coneing a touch hole without an insert
- Thread starter Stubert
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I have no idea as to the internal touchhole coning tool Tom Snyder makes, but here is drawing of little KISS internal touchhole coning tool I came up with several years ago. Over the years the I have posted the drawing at several different ML venues and I know that others have made and used the tool.
As to coning the TH from the outside, some priming powder could possibly leak into lock mortise and that is not good, as might make for a little bomb someday. Nor would it allow the main powder charge to be brought closer to the priming flash. This tool allows the cone to be cut from inside the barrel, not coned on the outside.
The tool is slipped into the bore and the shaft is then slipped through the drilled touch hole, the shaft sticking out is then chucked up in a hand drill, Dremel tool or drill press. By rotating to the right and pulled outward, tool cuts the inner cone in TH to bring main powder charge close to the pan so the priming flash sets it off much quicker.
I made the tool using finishing nails, the head was heated red, with hammer and flat punch brought to rough shape, ground to final shape and sharpened as shown, then was heated and case hardened using Kasinite. The simple little device does a very good job for internal coning and can be made by most anyone,
As to coning the TH from the outside, some priming powder could possibly leak into lock mortise and that is not good, as might make for a little bomb someday. Nor would it allow the main powder charge to be brought closer to the priming flash. This tool allows the cone to be cut from inside the barrel, not coned on the outside.
The tool is slipped into the bore and the shaft is then slipped through the drilled touch hole, the shaft sticking out is then chucked up in a hand drill, Dremel tool or drill press. By rotating to the right and pulled outward, tool cuts the inner cone in TH to bring main powder charge close to the pan so the priming flash sets it off much quicker.
I made the tool using finishing nails, the head was heated red, with hammer and flat punch brought to rough shape, ground to final shape and sharpened as shown, then was heated and case hardened using Kasinite. The simple little device does a very good job for internal coning and can be made by most anyone,
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Toms tool for reference,
I made the tool with the finishing nail years ago & it works, but Tom's tool does a much nicer job & easier & an assortment of sizes.
As for coning them on the Outside, not an issue.
As for coning on the outside, You don't cone the bejesus out of it, it is a cone that doesn't go past the bottom of the flashpan, in fact, most of them do not even get close to the edge of the bottom of the flashpan. So there is no leakage into the lock mortise, IF... you have a proper fit at that mortice. I have a John Bivins rifle that is coned on the outside by him. I am confident if it was not safe, he would not have done it. He was a Superb gunmaker. Also have never had a single issue coning any I did on the outside. However, the coning I have done on the outside is very slight, and I actually prefer to have the cone on the Inside. :wink:
Keith Lisle
As for coning them on the Outside, not an issue.
As for coning on the outside, You don't cone the bejesus out of it, it is a cone that doesn't go past the bottom of the flashpan, in fact, most of them do not even get close to the edge of the bottom of the flashpan. So there is no leakage into the lock mortise, IF... you have a proper fit at that mortice. I have a John Bivins rifle that is coned on the outside by him. I am confident if it was not safe, he would not have done it. He was a Superb gunmaker. Also have never had a single issue coning any I did on the outside. However, the coning I have done on the outside is very slight, and I actually prefer to have the cone on the Inside. :wink:
Keith Lisle
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Mike used Toms tool on my smoothbore, I really didn't want to install a vent liner because I was trying to emulate a gun from 1790. Turned out just as fast as my guns with a WL, so I'm very impressed and any future guns will not be vent lined for me. :thumbsup:
Larry Pletcher
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The difference between these systems is not for the human ear to deal with. My new rifle has a Snyder vent and has not been timed, but seems very quick. The other rifle I shoot has a Chambers vent. I can't tell the difference. My gut says a Snyder vent is the equal to a Chambers vent, but I have noebiggs said:
numbers yet.
I think the length of the web is important here. Mine are about .030". I can see fffg granules when I look in the vent. I prime with at least some Null B against the barrel. I'd guess that it would be hard to find a way to make a vent perform better.
Regards,
Pletch
That's it...the unconed length of the TH. The advantage w/ either the "White Lightning" or the cone machined w/ one of Snyder's tools, is the parabolic cone...this shape ensures a complete fill of powder right to the TH, whereas a sraight walled cone could restrict the powder.....Fred
