension can be made from any piece of rubber tubing and a jar lid. Drill a hole in the lid for a tight fit of the tubing. The suction will hold the extension on the end of the hose when the vacuum is on. The extension will concentrate the suction power of the vacuum to clear chips from drilled holes or mortises in tight places where regular attachments will not reach without interfering with the operation.
--Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC J/A 03.
Those extra stubs of ramrod blanks make nice partitions along the workbench to keep rifles or other objects from falling over. Drill a series of holes for a tight drive fit in the front apron of the workbench and space the dowels about three inches apart.
--Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC J/A 03.
In a fit of boredom last week I came up with this idea to make ramrod thimbles easily and repeatably for the rest of my natural life. It consists of a swage block made from a scrap piece of cold-rolled steel one-inch wide by about three inches long. I squared it up in a milling machine and milled out a round-nosed groove 1/2-inch wide and about 5/8-inch deep down the middle of one edge. For my drive formers, I welded some 3/8-inch and 7/16-inch cold-rolled steel rod into the two T-handled rams. In use, after I cut out the thimble blank and bend over the tabs, I center the blank on the swage, tabs pointing down, and drive down the ram with a two-pound blacksmith hammer. The thimble blank is then popped out of the swage and finished around the appropriate size rod for whatever size thimble I want.
--Jerry Crawford, Alfred, ME J/A 03.
Many of the ideas, projects and processes that we talk about here in the “Gather ‘Round the Stove” section require machining a part, fabricating a jig or milling a new tool idea. Very few of us have a mill or lathe in our garage, but almost all of us have a fully equipped machine stop available practically for free. I’m talking about your local high school metals shop program. Most school districts operate an adult education evening program of some kind.
In addition to the stuff like computers, yoga, basket weaving and GED classes, the Adult Ed program will run a course on any topic that you can think of if there are enough people interested who can pay the fee. That is where I have access to a fully equipped machine shop. For $30 I have six evenings when I can get in there and do anything I want. All of the machinery and hand tools I could not possibly afford are right there for my use—and most of my stock materials have been free as well. Fortunately, most of the stuff that I do can be made from pieces the students throw in the scrap box.
The instructors who run the courses are really interested in what adults are doing. They are excited to see how to relate what they are teaching to the real world for their regular students. Mine has an email address where I can ask any question that I want or run an idea past him that he will respond to online. He’s even invited me into the classroom shop during the day to work out a process. They go out of the way to assist and practically hand carry you through the process.
One additional positive result for me has been that the welding teacher next door got wind of what I was doing with hammered iron. He invited me into his classroom to give a short presentation to his kids about how welding had its genesis in blacksmithing. That led to a discussion of how metals are used in the exploration of space and how welding fit into the lineage. You never know when talking to some kids will get another youngster interested in our pastime. Look into it and find out how much fun it can be, how much you can learn and how much more you can accomplish.
--Jerry Crawford, Alfred, ME J/A 03.
As a member of a French-and-Indian War reenacting group that can go through upwards of 5000 rounds of ammunition in a season, we have come upon an easier way of making our cartridges. The paper is obtained from tablets of cheap, unlined sketching paper, the kind that is used in children's school tablets. This is heavy enough to hold up well, but still thin enough to be torn easily with the teeth.
To cut out the papers, line out a pattern on the paper with a ruler in the form shown in the accompanying drawing. After laying out the lines on the top cover, run the whole tablet through a band saw, and you will have over a thousand cartridge sheets per tablet.
In gluing the cartridges, we have found that a hot-glue gun is great. Not only is it impervious to dampness, but it sets quickly. Just lay a thin bead of glue along the angled side and, when set, a bit on the folded-over bottom. Using this method, one can make 150 to 200 cartridges an hour. After filling with powder, a bit of glue on the top and then folded once makes everything secure.
We roll the papers over a 5/8-inch dowel for use in our Besses, which are .75 caliber. As we also make our own cartridge boxes, and some of our group also use their muskets for hunting, we bore the box holes out to 5/8 inch also. This precludes the possibility of a live .75 round inadvertently being placed in the belly box. The smaller size of the cartridge also aids in reloading quickly during a battle scenario. (We use powder only and do not ram, so there is nothing flying down-range.)
--Ted Rensland, Edmore, MI J/A 03.
A large caliber cast rifle bullet makes an ideal lapping tool for any rifle with a bore equal to or smaller than the bullet diameter. The bullet can be turned in the lathe to a smaller diameter and a clearance hole can be drilled for a screw that will thread into the end of a metal cleaning rod. Turn the screw in loosely to allow the bullet to rotate with the rifling as the lap is pushed through the bore.
--Fred J. Stuzenberger, Clemson, SC M/J 03.
I have attached a drawing of a multiple tool that should be of interest to your readers. The drawing is a steel striker, ramrod puller, screwdriver and emergency file.
To make this tool:
1) Take an old file or a new one you’re not in love with and set it in a vise. Break from the tang end approximately four to five inches.
2) Drill a hole in the tang area, which has not been hardened and tempered, a little larger than 3/8 inch in diameter.
3) Cut the tang off so that it is approximately one inch long. On your grinder, taper to fit the slots for the cock screw, tang screw and side plate screws.
4) Grind off the filing and both edges for a smooth striker surface.
5) Harden and temper the screwdriver portion of the tool with an acetylene torch or your lead pot. Cool in water or oil to harden.
To use the
tool as a ramrod puller, just slide it over your ramrod through the hole that
you drilled.
Slant the
tool at an angle to place the ramrod in a bind and pull.
--Mark Horvat , Eureka, MT J/F 03.
In the September/October issue, Jerry Crawford of Alfred, Maine, submitted a good idea for holding a cow horn steady while turning it into a powder horn. He used Bondo to attach the horn to a piece of wood. The wood/horn was then placed in a vise while he scraped and shaped the horn.
Another method, as shown to me by a well known horn maker, is as follows: shape the end of a length of wood, either a 2" X 2" or 2-1/2" X 2-1/2" works well, so that it fits into the base of the horn. Take a scrap piece of leather and soak it in water. Wrap the wet leather around the shaved end of the piece of wood. Place the horn over the leather and twist until the horn is tight on the wood. Now place the wood in a shaving horse or vise and go to work. The square sides of the wood insure that you get a solid grip so that the horn is held steady.
This method works well for those of us who work on more than one horn at a time. The same piece of wood can usually be used to hold horns with different size bases without having to do any reshaping. Just twist the first horn off, replace it with your next horn and go back to work.
--Ron Vail, Camby, IN J/F 03.
To aid in cleaning up the metal filings and shavings around my shop, I place a magnet in a plastic bag. I then drag the bag along the floor or bench top. Once done, I pull the magnet out of the bag and let the shavings drop into my waste can.
--Jack Meade, Buxton, OR J/F 03.
If you have a screw that has stripped out in a piece of wood, put a few drops of Super Glue in the hole. This will build up in the cavity and allow the screw to draw up tight again. This will also work on cross-pin holes.
--Daniel R. Hendricks, Broomfield, CO J/F 02.
For sealing various iron or steel finishes, I have found “stove polish” works well and adds some black shading (quick patina?). It contains wax and black pigment and is very weather resistant—water beads right up on it. I’ve used it on bright, as well as cast, browned and blued surfaces. Stove polish is available in tube form from many hardware stores. Wipe on, then rub off with rags following directions. It will polish to a shine if desired. You can moderate the effect with brake cleaner and a rag if needed. Use rubber gloves! This stuff is easier to apply than shoe polish, but just as hard to get off of your hands.
--Mike Przydatek, Harrison Township, MI S/O 01.
Dry firing is excellent practice for getting used to the feel and function of a new muzzleloader. For a flintlock an added touch of realism is provided by firing off priming charges (flash firing) to accustom oneself to the flash and smoke close to the face. To prevent soiling the barrel and bore, loosen the lock bolts, slip a piece of aluminum foil or shim stock between the lock bolster and the barrel and retighten.
--Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC J/A 01.
A quick, simple and effective muzzle protector can be made from brass tubing and brass sheet stock. Look for it in hobby shops and hardware stores. One manufacturer is K&S Engineering.
Cut a one-inch length of tubing and chamfer the inside to avoid scraping your ramrod. Next simply soft solder a washer of the appropriate diameter made from the sheet stock. This tubing is available in a great variety of sizes, and you should be able to find one for your ramrod and bore diameters. For example, K&S Engineering’s size 11/32, stock #134, tubing is perfect for 5/16-inch ramrod and .36 bore. Now you have a light, compact easy-to-carry muzzle protector that takes up little room in your shot pouch or range box.
--Gary Brown, Liverpool, NY M/J 01.
Over the spring and summer I look for arrowheads, as I have done for close to thirty years. Finding a good one makes my day, but mostly I come home with broken ones, a shoe box full over the years.
While preparing for the 2000 hunting season, I was running low on flints and used the last ones during dove season. I went out into the cornfield to find some flint to knap—not an easy task finding or knaping—when I found a broken tri-corner arrowhead. The tip was missing, and while looking at it, I noticed that it was the same size as a gun flint. So I went back to my shop to see how good it would work, and I must say it works well. After a number of dove, two squirrel and two deer, along with a number of shots at the range, that same broken arrowhead is still hunting after a thousand years or more.
Broken arrowheads are worthless unless it’s the first one you’ve ever found, so with a box full I will never have to buy flints. Makes me wonder how many were converted to gun flints by the natives.
--Michael D. Shaffer, Fisher, WV M/J 01.
Old hardwood chairs are often thrown away when a rung or leg is broken. Old discarded hardwood chairs are a great source of sturdy, preformed handles for files and chisels. Old chairs are also a good source of unplated wood screws for rifle‑building.
--Fred Stutzenberger , Clemson, SC M/J 01.
I have owned several types and sizes of belts, axes and tomahawks over the years I have been involved with the muzzleloading hobby. A blacksmith friend of mine recently was looking for a forging exercise and created an excellent piece at very little expense or labor.
Using an old ballpeen hammer he had picked up at a tag sale, he created a small easily transportable hawk that still has excellent weight. He simply reshaped the “hammer” end into the blade and slightly elongated the ball end. The piece is made from good metal, takes and holds an edge, and handle blanks are as close as the nearest hardware store. In the future he plans to use the same technique to create a pipe tomahawk and one with a spike type pole. Others could easily give this approach a try.
--Dennis D. Picard, Westfield, MA M/A 01.
The little plastic containers for 35 mm film are ideal for storing patch strips. Cut a thin slot along one side as shown in the accompanying illustration. Apply your favorite patch lube and roll up the strip. Insert it into the container and rotate it until the edge protrudes through the slot. The translucent containers are preferred since you can see how much patching you have left. If you use the container for a narrower patching strip, put a little elastic hair tie around it to reduce the length of the slit.
--Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC J/F 01.
Use Old Gunflints for Fire Starting
I inspect my worn out gunflints to see if they'll be useful for fire starting. Most have edges that can be knapped enough to shave off steel. The small size fits well in a fire starting kit, where I add several instead of relying on an oddly shaped chunk of flint. One of the best materials that I've found for keeping an ember when making fire with flint and steel is heavy cotton canvas such as that used in blue jeans. I save all of my old 100 percent cotton jeans, cutting them up into 3" X 3" squares for char.
--Michael H. Maggelet, Great Falls, MT N/D 00.
In our smoothbore shoots, we like to add a few moving targets to the usual mix of metal gongs. Clay pigeons are the standard modern moving target, but these seem neither appropriate to the period nor to the rendezvous site—frankly they leave an awful mess.
So we do something that is probably not appropriate to the period but is easier on the land. We use hardtack pigeons. They're tough, but they break if hit with bird‑shot. Sometimes they're reusable. They're biodegradable, and they're not painted fluorescent orange.
Use your standard hardtack recipe, for example, three cups of wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and enough water to make a dough. Knead a few times, roll it out to about 1/4‑inch thick. Use a large opened bean or stew can for a round cutter. Put the birds on a cookie sheet and bake for a few hours at 275 degrees.
They also make dandy turkey heads for those pop‑up targets.
--Ken Pollard, Nampa, ID S/O 00.
I don’t know how everyone else feels about skinny ramrods, but I don’t like them—traditional or not. So recently when I was going to install the pipes to a Northwest trade gun I was looking at a 3/8 rod for a 62 caliber bore. The inside diameter of those commercially obtained pipes was .375 and they were the only ones that I could find at the time. So I drilled out the three stake spots on the tabs that held them together and installed and soldered a spacer of .100 thickness between the two tab halves. This ends up giving me an inside diameter of about .410, which is a whole lot sturdier. The rod diameter going into the stock stayed the same but now the rest of the rod is larger and I can put a better tapper in it.
--Gary Hagness, Fordville, ND M/A 00.
Dixie Gun Works sells an inexpensive steel mould for $19.95 that will work wonders when casting large quantities of round ball. Our local living history group recently ordered two for our muskets, and with a little work they can be modified to “look period.” Using a Dremel tool and a hand file, simply grind off the handles and round the edges.
--Michael H. Maggelet, Great Falls, MT J/F 00.
When working on horns for friends I was always trying to find a decent way to hold the piece secure for the filing and scraping process. I needed something secure, yet something that would still be quickly removable for inspection and the more delicate lap work. Many things I tried only worked marginally, and in one day of greater frustration, I told myself to stop and think on the solution before continuing. Within a short bit, I came up with the following that has seemed to work very well for me.
I walked out into the woods behind the shop and went directly to a new-fallen forked branch of Western Incense Cedar that was about half-a-wrist thick and brought this back to the shop. There I cut the branch at the fork so that one leg was about eight inches long and the other about five inches. I flattened the two sides of the short leg so that it would sit and be held securely in a vise, and I tapered the long leg with a drawknife and disc sander to a blunt point that would fit snugly the inside of the horn I was presently working on. The limb, being fresh, continues to exude slowly the pitchy resin, grabbing the horn quickly and tightly enough for any scraping work done, yet also easily allows release with just a twist when desired.
--Erik Wahlman, Shingletown, CA M/J 99.
Dry firing your flintlock can really help with trigger control, but my Jim Chambers English lock has an awfully strong mainspring, and with a wooden “driver” instead of a flint, it really throws the frizzen with a crash. I suppose that when the flint bites into the steel it meets more resistance, therefore throwing the frizzen more gently.
After thinking about what I could put in the jaws of the cock to dampen the shock, I thought I’d try an eraser for pencils. This seems to work well, and they come in handy shapes.
Buy one about the width of your flint, cut it in two and mount it in the jaws of your cock. In my case, they work best sloping downwards.
Now I can practice “shooting” in the house at night and not wake the kids with loud klatch! noises. The eraser deadens the noise and acts as a shock absorber, being very easy on your lock.
After a few months’ practice, the eraser appears as good as new.
--Richard Hare, Alberta, Canada M/A 99.
PS. Remember to change back to flint before “bar” huntin’!
Worn out needle files can have a new life if you convert them into scrapers for leveling the background during relief carving. Grind off the flat or square files across their ends, trying to keep the angle as close to 90 degrees (both laterally and vertically). These small files will overheat rapidly so dip them in water frequently while grinding. Scraping across the surface at an angle of about five to ten degrees will take off a lot of fine shavings in a hurry.
Many files of other shapes are only worn out in the middle section but still have plenty of life left at the tip. These files can get into crevices between raised figures and bring the background down to the surrounding area.
--Fred Stutzenberger , Clemson, SC N/D 98.
When fitting a metal tip on a ramrod, roughly whittle the end of the rod down to size, ensuring that the tip has a good start on the rod. Then place the ramrod tip in an electric drill and the rod in a padded vice. Buzz the tip onto the ramrod with a good bit of pressure. The friction cause by this action will remove the excess wood, making a perfect fit where the tip and rod butt together.
When fitted in this manner, the tip will be extremely tight. Usually the tip starts to squeal as it turns onto the rod. As it cools, the fit becomes even tighter, making it all but impossible to remove without wringing the end off the rod. When fitted, sand the rod and tip to remove any burrs from rod, then drill and cross pin in usual manner.
If in doubt try this method with a ramrod size dowel to see how easy it is.
--Richard Hare, Alberta, Canada N/D 98.
If you ruin a powder horn in the making by mix‑drilling the spout hole out the side or by cracking the large end, do not throw it away in disgust. Really nice horn muzzle caps can be made from scrap horn segments. Cut out a section of horn for a close fit to the muzzle contour. Epoxy the rough blank to the end of the forestock. The blank can be shaped with a chisel, file and sandpaper to its final form, then polished to a high gloss with #0000 steel wool.
--Fred Stutzenberger, Clemson, SC N/D 98.
The easiest, fastest and cheapest way that I've found to shape a new ramrod is to use a “poor boy lathe.” Clamp a washer with an inside diameter that will fit over your rod in your vise. Then chuck up the rod in your pistol drill. Wrap sandpaper around the rod and you're ready to go.
If the rod diameter is too large for your drill's chuck, just carve down about 1/2 inch of it to fit.
--Daniel J. Dyer, Taftville, CT N/D 98.
It is not a good idea to store your ropes with your tent for long periods, as the natural oil in the rope can damage the waterproofing in the canvas. However with many styles of tents, marquees in particular, it is difficult to remove the large number of ropes required each time you take the tent down. The following method will allow the ropes to be stored separately from the canvas and still allow for quick setup and takedown.
The system requires the following material, one for each rope:
1. A small hardwood hobby wheel, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, with a 1/2-inch hole drilled in the center.
2. A fifteen inch piece of heavy duty 3/4- inch cotton webbing, such as many tent loops are made of.
3. A small S-hook. Brass is best, if you can find it.
Run the ends of the webbing through the hole in the wooden wheel and tie with an overhand knot. Permanently attach the S-hook to the end of the rope that normally would go through the grommet in the side of the tent. I do it by forming a loop with an eye splice, but those lacking the skill or patience to do this can simply tie the hook securely to the rope. The other end of the S-hook is opened slightly to allow it to be attached to the webbing loop.
Run the loop in the webbing out through the grommet, pulling the wooden wheel snugly against the side of the tent. The webbing should fit tightly enough in the grommet so that it can be permanently left in this position. The combination of the wooden wheel and overhand knot is strong enough so that the loop will not pull through the grommet even in heavy wind.
When you are setting up your tent, simply hook the ropes to the webbing loops with the S-hooks. When you take down, remove the ropes and store them separately from the tent. Leave the webbing loops permanently in place on the tent.
--Tim Todish, Grand Rapids, MI M/A 98.
“Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t!” The same momentous choice applies to the decision to stripe or not to stripe a ramrod. But if you choose to stripe, here is simple, kitchen-table technique that will nicely and permanently stripe the stick.
Raid your wife’s sewing basket for a couple of yards of 1/2-inch seam binding. Soak the material in cold water until it is thoroughly saturated. Then attach the seam binding to the tip end by pinching it between the tip and jag. Hold the material with one hand and, with the other, spin or rotate the stick until you have completely wrapped it with a pleasing helical pitch (like a barber’s pole). Attach the opposite end with a thumb-tack or the like and darken the interstices with your trusty propane torch. Heat until the wood turns nice, dark charcoal but no more, and keep the ramrod turning and the torch moving lest you burn too deeply and weaken the stick. Unwrap the material and apply your favorite ramrod finish with fine steel wool, thus using the carbon to partially stain and even age the wood.
--William C. Young, Wahkon, MN J/A 97.
Do you get tired of shooting apart your wooden target stands? Look for unused or unwanted real estate signs, which are made of steel. Simply tape your targets over the sign and you’re ready to burn powder. You traditional types can always hand-forge yours.
--Ronald Kil, Alameda, NM M/A 97.
MUZZLELOADER is not responsible for any accidents of any kind that may occur from the use of published loading data or from recommendations by it writers. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy of MUZZLELOADER or Scurlock Publishing Co., Inc.
@ 2005 ScurlockPublishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
