Ball Board

[Thomas.bill92]

I've always been a function over form kind of guy but I think it turned out pretty decent. Made from a piece of oak flooring that I grabbed out of a dumpster! The little board is one I made a year or so ago from a piece of maple toy train track (shhh, don't tell my kids).

 

[Grimord]

I like to get inventive with my ball boards, and try to make them multi-purpose. The "beaver" board has a fixed powder measure at the nose area, and the tail is used as a leather capper. The others are shapes I like and signify the game I hunt, or hope to.

 

[hanshi]

Those are very nice boards, Grimord. I like the artistry you put into them.

 

[Grimord]

Those are very nice boards, Grimord. I like the artistry you put into them.

Thanks. Covid isolation puts the mind to work, so i spent alot of time in the shop coming up with accessories for my black powder habit.

 

[ILoveMuzzleloading]

Great job Bill! These are handy

 

[Grenadier1758]

Hate to be a critic. I prefer the ball boards to be thin enough for the ball to protrude slightly out of the board and have enough room between the balls to locate the ball in the crown at the muzzle for easy location of the ball to start. I know that the ball can be pushed a bit further into the board to get it to protrude. I like to design the protrusion into the board design.

 

[Thomas.bill92]

Hate to be a critic. I prefer the ball boards to be thin enough for the ball to protrude slightly out of the board and have enough room between the balls to locate the ball in the crown at the muzzle for easy location of the ball to start. I know that the ball can be pushed a bit further into the board to get it to protrude. I like to design the protrusion into the board design.

Constructive criticism always welcome! I did plan on making these thinner but I was planing these ones down with a bench plane and that oak was hard! Once I get a tall enough fence set up on my bandsaw, I should be able to knock off quite a bit more before I break out the hand tools!

 

[user 48679]

Hate to be a critic. I prefer the ball boards to be thin enough for the ball to protrude slightly out of the board and have enough room between the balls to locate the ball in the crown at the muzzle for easy location of the ball to start. I know that the ball can be pushed a bit further into the board to get it to protrude. I like to design the protrusion into the board design.

I like to inlet the bottom side of each PRB's hole to fit the muzzle of the gun I made it for so as to ensure centering the ball.

I also experimented making a ball board that also held powder charges & spare caps

 

[Antonio Ferraioli]

That is great work, I have made a few for my 50 cal. I like the design of the beaver one, great idea, may I borrow the idea and make a few myself?

 

[Kansas Jake]

If your ball board is thick you can still push the pa to patched ball on through so it sticks out a little to index on the barrel

 

[doubleset]

If your ball board is thick you can still push the pa to patched ball on through so it sticks out a little to index on the barrel

Or you can take it to your band saw and ...

 

[Kansas Jake]

Or you can take it to your band saw and ...

If you have a band saw.

 

[Grimord]

That is great work, I have made a few for my 50 cal. I like the design of the beaver one, great idea, may I borrow the idea and make a few myself?

Sure, I don't have a patent on the idea.

 

[doubleset]

If you have a band saw.

You should think of getting one at some point. Even a cheap one. I lived most of my life without one, and then stumbled on a 12" Hitachi sitting forlornly in Lowes probably 25 years ago on sale for less that $200. I thought "Why not?". It has become one of my most used utility tools, and I just beat the crap out of it, but it won't quit (it's just Hitachi's version of the venerated Sears 12" band saw). Wood, plastic, brass, iron, steel ... All fair game for the right blade. And you could even resaw small pieces with something that size (it supports a 1/2" blade). It saves me a huge amount of time in doing a broad variety of things.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Some will say these aren’t period.

Not so.

We’ve documentation and even photographs of their use in the percussion era.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Nice work. I have several that I made . Some larger for rail walks, some just three holes to fit on a necklas for hunting.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Hate to be a critic. I prefer the ball boards to be thin enough for the ball to protrude slightly out of the board and have enough room between the balls to locate the ball in the crown at the muzzle for easy location of the ball to start. I know that the ball can be pushed a bit further into the board to get it to protrude. I like to design the protrusion into the board design.

The ball protruding all the time just ensures that the exposed patches rub on anything they come in contact with. Lube rubs off, debris gets on patch. Now, it is on the end that should not come into contact with the barrel, but still. I carry a couple of ball boards in my bag on woods walks and do not want any of the ball/patch hanging out. I have not run into any issues lining up with a barrel to load with my “too thick” (just right) boards.

 

[Grimord]

Here is a my hunting ball board/speed loader/short starter. The rounded corners fit nicely in the pocket of my hunting jacket. Two loading tubes for powder charge, a built in short starter, and a sleeve that can contain caps or be exchanged for one that holds my pan primer and touch hole pick, and of course two holes for my patched round balls.

 

[FfREEROBERT12]

Ok? What size drill bit for 32 cal?

 

[Thomas.bill92]

Ok? What size drill bit for 32 cal?