sizes for loading block

[David Snellen]

Gentlemen,
I was wondering if you knew the sizes for drilling holes in a loading block.
.655
.62
.58
.54
.50
Thank you so much,
David

 

[rabjr]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/192279/

 

[paulvallandigham]

If readers go up to the top of the Index Page to this forum, and look for "Member Resources", then scroll down to " Articles, Charts, and Links"., they can click on Charts and find a chart giving the drill bit sizes for most popular calibers for ball blocks.

 

[David Snellen]

Thank you Swampy! It's in my email now.
David

 

[BrownBear]

One other dimension I find useful David, is thickness of the wood. I like mine to be the same as the diameter of the ball, though others like them thicker. More doesn't really add to the "security" of the balls in the block.

But it does allow you you seat the balls in the block so they protrude a little out the bottom (for ease of centering in the rifle bore) while putting the top of the ball a little below the top surface of the block. That makes it real handy for "cutting at the muzzle" of your block. Just use a strip of lubed patching, seat your ball as deep as you want it, then swipe a sharp knife across the top of the block for a perfect sized patch every time and zero tendency for excess patching to snag on things and pull the ball back out of the block.

BTW- I just use my bench mounted disc sander to adjust the thickness of the wood. Quick and slick.

 

[ohio ramrod]

In addition to the size of hole I like to add a heavy champher to one side and a taper to the hole to make for easier loading. You can make a simple "taper reamer" by tapering a wooden dowel rod, cutting a slit into it and wraping some medium grit sand paper around the dowel. You can fine adjust the diameter by adding shims of news paper.

 

[Mr.Brooks]

I took a slightly different approach. I was building a combination short starter/loading block and needed the holes to be on the loose side to push them through with my thumb. I used 17/32 for 50 caliber and 9/16 for 54 caliber. If the hole was too loose, the board did move around while I was holding it in the drill press, I would paint varnish in the holes to make them smaller. If I was careful the oversize hole would hold the patched ball except for a pretty solid blow.