Cleaning with flax tow

[HistoryBuff]

I obtained a good sized piece of flax tow at a trade faire a while back. It seems kind of hard to work with. It's like a big lock of long hair. But it looks like it might work great for cleaning between shots since it will sort of absorb the fowling instead of pushing it down to the bottom of the barrel. How do you guys attach it to the rod for use? Loop it through a jag or what?

HistoryBuff

 

[Rebel]

I use TOW for cleaning at the end of the day now since a friend on here sent me some. I made a homemade TOW worm by beding a coat hanger around a 3/8" dowel until as long as i wanted it. Works great. Would also work to swab between shots if you wanted to thread it on to use.

 

[JWP]

The use of tow has been around for years (well documented) and does a fantastic job cleaning between shots or at the end of the day.
You can make an inexpensive tow worm to go over your ramrod - keep your eye open for a spring that fits over the rod and spring it out a bit and your ready to go - (you will need a stiff spring) or pick up one from a blackpowder dealer.

 

There are two types of tow worms--the coil spring type and the "spiral hook" type (for want of a better term). A hank of tow is wrapped into the worm to form what looks like the cotton brush end of a shotgun jag and wetted, then worked up and down in the bore. Another old time way was to tie the tow hank onto a string, push the wet mass into the bore with a stick and pull out with the string--this was used by southern mountain types with their plain all wood ramrods (no metal tips--maybe just a cut notch on one end). The tow can be washed out and reused several times.

 

[Stophel]

Well, you beat me to it! I love the string thing. Works beautifully. Easier than untangling a black wet gooey mess of tow off of a tow worm...

AND, there is absolutely zero chance of it getting stuck in the bore. Pull the rod back, and the tow is immediately loose, and can easily be pulled out by the string.