Bullet Boards...and things...

[davec2]

A while back I made up a pick and brush set with ebony handles that I had posted. I was asked to make a set for a friend of mine and, at the same time, he asked about a bullet board. I had made one up for one of my .50 cal rifles a while back. It was nothing fancy, but I made it out of Kauri wood which is 50,000 + years old. Fairly plain wood, but very interesting to work with because it is that old - not petrified, but somewhat irredescent from the minerals that it has absorbed over 500 centuries! At any rate, I showed him the Kauri bullet board and he asked about doing one in ebony to match the pick and brush set. I did one for him in ebony and then one for myself for a .32 rifle I have. I really liked the miniature bullet board and discovered that it is much more useful than the one sized for a .490 ball. I can find and handle a .490 ball fairly easily, even in moderately cold weather, but trying to catch and patch a .310 ball out of a pouch is a bit more challenging. OK...not that big a deal to load a .310 ball, but it gave me an excuse to make a miniature bullet board out of ebony !

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Ive seen a lot of stuff in the muzzle stuffer world, these are the best Ive ever seen. Dang nice.

 

[zerosprk]

Beautiful, you do really nice work!

 

[Timber Wolf]

Nice! I am getting geared up to make some bullet boards, but they will be purely utilitarian yours are works of art. I have some 70 year old oak flooring pieces removed from my house during a remodel. The wood has meaning to me, and I will make blocks just to suit me.

 

[moose23]

All I can say is WOW!

 

[Flintandsteel]

A simple Lehigh, from a while back. No where near as falcon yet as Dave’s, but fun.

 

[moose23]

Flintandsteel, very nice!

 

[andy52]

I give up, Really I just flat give up...

I've strived for 50 years to become a good craftsman and then someone shows me these photos and I'll be dead before I get that good.

Very, very nice Sir.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have made a few bullet boards that I use for events that are not particularly historically correct. My most functional boards are the ones thin enough for the ball to protrude through the board and have enough space around the ball for the patched ball to be located in the muzzle and lay flat on the muzzle. @davec2, your boards are very nice, and I especially like the pick and brush.

 

[oldwood]

Really nice work on the exotic wood boards. Since I'm a scrounger , about 40 years ago a hospital up in the north of Pa. was pitching out some old fashioned orthopedic beds. The mattresses were made with 5/16 " x 3" x 40 " long Hickory slats in them. I collected a stack of them before they became fire wood. They make into very good ball boards , and have made and given away many .

 

[longcruise]

Those are exceptional

Where do you get the little carry ring hardware?

 

[rocullen]

I bet he made that too! dang him.

funnin.

 

[bushytail]

All I can say is you guys are gifted.

 

[davec2]

Longcruise.....sorry....I missed your question. I make the brass parts as well. I grind a form tool and then machine the brass base part on a lathe and then add the brass ring.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Very artistic. Beautiful.

 

[pamtnman]

A while back I made up a pick and brush set with ebony handles that I had posted. I was asked to make a set for a friend of mine and, at the same time, he asked about a bullet board. I had made one up for one of my .50 cal rifles a while back. It was nothing fancy, but I made it out of Kauri wood which is 50,000 + years old. Fairly plain wood, but very interesting to work with because it is that old - not petrified, but somewhat irredescent from the minerals that it has absorbed over 500 centuries! At any rate, I showed him the Kauri bullet board and he asked about doing one in ebony to match the pick and brush set. I did one for him in ebony and then one for myself for a .32 rifle I have. I really liked the miniature bullet board and discovered that it is much more useful than the one sized for a .490 ball. I can find and handle a .490 ball fairly easily, even in moderately cold weather, but trying to catch and patch a .310 ball out of a pouch is a bit more challenging. OK...not that big a deal to load a .310 ball, but it gave me an excuse to make a miniature bullet board out of ebony !

First rate work. Where do you acquire the ebony? All the ebony I have purchased from ee bay sources has been fairly green and not ready for working. My experience so far is even the 1.5”x1.5”x6” small turning pieces need a couple years to dry.

 

[davec2]

Pamtnman,

I have purchased ebony (and other exotic woods) from many places over the years, so I have a fair stock on hand. I have had the best luck buying from established wood working places like Rockler, Woodcraft Supply, and musical instrument houses like Stew Mac and ExoticwoodsUSA. I stay away from places like eBay where you really don't know who you are dealing with for things like exotic wood.

 

[davec2]

A few years ago I was asked by U.S. Army veteran to make a special bullet board / loading block. He was in the Army for 13 years before residual wounds caught up with him and he left the service. He went back to school to become an ordained minister and is writing a book. I was happy to make the block in the shape he asked for. The wood is ebony and the holes are sized for .45 cal round ball. The maker's mark is die struck in copper and inlayed.

 

[pamtnman]

Thanks for the good leads and the inspirational project pictures. God gave you real talent!

 

[pamtnman]

A few years ago I was asked by U.S. Army veteran to make a special bullet board / loading block. He was in the Army for 13 years before residual wounds caught up with him and he left the service. He went back to school to become an ordained minister and is writing a book. I was happy to make the block in the shape he asked for. The wood is ebony and the holes are sized for .45 cal round ball. The maker's mark is die struck in copper and inlayed.

How did you get that nice maker’s mark done? Pay someone professional to make the die for you? Or did you make the die?