Vent Picks?

[Hawken Dan]

Are these types correct period as they seem to be at rondys etc? I'm not sure they where the twisted type back then.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/cate...subid=19&styleid=105&partnum=pick-vent-2&as=1

Daniel

 

[Rifleman1776]

Don't sweat the 'period correct' thing. Too many folks get bent out of shape over insignificant things. Buy one and enjoy. I just use a piece of wire stuck in sumptin' like antler tip, wood, etc.

 

[Stumpkiller]

On the other hand, kudos for caring enough to try and research the 'period correct' thing. The only vent picks I have seen that were fairly positively dated were for muskets and very plain (no twist in the shank).

BUT - I have a twisted iron vent pick on my measure wang because I like the looks of it (and the durability).

When in doubt I use a feather from a ruffed grouse. They have a very period correct outfit and it is a non-marring material. ;-

 

[Hawken Dan]

Thx all for your reply's. As I see it... if one is doing the effort of making a muzzleloader or buying one for Rondys and hunting 18th or 17th century period style, then to keep it as real as possible, then to do the best in getting the correct gear is really important. I know that not all the things at rondys are correct but one trys to get most of it right... :thumbsup:

Starting up is kind of confusing at times as you want to not have folks look at your strangely.

It is surely allot of fun though researching and seeing all the cool things other guys are making.
I sometimes wish we could turn the clock back a bit.. :wink:

I will look around some more and then make mine.

What so far works the best for vent picks... round shank or square?

 

[Zonie]

The only real negative I can say about those "forged" vent picks is that some of them tend to be very hard.

That can create extra wear on the vent hole and they have been known to break off.

If you get one, get a hold of it with some pliers and heat it almost to a dark red heat and let it air cool. That will anneal it to a softer condition.

 

[Hawken Dan]

Thx Zonie, I will do that.

 

[tg]

Brass welding rod works well

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

I gave up on all of my hand forged vent picks because I most likely wallered out a couple of my touch holes with them. All of my vent picks are made of wire wire now. With a bird feather now and then.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If you leave it square and it's a hard metal you have made a reamer. I use clothes hanger wire, allow it to air cool and then round the lasr 3/4" with a file.

 

[lakota]

Stumpkiller you have some nice gear. I enjoy the pictures you share.

 

[rich pierce]

I like mine as smooth and non-marring as possible. Squarish is really going to wear a touchhole. Square peg, round hole.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Coat hanger, brazing rod....
Some great ideas. :thumbsup:

 

[Hawken Dan]

It looks like round it will be then LOL

I will try some of those ideas then.

 

[VEARL]

All that I have seen at Rondy's are twisted and they are really to big to work.
Made mine from a very large needle from the wife's sewing basket. Fits great and does the job.

 

[Rifleman1776]

All that I have seen at Rondy's are twisted and they are really to big to work.
Made mine from a very large needle from the wife's sewing basket. Fits great and does the job.

NO-NO!
Don't do that! :shocked2:
Never use a hardened (stiff) metal for a vent pick. If it broke off in yer vent you would have a real problem. At the least, you can expect to break it sometime. I have/had a beautifu vent pick with a bone scrimshawed handle. The pick was made from drill rod. Just with minor handling it broke. Now I have a small, pretty, scrimshawed piece of bone that is useless.
Use only something flexible like maleable iron, spring wire, etc.

 

[ericb]

Horseshoe Nail...very soft & malleable...

 

[Steve French]

Paper clips work real good too. Many times the owner of the gun made his own pick out of whatever was around and fashoned it the way he wanted it to look, usually just a short thin piece of metal with either a crook or something on the other end to hold it. Most likely it was teathered to his bag strap by using sinew, and he probably had a spare tucked away in his possables bag or in the patchbox.

If the gunsmith was a nice man, he would probably provide one, along with a ball mold, patch puller, a ball puller, and a jag when he originally sold the gun to it's first owner.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Inspired by this thread I decided I needed a new vent pick for my recently acquired fowler. So I made on. Went out and looked for some 1/16" brazing rod but, apparently, the smallest is 3/32". Found some project brasss rod that is perfect. Three 18" lengths of 1/16" for two bucks. That's a lot of projects cheap.
Dug around and found an antler tip in my 'stuff'. Twenty minutes later I had a new vent pick. All it took was drilling two holes, a few minutes on the belt grinder and a dunk in neatsfoot oil.

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[troutabout]

Spring wire or an old bicycle spoke work great for wire sources.

 

[phoenix511]

Same here with coat hanger wire.

Heat it enough to burn off the painted finish, then twist, hammer, squish to whatever shape you like. Grind or file to form a tapered tip to fit the touch hole.

Sewing needle? Maybe, as it is very smooth and not likley to become a reamer, but some are hard and might break in the touch hole, but most seem to be maleable.

Most coat hangers can be cold bent easily, including pounding a flat. The big end looks to me like a shepherd's staff, but totally closed so a leather thong or small chain won't slip out.

A more expensive alternative are brass rods, available in small diameters from many hobby stores or "Metal Express" or "Metal Supermarkets," or GOOGLE brass rods and see what you get in your area.

Same scheme: cold twist one end to a shape you like, then twist a few times, with one end being held in the vise to make the spirals, then grind/file/sand the other end to fit the touch hole.

More work, but coat hangers are usually available in your closet.