Sources of wool felt?

[Jarikeen]

Can anyone please give me alternative sources that might have wool felt for making wads? The local stuff here just seems to be that thin synthetic stuff for crafts.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I got mine from a craft store. it was a nasty color and they could not sell it. I got 4 yards for 3 dollars. Ron

 

[roundball]

http://www.durofelt.com/products.html

 

[gmww]

I read somewhere someone was using felt weather stripping.

 

[gamick]

Go to garage sales and look for old dress hats (mens). One hat should last a long time.

 

[jtmattison]

I read somewhere someone was using felt weather stripping.

Beware most of that is synthetic and will melt in the bore.

HD

 

[shortstring]

Look up McMaster Carr. I think as I recal that they had it in thicknesses way up around a 1/2"' You should be able to find them on line.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Durofelt is the place, good felt button material.

 

[trent/OH]

I bought a really heavy wool banket, and it turns out it was used at a paper factory in the manufacturing process. If you can find one of those and it's the right stuff, one blanket should last about 2 lifetimes, maybe 3.
I'll bet that New Zealand uses wool for all sorts of purposes I cannot imagine which may be compatible for wadding, and they are a whole lot closer than we are in the States.

 

[FPDoc]

Good site (Durofelt). I just got about 5000 wads worth of felt for $9.00.. or.. I may make a hat..who knows.. anyway Thanks.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The stuff is used as window and door insulation, and sold in rolls at the discount home stores. That is the cheapest form to find it in. I am sure there are others, if you get into craft and hobby stores. Always check the used clothing shops, such as salvation army stores to see if they old hats or clothes for sale for pennies, made of the kind of material you want.

 

[Jarikeen]

Assuming I can get my hands on some thin (about 1.5mm) 100% wool felt, is there anyway I can 'glue' two thickness together without ill effect?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Everything is relative. If you glue two things together, the glue becomes a vapor barrier. That means it will not let liquids pass from one side to the other. As long as you understand this, you can still lube the wads, but will have to lube both sides of the glued up. If you glue more than 2 pieces the ones in the middle will not get any lube in them, unless you heat up the lube, and soak the wads in the hot liquid. That could defeat the glue, and allow the plies to separate on you.

Decide what thickness you need, and then find that thickness of material to cut to bore size. Unless you intend to use the wads dry, gluing creates about as many problems as it might solve. Weather stripping is commonly available at hardware stores, and building supply stores. In the states, we have Menards, Lowes, and Home Depot about everywhere. Ace-True Value Hardware stores seem to be the most common chain hardware stores around. You can also find felt in tack shops, that make care for saddles and harnesses for horse. In some areas, there are farm stores, that cater to the needs of farm and ranches with all kinds of basic supplies and equipment you might not find in a " city " store. They always have weather stripping, or felt insulation available for one use or another.

The impregnated Felt Wads that Ox-yoke used to make are about 3/16" thick, and two of them behind a PRB will give a good seal, and lube the barrel sufficiently that you won't find crud rings in your barrel. There is no reason that you can't use weatherstripping the same way, and lube them yourself.

 

[RICKYD]

:hmm:
why couldn't a guy get a hole punch the size for the barrel he's shooting and get an old felt hat and go to punchin 'em out. make sure its at least a 4x hat, most of them are made out of rabbit fur.
wet and let dry they will swell up and thicken up somewhat i bet

 

[roundball]

Assuming I can get my hands on some thin (about 1.5mm) 100% wool felt, is there anyway I can 'glue' two thickness together without ill effect?

If you're talking about using them as overpowder wads, I'm curious what the purpose would be in gluing them together...

 

[gmww]

I think Dixie gun works or Track of the Wolf carries hole punchers for the different calibers. I know there out there.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I think Dixie gun works or Track of the Wolf carries hole punchers for the different calibers. I know there out there.

Even though I had a punch that I sharpened with both a flat and round diamond stone, I couldn't get the wool to punch cleanly. Was hitting agains the endgrain on a block too.

I finally resorted to cutting 5/8" squares (0.625") or so by eye, for use on my 20 gauge smoothie. I also clipped the corners a bit to make them nore round. They work slick with melted Crisco as a lube. Fast, cheap to make, and you can make 'em easy sitting in front of the **** tube.

 

[gmww]

Here are the punches I was thinking about from Dixie gun works. I've never used one so I can't comment on them.

Wad punches

 

[paulvallandigham]

I found that the punches work much better if you put them in the chuck of a power drill press, and spin them. Use the side of a board, or something like masonite, to cut against. With fibers like wool, you seem to need to spin the cutting edge, no matter how sharp you get it, to cut the fibers. Wool fibres have scales on them, which is why they grip together so well. But those scales play hob with the edges of cutting tools.

 

[Jarikeen]

Now there's a clever idea.

As to your other question, they will be used as over powder wads as I'm aquiring a wad punch that is a little larger that will help fill the rifling a little better. I'm still experimenting with the 40S&W mould, as well as modifying my wipe between shots proceedure with PRB.