Wooden powder flask build and question about stopper.

[ZUG]

I'm working on a wooden powder flask. I have all the pieces cut and ready for gluing.

The front and back is just quarter inch RED OAK board that I have left over from other projects.

Nice project but the red oak that you used will allow moisture to get into the flask. White oak would have been a better choice.

 

[FishDFly]

Interested in seeing it when you are finished. May have to make one myself.

 

[Brokennock]

What do you plan to finish it with? Not pc/hc but, I'm thinking "Massey" finish will do a good job cancelling out the pores in the red oak, and it's darn near bullet proof.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I like that clothespin ‘pinch’ concept!

Another option is at the groove, drill a hole from one side to the other. I have used artifical sinew, glued in place where it starts in the hole, out to the groove, around twice and back thru the hole. Pull tight, set aside & let the glue setup, then wax well when cured.

Period correct ‘O-Ring’, albeit using artificial sinew.

 

[Capnball]

I'm working on a wooden powder flask. I have all the pieces cut and ready for gluing.

The front and back is just quarter inch red oak board that I have left over from other projects. The sides is some mystery hardwood I trash picked from the scrap wood bin, is it birch? The top is a piece of walnut with a hole drilled in it. I cut all the pieces to shape on a bandsaw and then sand them smooth with a belt sander and spindle sander. The spout is a the middle section from a 308 brass, the base end is now facing outward. because it's thick and looks nicer. I cut some deep gauges on part of the brass that goes into the wood, to make it "grab" better when glued in. The hole in the walnut top piece is 7/16, which is about 20-30 thou undersized for the brass tube, which I then applied epoxy and pounded it in with a wooden mallet.

Question: how should I make the stopper? And how do I make sure it doesn't work itself loose?

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Looks very finished!

 

[rp77469]

Have to second the comment about white oak vs red oak. You can blow air through a short piece of red oak because of the open pores, but white oak pores are naturally filled. Give the flask a coat of thinned epoxy, maybe two on the end grain and you will not have a problem. Nice looking project.

 

[Capnball]

How am I supposed to find an O ring of this odd size. Sounds like a hassle. besides if I have an Oring of the right dise, I still need to make a stopper with a groove. Unfortunately I don't have a wood lathe so that is going to be challenging.

Think release agent and acreglass!

 

[AlanG]

Have to second the comment about white oak vs red oak. You can blow air through a short piece of red oak because of the open pores, but white oak pores are naturally filled. Give the flask a coat of thinned epoxy, maybe two on the end grain and you will not have a problem. Nice looking project.

I assume given the age of this post this project is already completed.

Red Oak vs. White Oak- while technically true, there is absolutely zero danger in this application. Unless you are planning on standing it up in a puddle of water- of course a powder horn wouldn't survive that either!

You might want to coat the inside with spar varnish though- not for the moisture, but so the powder will flow better.

 

[Khulb]

I think we all would like to see the finished flask when its done!

 

[BJHabermehl]

I will try the O ring on a wood peg as you guys suggested. Anyone how they did it on powder horns historically?

The hole in the spout end of the horn is tapered an so is the peg it’s a friction fit.