Can't find the right felt for wads?
Check out www.durofelt.com
The woman who owns the business, Asha, lives in Little Rock, Ark. She runs it from her home. Asha gets her felt from India, where her family has operated a felt factory for decades.
I met her in December of 2004, while I was visiting my brother in Little Rock. Asha is very nice and did not know that felt was sought by shooters for wads. I let her know that many of us have been scrounging thrift stores for years, seeking out old felt hats, without much success. Her business is a boon to us shooters.
Since first meeting with her two years ago, other shooters have reported that she's been very accommodating. I"ve heard no complaints about service or products. People seem quite happy.
In addition to sheet felt, Asha offers all kinds of felt products: furniture pads, polishing wheels, gasket material and so on. If it's made of felt, DuroFelt probably has it.
Asha's prices are quite reasonable for sheet felt. The felt is 100 percent wool, which is hard to find today. Most U.S. felt is polyester, which can leave a plastic residue in your barrel. Real wool won't do that.
A variety of thicknesses are offered, from 1 inch to 1/16th inch. Shotgunners will be happy to hear of this source, too.
For cap and ball sixguns, and for a lubricated wad under the patched ball of rifles (protects the patch and keeps the bore cleaner) I'd suggest the 1/8-inch thick sheet wool, in Hard density. The harder, the better, as this greased wad also acts like a scraper and pushes fouling from the grooves.
Her prices for sheet felt are:
Item Width Length Thick Density SAE Price
FM18M-1 54" 1 ft 1/8" Medium F-5 $11.00
FM18M-2 54" 2 ft 1/8" Medium F-5 $20.00
FM18M-3 54" 3 ft 1/8" Medium F-5 $28.00
FM18H-1 54" 1 ft 1/8" Hard F-1 $13.50
FM18H-2 54" 2 ft 1/8" Hard F-1 $24.00
FM18H-3 54" 3 ft 1/8" Hard F-1 $37.00
I bought FM18H-3 above, at 54 X 36 inches. That's 1,944 square inches. Now, in theory, you can get four .36 and .44-caliber wads per square inch (two down and two across). That works out to 7,776 wads for $37.
That's 210 wads for a buck!
In Salt Lake City, the city nearest to me, I'd have to pay $7 for 100 Wonder Wads in .36 or .44 caliber. At this price, it would cost me a little over $500 for 7,776 wads.
Granted, you still have to buy a wad punch. And there's time involved in making your own. But I see that as an advantage. With a good stock of wool felt, and various wad punches, you're set for years and years. You don't have to depend on the store stocking Wonder Wads.
Plus, the same sheet of DuroFelt sheet felt may be used to make wads in all calibers, up to shotgun gauges.
For .30 and .31 caliber wads, use a 5/16 inch wad punch.
For .36 caliber, or the .38-caliber rifle (.38-55, .375 Winchester, etc.) use a 3/8 inch punch.
For .44 cap and balls, and .45 caliber rifles (cartridge and muzzleloader), use a .45-caliber wad punch. The best price on a .45 caliber wad punch I've found is from Buffalo Arms, at about $18. Check out their site at www.buffaloarms.com
For the .44-40, .44 Special and .44 Magnum use a 7/16th wad punch.
You can buy an inexpensive set of wad punches at Harbor Freight or other national hardware stores , ranging from 5/16th to 1/2 inch diameter --- but the set doesn't have a punch that's a proper size for the .45 caliber. You'll have to get the proper size separately.
After you have the felt and wad punches, you'll need a proper surface for punching.
I took a short length of 8 inch log and, with a few deck screws, attached a scrap 2X4 about 18 inches long across the bottom. Then I cut a scrap of white plastic cutting board material to the log's diameter, and epoxied that to the other end for a cutting surface. This is not necessary but it will prolong the length of your log and avoid getting wood chips and splinters mixed in with your wads.
I cut the felt into 12 X 12-inch squares, for easy handing. I can sit on my couch, watch TV, put the board across my lap, and with a hammer tap out a few hundred wads in an evening.
After making the wads, I soak them in my favorite black powder lubricant:
1 part canning paraffin --- sold by the 1 pound brick in grocery stores
1 part mutton tallow --- Sold by Dixie Gun Works. Nothing I've found works as well.
1/2 part beeswax --- Found at Rendezvous, Renaissance Fairs and so on. Toilet seals used to be made of real beeswax, but for the past 10 years or so they've been synthetic. Use real beeswax. It results in a far superior lubricant.
All measurements are by weight, NOT volume. I use a kitchen scale to measure 200/200/100 grams of ingredients, then place them in a quart, widemouth Mason jar. Place the jar in 3 or 4 inches of boiling water, for a double-boiler effect (the safest way to melt waxes and greases).
When all ingredients are melted, stir well with a clean stick or disposable chopstick. Remove the jar from the boiling water and allow the lubricant to cool and harden at room temperature.
Hastening cooling by placing in the refrigerator may cause the paraffin to separate.
This is a lubricant recipe I found in a 1943 American Rifleman magazine, and it was old when reported almost 65 years ago! It is said to be the original factory recipe for outside lubricated bullets. I use it for wads, patches and bare bullets, in muzzleloaders or cartridge guns. It looks very similar to commerical black powder lubes.
When cool, tighten the lid on the jar and store the lubricant in a cool, dry place. I have some that's approaching five years old and it still hasn't gone bad. No need to fear that the mutton tallow will go rancid; at least, not for a long time.
I prefer to punch wads while the felt is dry, unlubricated. Some like to dip the sheet in lubricant then allow it to harden. I've found that too mess for my tastes (especially if you're sitting on the couch watching TV).
After I've punched out some dry wads, it's time to lubricate them.
I use a clean tuna or pet food can. Place the can on a burner at very low heat, just enough to melt the lubricant. Then I add the wads. How much lubricant you melt in the can depends on how many and how large the wads are. For .36 and .44 caliber wads, I use about 2 Tablespoons.
When the lubricant is melted, add the wads. Stir them around with a clean stick or disposable chopstick, until they are well-soaked. There is no need to squeeze out excess lube, just leave the wads in the can.
Then, snap a plastic, pet food lid over the dry can. When you run low on wads, return the can to the burner at low heat, add more wads and lubricant, and stir.
I write ".36 CAL" or "45 CAL" with a marking pen on the side of the cans, then stack them on top of each other on my gun stuff shelf. They stack well and are easy to see and find.
At the range or in the field, carry lubricated wads in a shoe polish or Altoids Sour Candy tin. The Altoids Sour Candy tin (not the same as the Altoids Mints tin) has a wallow on the edge of the lid. Press it, and the lid pops free. Mighty handy when your fingers are greasy. Shoe polish tins have the little key on the side that you turn, to free the lid. It works well too.
I prefer to lubricate the wads in a tuna or pet food can, and not the Altoids or shoe polish tin, because the tuna can is deeper and discourages spilling when stirring.
The above sounds complicated but it's really quite easy. Purchasing your own felt and wad punch will save you a lot of money. If you use wads in volume, it pays. If you use fewer than 100 wads a year, it doesn't --- except in the satisfaction you get from making your own wads.
Too, if you have an old, original rifle with an odd-sized bore (.34 caliber, .47 caliber, 14 gauge, etc.) making your own wads is probably a necessity.
You no longer have to haunt thrift stores, hoping to find an old felt hat. For minimal payment to DuroFelt, you can have a supply of wads to last a long time. Visit DuroFelt's website and see for yourself.
Check out www.durofelt.com
The woman who owns the business, Asha, lives in Little Rock, Ark. She runs it from her home. Asha gets her felt from India, where her family has operated a felt factory for decades.
I met her in December of 2004, while I was visiting my brother in Little Rock. Asha is very nice and did not know that felt was sought by shooters for wads. I let her know that many of us have been scrounging thrift stores for years, seeking out old felt hats, without much success. Her business is a boon to us shooters.
Since first meeting with her two years ago, other shooters have reported that she's been very accommodating. I"ve heard no complaints about service or products. People seem quite happy.
In addition to sheet felt, Asha offers all kinds of felt products: furniture pads, polishing wheels, gasket material and so on. If it's made of felt, DuroFelt probably has it.
Asha's prices are quite reasonable for sheet felt. The felt is 100 percent wool, which is hard to find today. Most U.S. felt is polyester, which can leave a plastic residue in your barrel. Real wool won't do that.
A variety of thicknesses are offered, from 1 inch to 1/16th inch. Shotgunners will be happy to hear of this source, too.
For cap and ball sixguns, and for a lubricated wad under the patched ball of rifles (protects the patch and keeps the bore cleaner) I'd suggest the 1/8-inch thick sheet wool, in Hard density. The harder, the better, as this greased wad also acts like a scraper and pushes fouling from the grooves.
Her prices for sheet felt are:
Item Width Length Thick Density SAE Price
FM18M-1 54" 1 ft 1/8" Medium F-5 $11.00
FM18M-2 54" 2 ft 1/8" Medium F-5 $20.00
FM18M-3 54" 3 ft 1/8" Medium F-5 $28.00
FM18H-1 54" 1 ft 1/8" Hard F-1 $13.50
FM18H-2 54" 2 ft 1/8" Hard F-1 $24.00
FM18H-3 54" 3 ft 1/8" Hard F-1 $37.00
I bought FM18H-3 above, at 54 X 36 inches. That's 1,944 square inches. Now, in theory, you can get four .36 and .44-caliber wads per square inch (two down and two across). That works out to 7,776 wads for $37.
That's 210 wads for a buck!
In Salt Lake City, the city nearest to me, I'd have to pay $7 for 100 Wonder Wads in .36 or .44 caliber. At this price, it would cost me a little over $500 for 7,776 wads.
Granted, you still have to buy a wad punch. And there's time involved in making your own. But I see that as an advantage. With a good stock of wool felt, and various wad punches, you're set for years and years. You don't have to depend on the store stocking Wonder Wads.
Plus, the same sheet of DuroFelt sheet felt may be used to make wads in all calibers, up to shotgun gauges.
For .30 and .31 caliber wads, use a 5/16 inch wad punch.
For .36 caliber, or the .38-caliber rifle (.38-55, .375 Winchester, etc.) use a 3/8 inch punch.
For .44 cap and balls, and .45 caliber rifles (cartridge and muzzleloader), use a .45-caliber wad punch. The best price on a .45 caliber wad punch I've found is from Buffalo Arms, at about $18. Check out their site at www.buffaloarms.com
For the .44-40, .44 Special and .44 Magnum use a 7/16th wad punch.
You can buy an inexpensive set of wad punches at Harbor Freight or other national hardware stores , ranging from 5/16th to 1/2 inch diameter --- but the set doesn't have a punch that's a proper size for the .45 caliber. You'll have to get the proper size separately.
After you have the felt and wad punches, you'll need a proper surface for punching.
I took a short length of 8 inch log and, with a few deck screws, attached a scrap 2X4 about 18 inches long across the bottom. Then I cut a scrap of white plastic cutting board material to the log's diameter, and epoxied that to the other end for a cutting surface. This is not necessary but it will prolong the length of your log and avoid getting wood chips and splinters mixed in with your wads.
I cut the felt into 12 X 12-inch squares, for easy handing. I can sit on my couch, watch TV, put the board across my lap, and with a hammer tap out a few hundred wads in an evening.
After making the wads, I soak them in my favorite black powder lubricant:
1 part canning paraffin --- sold by the 1 pound brick in grocery stores
1 part mutton tallow --- Sold by Dixie Gun Works. Nothing I've found works as well.
1/2 part beeswax --- Found at Rendezvous, Renaissance Fairs and so on. Toilet seals used to be made of real beeswax, but for the past 10 years or so they've been synthetic. Use real beeswax. It results in a far superior lubricant.
All measurements are by weight, NOT volume. I use a kitchen scale to measure 200/200/100 grams of ingredients, then place them in a quart, widemouth Mason jar. Place the jar in 3 or 4 inches of boiling water, for a double-boiler effect (the safest way to melt waxes and greases).
When all ingredients are melted, stir well with a clean stick or disposable chopstick. Remove the jar from the boiling water and allow the lubricant to cool and harden at room temperature.
Hastening cooling by placing in the refrigerator may cause the paraffin to separate.
This is a lubricant recipe I found in a 1943 American Rifleman magazine, and it was old when reported almost 65 years ago! It is said to be the original factory recipe for outside lubricated bullets. I use it for wads, patches and bare bullets, in muzzleloaders or cartridge guns. It looks very similar to commerical black powder lubes.
When cool, tighten the lid on the jar and store the lubricant in a cool, dry place. I have some that's approaching five years old and it still hasn't gone bad. No need to fear that the mutton tallow will go rancid; at least, not for a long time.
I prefer to punch wads while the felt is dry, unlubricated. Some like to dip the sheet in lubricant then allow it to harden. I've found that too mess for my tastes (especially if you're sitting on the couch watching TV).
After I've punched out some dry wads, it's time to lubricate them.
I use a clean tuna or pet food can. Place the can on a burner at very low heat, just enough to melt the lubricant. Then I add the wads. How much lubricant you melt in the can depends on how many and how large the wads are. For .36 and .44 caliber wads, I use about 2 Tablespoons.
When the lubricant is melted, add the wads. Stir them around with a clean stick or disposable chopstick, until they are well-soaked. There is no need to squeeze out excess lube, just leave the wads in the can.
Then, snap a plastic, pet food lid over the dry can. When you run low on wads, return the can to the burner at low heat, add more wads and lubricant, and stir.
I write ".36 CAL" or "45 CAL" with a marking pen on the side of the cans, then stack them on top of each other on my gun stuff shelf. They stack well and are easy to see and find.
At the range or in the field, carry lubricated wads in a shoe polish or Altoids Sour Candy tin. The Altoids Sour Candy tin (not the same as the Altoids Mints tin) has a wallow on the edge of the lid. Press it, and the lid pops free. Mighty handy when your fingers are greasy. Shoe polish tins have the little key on the side that you turn, to free the lid. It works well too.
I prefer to lubricate the wads in a tuna or pet food can, and not the Altoids or shoe polish tin, because the tuna can is deeper and discourages spilling when stirring.
The above sounds complicated but it's really quite easy. Purchasing your own felt and wad punch will save you a lot of money. If you use wads in volume, it pays. If you use fewer than 100 wads a year, it doesn't --- except in the satisfaction you get from making your own wads.
Too, if you have an old, original rifle with an odd-sized bore (.34 caliber, .47 caliber, 14 gauge, etc.) making your own wads is probably a necessity.
You no longer have to haunt thrift stores, hoping to find an old felt hat. For minimal payment to DuroFelt, you can have a supply of wads to last a long time. Visit DuroFelt's website and see for yourself.