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Good day to make homemade Wonder Wads!


Warden Callaway

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Typically nasty mid-winter day.  I'm stocked up on caps.  I've cast up a large nut jar of balls - 23 lbs.  But I'm down to a handful of lubed felt wads.  I actually started a couple of days ago by finding the 1/8" felt from its storage place.  I have my bee's wax and lamb's tallow stored away and got it out.  Yesterday I melted 1/3 bee's wax, 1/3 lamb's tallow and 1/3 Crisco in the microwave. (Everyone has their own recipe.) It was enough to saturated about 2 square feet of felt. I set the sheets outside to set.  I brought the sheets in this morning and started punching out 7/16" diameter wads that strangely fit the chambers of the 44 Pietta well. At the cost of store bought,  my time is well spent. 

 

 

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Here is a nice post with resource locations, a good description, and pictures:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/do-it-yourself-felt-wad-making.643854/

 

Good Winter project!

--Dawg

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Yes,  one reason I didn't bother to elaborate,  take pictures or make a DIY video is because the process is well covered and pretty simple. The biggest veritable is the ingredients and percentage of each.   

 

I got my felt from Duro Felt years ago. 

 

http://www.durofelt.com/image_26.html

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

I don't use Lube Wads.  No need.  I shoot APP instead.  No lube wads, no glob over the ball, none of that.  APP is marvelous stuff.

All the little nuances is part of the fun of shooting bp for me. Substitutes just dont make the same smell as true bp and whatever lube combo you prefer.

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10 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

I don't use Lube Wads.  No need.  I shoot APP instead.  No lube wads, no glob over the ball, none of that.  APP is marvelous stuff.

 

I have a good supply of BlackMZ but I'm reserving it for cartridge loading where I use my cast bullets with no lube. As we all know,  BlackMZ is unobtainable at Sportsmans Warehouse for $9.95/lb. All other substitute powder is now twice to four times as expensive.   

 

I can get Grafs here local (when in stock :angry:) for a good bit less.  Grafs carriers Shooters World but it's more expensive and also out of stock.  Besides,  I like the flame and smell of the real thing.

 

792583694_LonesomeRyderJuly2019.jpg.1cb5e29bcc3423e6282a95f5ca4d8325.jpg

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10 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

I don't use Lube Wads.  No need.  I shoot APP instead.  No lube wads, no glob over the ball, none of that.  APP is marvelous stuff.

 

But no flame...

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15 hours ago, Tyrel Cody said:

 

But no flame...

 

And it smells funny!!

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Ain't nuthin' like the real thing, baby! 

 

Smoke-n-Flame!

prairiedawgs66belchingsmoke&flame.jpg

 

Flame-n-Smoke

prairiedawgsbuntlinebelchingsmoke&flame.

 

Smoke-n-Flame-n-BOOM!!

flames.jpg

 

My Pard Crazy Mingo know what's what!!!

mingo.jpg

 

Subs?

We don't need no stinkin' subs!!

--Prairie (what loves REAL BP)Dawg

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10 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Tuesday and Wednesday will be good days to make more of'em :huh:

OLG 

 

I got a few more hundred to punch out.  I'm kind of milking this project along, doing some between other tasks. 

 

They are coming out "wetter" than I expected. I changed my process a bit and maybe didn't drain them enough.  I've got time to see if they stiffen up.  They probably won't.  Maybe I'll punch out a few hundred more out of dry felt and mix in then microwave?  Maybe cut off another sheet of felt, dump the wads on top and bake in the toster oven? 

 

I have enough beeswax and tallow to make another big batch. Enough felt to last a long time. I've been pricing beeswax and tallow and it's not cheap.   I'll watch for some local products. 

 

The snow hasn't just started here - yet.  

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I cut another sheet of felt that fit my little toaster oven baking pan and dumped the wet wads on it and baked them a half hour at 150.  They came out drier and transferred some lube to the dry felt.   I'd saved the scrap pieces so I flipped the sheet of felt over and covered it with the scraps.   I baked it another 30 minutes.  Now I have wads more to my liking and another sheet of lubed felt.  

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