Possible New Kind of Short Starter for Smoothbores?

[Artificer]

Yes it is, could easily be made for any size smoothbore. Toughest part is getting the right size dowel, or turning one down to size.

Exactly, with the diameter needed for the dowel, it would need a lathe or someone who didn't mind spending a great deal of time hand filing/sanding the dowel to fit.

Gus

 

[bud in pa]

Exactly, with the diameter needed for the dowel, it would need a lathe or someone who didn't mind spending a great deal of time hand filing/sanding the dowel to fit.

Gus

If I need to reduce the diameter of a dowel I clamp my belt sander in the vice, upside down, and lightly rotate the dowel frequently checking the fit.

 

[Brokennock]

Exactly, with the diameter needed for the dowel, it would need a lathe or someone who didn't mind spending a great deal of time hand filing/sanding the dowel to fit.

Gus

These are so close to bore size for my 20 gauge that I didn't need to mess around with "poor man's lathes," or anything. Didn't take much time with some 220, 500, 800, then 1000 grit paper to bring it down to size and silky smoothness, by hand.

 

[Brokennock]

Do recall where you picked up the jag?

Either Track of the Wolf or at the gun show in Springfield, MA. from Ackerman Arms. Not sure if Ackerman sells them online or not, he does have a website, but I've never really tried to shop on it.

 

[Huntschool]

Exactly, with the diameter needed for the dowel, it would need a lathe or someone who didn't mind spending a great deal of time hand filing/sanding the dowel to fit. Gus

Poor mans method..... Drill a slightly smaller hole in the center of the stock. Insert a good wood or deck screw, cut off the head and chuck it up in your electric (not battery) hand drill. Now cut a strip of sand paper and clamp your drill in a vice. Turn speed on low and work the sand paper or file if you desire, checking size with calipers as you go..... easy peasy. Use hole to center and set female threaded receiver for jag if ya want to go that way.

I taper all my ramrods this way. Its pretty quick once ya get the feel for it.....

 

[Sicilian Hunter]

Either Track of the Wolf or at the gun show in Springfield, MA. from Ackerman Arms. Not sure if Ackerman sells them online or not, he does have a website, but I've never really tried to shop on it.

Nock,
Ackerman's looks like they have some interesting stuff but no pics on the site.

 

[Sicilian Hunter]

Poor mans method..... Drill a slightly smaller hole in the center of the stock. Insert a good wood or deck screw, cut off the head and chuck it up in your electric (not battery) hand drill. Now cut a strip of sand paper and clamp your drill in a vice. Turn speed on low and work the sand paper or file if you desire, checking size with calipers as you go..... easy peasy. Use hole to center and set female threaded receiver for jag if ya want to go that way.

I taper all my ramrods this way. Its pretty quick once ya get the feel for it.....

Huntschool,
Great idea!!
How do keep something as long as a ram rod stable in the drill while you work it?

 

[Huntschool]

Sicilian Hunter:

I "built" (cobbeled) a weighted set of "steady rests" that will hold the RR steady at medium to slower speeds. Sometimes for less set up I have my wife run the drill while I do the sanding using a gloved hand to control the whip in the ram rod while I sand with the other hand. I always install the ram rod tip first if there is going to be one. If not I sacrifice the first 1" or so for the drill chuck.. Sometimes this can be like the preverbal monkey and the football....... LOL

 

[Sicilian Hunter]

Sicilian Hunter:

I "built" (cobbeled) a weighted set of "steady rests" that will hold the RR steady at medium to slower speeds. Sometimes for less set up I have my wife run the drill while I do the sanding using a gloved hand to control the whip in the ram rod while I sand with the other hand. I always install the ram rod tip first if there is going to be one. If not I sacrifice the first 1" or so for the drill chuck.. Sometimes this can be like the preverbal monkey and the football....... LOL

LOL!!
That dang monkey shows up with his football at some inopportune moments!!!
Got s pic of that cobbled rig!!
BTW, any wife that helps with a project is a jewel!!!

 

[Huntschool]

LOL!!
That dang monkey shows up with his football at some inopportune moments!!!
Got s pic of that cobbled rig!!
BTW, any wife that helps with a project is a jewel!!!

I don’t have any pics at the moment. However, I will need to do some work in the next few weeks and I’ll try and remember to get some then. They are really simple back woods engineering

 

[Artificer]

Poor mans method..... Drill a slightly smaller hole in the center of the stock. Insert a good wood or deck screw, cut off the head and chuck it up in your electric (not battery) hand drill. Now cut a strip of sand paper and clamp your drill in a vice. Turn speed on low and work the sand paper or file if you desire, checking size with calipers as you go..... easy peasy. Use hole to center and set female threaded receiver for jag if ya want to go that way.

I taper all my ramrods this way. Its pretty quick once ya get the feel for it.....

Further up the page in a follow up reply, you mentioned a steady rest needed to do this and that's something I thought about when I read this first post, because it takes a pretty large diameter dowel to make a "short starter" that will just fit inside bore of most smoothbores we use.

At first I thought about drilling a hole through a wood board the same size or a little larger than the diameter of the dowel - to use as a steady rest . But there may be an easier way to do it since the length of this dowel won't be anywhere near as long as a ramrod.

Taking a cue from a wood lathe, one might use a center punch and indent the center of the dowel in the opposite end from where you put the screw in. Then hold the center punch in a vise and press that end of the dowel against the point of the center punch while turning the dowel slowly with the electric hand drill. That would also free up one hand to file or sand on the dowel as it turns.

Gus

 

[Sicilian Hunter]

I don’t have any pics at the moment. However, I will need to do some work in the next few weeks and I’ll try and remember to get some then. They are really simple back woods engineering

The best kind!!

 

[Sicilian Hunter]

Further up the page in a follow up reply, you mentioned a steady rest needed to do this and that's something I thought about when I read this first post, because it takes a pretty large diameter dowel to make a "short starter" that will just fit inside bore of most smoothbores we use.

At first I thought about drilling a hole through a wood board the same size or a little larger than the diameter of the dowel - to use as a steady rest . But there may be an easier way to do it since the length of this dowel won't be anywhere near as long as a ramrod.

Taking a cue from a wood lathe, one might use a center punch and indent the center of the dowel in the opposite end from where you put the screw in. Then hold the center punch in a vise and press that end of the dowel against the point of the center punch while turning the dowel slowly with the electric hand drill. That would also free up one hand to file or sand on the dowel as it turns.

Gus

Interesting idea!!

 

[Artificer]

Thank you.

Gus

 

[Huntschool]

Further up the page in a follow up reply, you mentioned a steady rest needed to do this and that's something I thought about when I read this first post, because it takes a pretty large diameter dowel to make a "short starter" that will just fit inside bore of most smoothbores we use.

At first I thought about drilling a hole through a wood board the same size or a little larger than the diameter of the dowel - to use as a steady rest . But there may be an easier way to do it since the length of this dowel won't be anywhere near as long as a ramrod.

Taking a cue from a wood lathe, one might use a center punch and indent the center of the dowel in the opposite end from where you put the screw in. Then hold the center punch in a vise and press that end of the dowel against the point of the center punch while turning the dowel slowly with the electric hand drill. That would also free up one hand to file or sand on the dowel as it turns.Gus

Gus:

Since the pieces for these "short starters is "so short", 4" or so, I still like to clamp the drill and work the piece that way. It really is easier then trying to keep a piece centered. But, that's just me.

I did use the same idea as you suggested for the ram rod and it worked quite well but really still needed a good bunch of weight if you evlevated the speed on the drill. Seems like I am always in a hurry on these things. If you would be able to clamp said boards down to a solid surface the board idea works great...…

JMHO

 

[Artificer]

I did use the same idea as you suggested for the ram rod and it worked quite well but really still needed a good bunch of weight if you evlevated the speed on the drill. Seems like I am always in a hurry on these things. If you would be able to clamp said boards down to a solid surface the board idea works great...…

JMHO

Yes, I should have mentioned the wood with the hole in it would need to be clamped down. Of course it could be screwed upright on a long board and the electric drill clamped on it using hose clamps. Then if your drill has the speed locking feature, you would not have to worry about holding the drill or piece at all.

Gus

 

[FlinterNick]

I’ve never used ball short starters, I’ve only used dowels and wooden square mallets I’ve made, the handle end is rounded off so that the end grain doesn’t split when smashing.

 

[Mark Herman]

I agree with Brown Bear. Tip or slightly bend the card and it will go right into the bore, even with chokes. Never have had any problem loading.
Mark

 

[nhmoose]

I agree with Brown Bear. Tip or slightly bend the card and it will go right into the bore, even with chokes. Never have had any problem loading.
Mark

Yep, been loading them that way for 30 years or more since I got my first ML smoothbore, a Navy Arms 12 ga, then every other I have had.

When the end of your rod is big enough there is no worry of them not going down the bore correctly.

 

[Artificer]

When the end of your rod is big enough there is no worry of them not going down the bore correctly.

That's an excellent point. Come to think of it, my old Brown Bess Carbine Rammer had a button on the end that must have been just large enough that cards didn't slip in the bore. I just never thought about it at the time, though.

Gus