Ball/Shot bag spouts

[tallbear]

In between gunbuilding I like to do some small projects as a distraction.I made up a bunch of shot/ball bag spouts.They rannge in size from .40 cal to .58 cal. and have clothespin stoppers.Some are antler and wood.My friend Eric Fleisher is doing the leather work.

Mitch Yates

 

[blackpowderscout]

Looks real good! I wish I had a way to make some. I guess I need to hunt me down a way to start turning stuff....

 

[onepaw]

very nice, never thought of using clothespins

 

[tallbear]

Just to be clear.The stoppers are'nt made from clothes pins but are refered to as "clothespin style stoppers" as they resemble clothes pins.Each one is made to fit a specific spout.They work nicely as the balls don't drive the stopper out of the spout from the inside as they might if you had a tapered plug like a powder horn might.

Mitch

 

[Rifleman1776]

Those are very pretty. The "closepins" are really called 'tompions'. I haven't used my lathe in a while, need to make some of those.

 

[JJCASTINGS]

Nice work. Thanks for posting. You just solved my search for how to make a ball spout that would not get the plug pushed out. :thumbsup:

 

[Bruce Bogart]

Plus you can hang your clothes out to dry in camp with your stoppers.... :rotf: My apologies Mitch, I couldn't resist :hatsoff:

 

[BillinOregon]

Mitch, you are a very talented craftsman. Are there any tricks to getting antler to turn? Does it smell as funky as when you sand it?

 

[Rifleman1776]

Mitch, you are a very talented craftsman. Are there any tricks to getting antler to turn? Does it smell as funky as when you sand it?

I'm not Mitch but I do turn antler on occasion. The smell, while not pretty, does not bother me. Call it tolerable.

 

[ohio ramrod]

You might find the smell of antler chips and dust tolerable, but SWMBO does not! I have to change clothes in the shop after working antler before I am allowed back into the cabin! :idunno:

 

[tallbear]

Thanks Guys

Bill
Antler turns very nicely.You can't apply as much pressure when turning like you can with wood.You just need to let the tools do the work if you get what i mean and take your time.You also have to stay away from the pith in the center as hitting it increases your chance for the piece breaking while turning.The pith also won't polish up.I don't do a lot of sanding to keep from loosing detail in my turning.Once turned I hit it lightly with 220 but just lightly then with a gray scotch brite pad.This is done while spinning on the lath.While the dust from turning antler is very fine and there is a noticable smell it is not over powering.

Mitch

 

[BillinOregon]

Thanks for sharing Mitch. Do you pre-drill the holes in the spouts using a drill press?

 

[tallbear]

Bill
Yes I drill the holes first using a drill press.I try to pick a hole size that removes most if not all of the soft center pith so i can turn without worrying about it.It is not as much of a worry on white tail and caribou antler but the center of Elk antlers is super soft.

Mitch

 

[BillinOregon]

Thanks Mitch. I might just have to chuck up a piece of blacktail antler in my Jet and give this a "whirl" so to speak ...


:grin: