Wad punch

[spudnut]

I just got a set of gasket punches.Whats the best card material you use and what is the process for over shot cards?

 

[necchi]

A cereal box, or a cracker box,,Not sure what ya mean by process, but I use a piece of cord wood for the anvil part an just tap the punch with a light hammer, the cut end of a 2x4 would work too. :wink:

 

[roundball]

Same here...I keep a foot long scrap piece of 2x8 around for punching out wads from a sheet of Duro-Felt as its much less expensive than Oxyoke prelubed wads...can knock out a hundred as fast as I can move the Arch punch, tap it, move it, etc.

Never actually punched out over shot cards because Circle Fly sells bags of 1000 for just a few bucks so I took the easy way out with them...

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use harness leather for over powder wads, but instead of an over shot card I use a paper shot cartridge made of three thicknesses of newspaper.I punch onto a piece of plexiglass or duralaun. :hmm:

 

[buttonbuck]

I used a paper milk carton that holds half and half in quarts. Did you get the valley brand punches?

 

[spudnut]

Forgot the make,I got the set off Amazon for about 3 bucks.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I make my own punches. One of the benefits of beibng a retired tool and die maker with a lathe and a mill. :hmm:

 

[Chiefs50]

I have a couple of Ohio Ramrod's punches and they work extremely well for me. I'm experimenting with leather wads and wads made from the cardboard eggcartons.

Mike

 

[WALKERs210]

Punch set I have is a cheaper set from Harbor freight but they work fine. Only problem I had was the edges were not super sharp, but that was easy fix. Then to keep from hammering in my work room and getting the ankle bitters running to the door thinking someone was knocking at the door I started putting the punch in my cordless drill and it works much better and faster. Cuts anything I have come up against so far.

 

[arcticap]

I use the wax board from 1/2 gallon orange juice cartons. It's thicker than what the quart containers of coffee creamer are made from but I would use those too.
I've been saving up some paper egg cartons to try next.
It doesn't hurt to have a variety of OP card thicknesses to choose from.

 

[hanshi]

I've acquired two sets of punches and find the Harbor Freight set to be fine for the job. I punch card wads out of cereal boxes and similar cardboard. Juice and milk cartons are plastic coated and I don't know what problems that might create. All it costs is time and a little effort. Punches enable you to produce felt, leather and fiber wads as well. I use a lot of those in my rifles.

 

[arcticap]

I didn't detect any burning problem using the material from orange juice containers with 35 grains of APP fffg. The 2 cards on the right were placed over the powder while the 2 on the left were placed over the ball.

 

[hockeyref]

I didn't detect any burning problem using the material from orange juice containers with 35 grains of APP fffg. The 2 cards on the right were placed over the powder while the 2 on the left were placed over the ball.

"over the ball"?????? Did you mean a double wad, one over the powder and one between the ball and the over powder wad?

 

[hanshi]

I actually suspect there would be no real problem. I've used WW plastic shot cups in a 12ga in the past and the plastic fouling brushed out easily during cleaning. Cereal boxes are just easier to use with no cleaning or worry.

Why would you put them over the ball?

 

[arcticap]

I was just experimenting. I figured that the extra wad would help to scrub the barrel a little more as it passed through.
They're basically free so I didn't mind using more of them.
On this particular day I couldn't even find many of the used cards on the ground.

 

[Fishhog]

What size punch has everyone been using for a .58? 9/16 seems like it might be a tad small,mine is a rice square groove..Ray

 

[paulvallandigham]

Take a look at our Charts section under Member Resources on the index to this forum. Then use LINKS to go to the Track of the Wolf catalog and look up the wads used for the .58 caliber barrels. It should give you the dimension you need( approx. .010" larger than bore diameter). Now go to any drill chart at your hardware store, and look for a drill that is close to that diameter. I am expecting you will find a 19/32 drill that is .5938" in diameter to fill the bill.

For a punch, you will have to make your own, or get lucky. Harbor freight seems to be the place to go for the cheapest punches. I have not looked for a 19/32" punch, but a machine shop could make one for you, if they are not available.

It will not hurt your gun if you make the wads oversized. You can go as wide as groove diameter and still get them down the barrel reasonably. If you are cutting Felt wads, use the 5/8" diameter punches( .62 caliber) to make wads for that .58 caliber musket.

Considering the cost of buying the hard OP wads, Cushion wads, and OS cards, I would not bother trying to punch those myself. The felt wads, however, can be cut at home, with a punch, then lubed with whatever you like, for a cheaper alternative to commercial felt wads. :thumbsup:

 

[Fishhog]

Thanks Paul may have to make my own.Got some leather I want to try and felt,not too sure if I need it gun shoots well as is..Just experimenting..Ray