Advice on touch hole liner

[Coldfingers]

Here are some pics. Picked this up awhile back and have been fretting over this for a year.

I have an auto fill pan, and would like to correct it. This a 54 getz barrel for reference.

So the touch hole is angled to get past the sloted breach face.
I would think I would need a ¼" liner due to off center hole? Flatten breach face a bit?

Awaiting the knowledge of the group
Thanks

 

[BruceHH]

First, are you having trouble with hang fire or slow fire? If you were to take much off of the plug face, then you would probably not have good contact with the face and the shoulder inside the barrel. That would cause problems with cleaning and probably firing problems as well as probably causing the slot to not line up. A couple of thoughts without having the barrel/plug in hand. First, you could open that trough/slot up a little and maybe go a little deeper with it. You could follow that with slightly dishing out the center of the plug to allow powder to sit a little further back into the plug. That is assuming it lines up properly with the touch hole. You could also slightly cone the outside of the touch hole to give a little assist with sparks getting directed into it. I don't think a different liner is going to solve any problems.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Is there a liner already in the barrel or just a drilled hole? If its just a drilled hole you may be able to install a liner by drilling the hole for it slightly forward of the existing hole. In other words, the rear of the liner may be at the rear of the existing hole which would clean up the whole mess. Something to measure and ponder anyway.

 

[TDM]

Agree with @BruceHH. I appears the touch hole itself is a fairly large diameter, but it might be the photo. I like to keep mine at 1/16” or a number size larger.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I'm thinking along the lines of @The Crisco Kid. You should have enough room to install a coned touch hole liner. Widen the notch on the face of the breech plug to the diameter of the cone. Powder will fill the notch and be close to the touch hole. Make sure the new liner just reaches the threads of the breech plug. Breech plug notches are common in period construction. Having an index mark on the breech plug and bottom barrel flat will ensure the notch lines up with the touch hole liner. You need that 1/16" touch hole to stop the self priming. Picking the touch hole before priming will keep the notch clear. Don't fear the notch.

 

[rafterob]

I concur with Crisco and Grenadier, especially if you have a fairly wide pan, there would be plenty of lee-way to move the hole a bit forward.

 

[Coldfingers]

Thanks for the replies.
There are issues with ignition if I don't have a pick in the touch hole when I load.
Pan is fairly narrow so moving the hole forward is not an option I don't think.

I think I will be fine with a combination of coned liner and widening the "notch" a bit.
Thanks again

 

[Kansas Kid]

Install a liner in the most favorable spot you can get away with . Probably needs to be done in a milling machine with a center cutting end mill. Counter bore breech plug face to bore diameter deep enough to get rid of notch. That will require a lathe.

 

[Coldfingers]

Whenever I am watching a YouTube how to, when the milling machine is involved I just move on.

A very small % of us have a machine shop in our garage, I think I can get by with a drill press and a file.

 

[rich pierce]

Good advice above. I would temporarily solder a steel rod (nail turned down with drill and file to fit) in the existing touch hole. File flush, center punch for your liner where you want it, and drill with right size for tapping without the drill wandering.

 

[Mulebrain]

First draw file the vent area to check for liner install. In the one pic, I can see a faint circle. This situation is not a big deal, and it can be corrected. I would smooth out the face of the plug as other have suggested.

 

[Coldfingers]

I will take a closer look for an existing liner.

Ordered a ¼" white lightning, it should fit right in there and the cone edge at the rear will be just "lower" than the notch, bit of file work(a small bit) and I think things will be good.
I have been looking at this from 42" away for a year, finally unbreached her and wow, so much easier to see what's happening. Thanks for all the replies, I will update when complete.

Coldfingers

 

[Kansas Kid]

Something like this.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I will take a closer look for an existing liner.

Ordered a ¼" white lightning, it should fit right in there and the cone edge at the rear will be just "lower" than the notch, bit of file work(a small bit) and I think things will be good.
I have been looking at this from 42" away for a year, finally unbreached her and wow, so much easier to see what's happening. Thanks for all the replies, I will update when complete.

Coldfingers

Be aware that the White Lightning liners have a thread of 32 threads per inch. This is not a common thread size so be sure to get the proper tap and drill for your liner.

 

[Coldfingers]

So an update.

Everything went well was able to open the notch a bit and get everything lined up well. My breech plug looks alot like Kansas kids pic 0383

I thought I took more pics, but I am so bad at that.

Will touch up the browning, and test it out this weekend.

 

[Rob M.]

So an update.

Everything went well was able to open the notch a bit and get everything lined up well. My breech plug looks alot like Kansas kids pic 0383

I thought I took more pics, but I am so bad at that.

Will touch up the browning, and test it out this weekend.

D@mn !!! Great job ! Youll gonna love that ! Perfect !