Ball starter how to ?

[tryinhard]

Hello all<

Does anyone have some ideas or suggestions about making one? Can I make it out of antler with dowel inserted into it? How long should the dowels be? Do I need to have a metal tip on the dowels to prevent splitting?

Sorry for all the Q's.

TH

 

[Swampman]

The craft stores have hardwood balls that make nice ones. I recently made one out of a broken ramrod. An empty .38 Special or .357 case can be used for a tip.

 

[longcruise]

The simple solution is the hardwood ball mentioned by Mark and a hardwood dowel glued in. The more complicated solution is a hardwood ball (or other desired shape), a 5/16th section of brass or steel rod about 8 inches long, a 3/8" ramrod tip (Trso brand is good and is a perfect fit to the 5/16th rod), a 5/16th ID ramrod guide.

Drill a 5/16th hole part way into your handle. Score the end of the rod to roughen it, epoxy the piece of rod into the ball, slide the bore guide onto the rod, score the other end of the rod and epoxy it into the ram rod tip (the 3/8th ram rod tip will retain the bore guide), drill and pin the ram rod tip if you like.

You can use the concave end of the ramrod tip on the ball or you can screw in various jag tips of the size you prefer.

Make a range rod the same way only longer and definetely pin the ram rod tip on the range rod.

Hope that helps

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you order Dutch Schoultz's Black Powder Rifle Accuracy System for $15.00, he has information in that package that tells you how to make a perfectly adequate short starter out of parts and pieces you may have lying around in your workroom.
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

If you will look at any of the suppliers, you can find the needed ferrules for the ends of the rods, as well as commercially made short starters pictured, so you can make your own decision.

I made my own short starter using the fork of a deer antler I had left over from a knife making project. I also had some ends of ramrod shafts that I cut off when I shorted a ramrod for my gun's barrel length. I did not put metal ferrules on the ends of the rods, but did use a drill bit to cut a cup out of each end. I used that short starter for several years without any problems.

The bare wood ends would collect lint, and grease, but that was simply a matter of remembering to clean the short starter at the end of a shoot, along with the rifle.

I won a T/C short starter at a shoot later, and it comes with a wooden ball, metal rods, and the longer rod has a muzzle protector made of brass on it. I have been using it since with my .50 caliber gun.

They are still sold. I don't use in on Woods walks, or survival courses, where points are deducted for anything that "Modern", but I use it for most everything else. I do plan on coning the muzzle on that gun, and when that is done, the short starter will be retired- permanently.

 

[tryinhard]

Do you guys have any pics so I can get a better vision of what I am needing to do? :hmm:

 

Do you guys have any pics so I can get a better vision of what I am needing to do? :hmm:

A dowel with a handle... Anything that resembles this, that fits your caliber, will work.

 

[Rancocas]

Ball starters don't have to have that round ball on the end like the one pictured.
A ball starter is one the simplest things that any child can make. The length of the rod part is whatever suits your fancy - one inch, 3 inches, or whatever you like. The end that you strike with your hand can be a piece of antler, bone, even a piece of old broom handle. The whole thing can be a "T" shape instead of the round ball or anything your imagination can come up with. Use a hardwood dowel and you don't need to reinforce the end with any metal.
I used to make mine by cutting a 2 inch diameter circle out of a board. I then drilled a hole for the dowel in the edge of the circle and glued in the dowel. A little sandpaper to smooth it up, and some woodstain and its done. Looks like a big, wooden lollypop.
However, I no longer use a short starter at all. There is apparently no historical data documenting their use, and it is just something extra that I no longer have to carry around.

 

[Idaho Ron]

My short starter is 2" wide and 3" long, and 1/2" thick. I have one for my 50 and one for the 50's. I place the bullet in the barrel and place the "round hole" over the end and push it down then use the dowel to push it farther. The round hole has a layer of accura glass gel on it to keep it from getting messed up. The dowel has accura glass gel on the end to keep it from splitting. I use a fanny pack for a possables bag. I have a retractable lanyard I hook the short starter to. I covered it with moleskin to keep it quiet. Ron

 

[longfowler]

Just like Mark Lewis says, they are quick and easy to make, just use good 2 part epoxy. here's a few of mine, L to R: 1.scrap wood head & dowel capped with a .30-06 shell, 2.shed deer antler & dowel capped with a .35 rem shell, 3.a tree burl with a broken ramrod tip, 4.dowel with a shotgun cleaning handle, and 5.a stock T/C starter. not shown is one I made with a 12" dowel & a cleaning jag tip, epoxied into the biggest wood ball I could buy at a craft store - that one is my pistol range rod.

 

[mazo kid]

Just use what you have laying around and you can come up with several different variations. Here is one I made 25+ years ago. Like Paul, most of my barrels are now coned so this doesn't get much use lately.

 

[Old Sarge]

I was stationed in Maryland for a while and made mine out of wooden "Crab Mallets" Yep, the ones that you get when ya order blue crabs at a restaurant. Just cut about an inch off the handle, drill a hole at a 45 degree angle and glue the piece in. "POOF" a short and long ball starter. Cheap too!!!! I think they are hickory.

 

[Pork Chop]

Brilliant! I will look for some of those!