Vent Picks

[Marc Adamchek]

Every vent pick I've ever seen, including the one that was included with my custom Lancaster by the maker, has been completely useless. Good looking, yes, especially the nicely forged ones. But completely useless! Way too big to cleanly pick through the vent to successfully clean it out. I admit, I like having nice stuff in my bag that at least looks PC, so please don't tell me to use a bent staple or safety pin (even though they work!) Anybody out there with a vent pick that actually works that looks 1th century?

 

[bob1961]

even if it's not pc....i use a pipe cleaner bout 3" long....works too :thumbsup: ............bob

 

[paulvallandigham]

Since the makers of those forged vent picks can't possibly know the diameter of your touch hole, its expected that you would use a file to file down the end to make it fit your gun. I have done that with each vent pick I have bought, and made over the years. The steel is usually not hardened or tempered and is just wrought iron, or cold roll steel. I like to heat mine up red hot and then spray them with a oil to blacken them. It does not make them harder, and I can always reduce the diameter of the pointed end with a few strokes from a file. My flint rifle and flint fowler have two different sized touch holes, so each has its own vent pick.

 

[Slowpoke]

Use a long needle, the same one that you carry in you repair kit should do nicely. Since it's something that I rarely use, I have one pinned through my hat. Oh yeah, be sure to snip the sharp end off, you do want it going hypodermic.

 

Alot of ther originals were simply heavy gauge copper or brass wire (or, if you like, real thin rods). I have made several out of that stuff--I prefer the brass as it is stiffer than the copper wire. The iron ones I have: all have had to be filed to fit. For the brass wire--you just cut off a "right length" piece and curl one end into a loop and point the other end....

 

[john s mosby]

Some of my vent picks.

 

[boar]

I use the wire handles that are on the cardboard carry out boxes. also brass rod. I wrap the wire a couple of times around a nail to make loop. I have one hanging from triggerguard of each flinter, I stick it in when I load. Dilly

 

[Black Hand]

Baling wire, easy to find and cheap. I shape it then heat and quench it. It does not harden very much, it just stiffens it a bit.

 

[2172]

I have made a number..I straighten out a spring, and cut off enough to allow me to put a bit of antler on as a handle, and then I drill a whole in the antler and let the pick dangle from the trigger guard...I put the pick in the touch hole before leaving the firing line after each shot...Hank

 

[musketman]

These are easy enough to make, take a stout wire salmon hook and clip off the barb, smooth any rough edges, thread a leather lace through the eye of the hook and tie it to your hunting bag or strap...

 

[Many Klatch]

I make my picks out of piano wire. Just cut off a piece and stick it in a handle.

Many Klatch

 

[Stophel]

Problem is, y'all's vent holes are all too small!!! :winking:

I rarely use a vent pick anyway...I have a piece of brass wire that I occasionally use to force some primer into the hole when I first start shooting and neglect to clean the oil out of the breech first, and it gums up the touch hole!

 

[Stumpkiller]

I heat a piece of coat hanger or music wire red hot, pound it to square in cross section, pound one end flat and bend it into a loop, re-heat and twist the upper end for decoration, then work the vent end round. Not quenched, so it is soft.

This one I bent to hang beside my powder measure.

 

[Russianblood]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned paper clips yet. That's what I use.

 

[Stophel]

I have a nice forged one here...somewhere...

I have used spring wire, drill bits, and I have looked around outside for a small stick before going into the shop for a bit of wire...

Some people use a big long thorn off a honey locust tree...

 

[davy]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned paper clips yet. That's what I use.

Me too! :shocked2: Whats wrong with us? :blah:

Davy

 

[AZ-Robert]

Anybody out there with a vent pick that actually works that looks 1th century?

Not quite "1th century" grin, but here is a pic of the one I'm using. Solid brass (won't wear the steel of the vent), about 3 inches long, has a nice sharply tapered tip that lets it work as well on small openings as it does on larger ones. You can see from the discoloration about how far in it goes before stopping... probably when it hits the far side of the barrel.

You could easily make one yourself with a bit of brass wire (as Mike Roberts described), but I got this one from Log Cabin Sport Shop.
[url] http://www.logcabinonline.com/item25910.html[/url]

 

[Many Klatch]

Most of my touch holes are pretty good sized. I firmly believe that the touch hole is too big only if the ball rolls out. In my Bess the touch hole is somewhere around 1/8". Spits like a blow torch, but it usually goes off regardless of the weather.

It is nice to have a slender pick for those times when the humidity causes the burnt powder to crust up in the touch hole.

Many Klatch

 

[Old Ironsights]

Well, being the radical PiC (Period inCorrect) guy I am, I use the TC Polymer picks. :blah:

(They work really pretty well - better than metal IMO)

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Thanks, guys - Lotsa good ideas, and motht of 'em look like they could be from the 1th thentury, jutht like I athked. Have you notithed that? All kindth of thlender pickth to thtick in the vent hole when powder geth to be thticky and clogth up the hole tho the sparkth can't go through. Thay, why don't thome of you come over to my plathe and we can make all kindth of thparkth toghether, dothent that thound like fun?