I prefer Cole's law to Murphy's law.
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Grease Hole Filling?
- Thread starter jon math
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LOL with mayo or sour cream?
One thing that is of a problem when toting greased patches in one's bag is they tend to smear and pass their grease to the bag's inner linings, which dries the patches and makes for an unfortunate situation.
And carrying the grease about in tins sure works, but is pretty slow really. I can see the advantages of the grease hole. Pull a dry clean patch from bag, swipe it about the grease hole, pass to the muzzle and give ball. Very efficient really, maybe them old timers new a thing or two about muzzle loaders too?
And carrying the grease about in tins sure works, but is pretty slow really. I can see the advantages of the grease hole. Pull a dry clean patch from bag, swipe it about the grease hole, pass to the muzzle and give ball. Very efficient really, maybe them old timers new a thing or two about muzzle loaders too?
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I’ve become a believer in them--once I got the ratio of lube to bees wax right. Calling them a grease hole might be correct but it kind of brings to mind a wad of sticky axel grease getting everywhere while collecting debris, rather than a spot for keeping stiffened patch lube ready of instant use.
I shudder to think of all the knowledge that has been lost as people pass on.
I shudder to think of all the knowledge that has been lost as people pass on.
I shudder to think of all the knowledge that has been lost as people pass on.
:metoo:
:metoo:
Black Hand
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Pre-lubed patches carried in a tin...Smokey Plainsman said:One thing that is of a problem when toting greased patches in one's bag is they tend to smear and pass their grease to the bag's inner linings, which dries the patches and makes for an unfortunate situation.
And carrying the grease about in tins sure works, but is pretty slow really. I can see the advantages of the grease hole. Pull a dry clean patch from bag, swipe it about the grease hole, pass to the muzzle and give ball. Very efficient really, maybe them old timers new a thing or two about muzzle loaders too?
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jon math said:
I agree 100%....You got it.... :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
Back in the day, axle grease was tallow.
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Gene L said:
That's why wagons broke down so often....
Windmills, that ground the daily bread used beeswax on the axles.... replacing a windmill center axle would be no easy task....
Griz44Mag
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If you make the first shot count, then you don't need to reload fast.... :grin:Smokey Plainsman said:
Colorado Clyde said:
The amount of wagon wheels needing grease could never be met with beeswax.
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You're probably right there.... :thumbsup:
Seems to me, for people concerned with some dust or dirt on the grease in a grease hole, all they have to do is to wipe their patch across the grease, turn it over and wipe again.
Then, placing the side that got the second wipe against their muzzle and loading the ball, they could be pretty sure there would be very little dirt in their bore.
The first side of the patch would have wiped off most or all of the dirt off of the grease and by placing it up away from the barrel, the dirt would be on the ball side where it would do no damage.
Then, placing the side that got the second wipe against their muzzle and loading the ball, they could be pretty sure there would be very little dirt in their bore.
The first side of the patch would have wiped off most or all of the dirt off of the grease and by placing it up away from the barrel, the dirt would be on the ball side where it would do no damage.
Wonder how many cut at the muzzle back in the day? Kept a strip of greased cloth handy like those of us today? :hmm:
I've never found a reference to pre-greased strips of cloth being cut at the muzzle, but Audubon describes a strip of dry linen hanging from the pouch, being greased in the patchbox and then cut at the muzzle.
There are references to both dry, pre-cut patches and grease being kept in the patchbox, and of pre-cut and pre-greased patches kept there.
Spence
There are references to both dry, pre-cut patches and grease being kept in the patchbox, and of pre-cut and pre-greased patches kept there.
Spence
Question is what kind of grease was kept in a patchbox. I figure it was tallow, which was abundant but I might be wrong.
Southern rifles after the War were cheaper and couln't afford patchboxes. Some could, of course, but a lot didn't. So they had tallow holes. With a melting point of 118 degrees I doubt much running and fouling was done to the wood.
Southern rifles after the War were cheaper and couln't afford patchboxes. Some could, of course, but a lot didn't. So they had tallow holes. With a melting point of 118 degrees I doubt much running and fouling was done to the wood.
Black Hand
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Tallow, by definition, is rendered Beef or Mutton. Lard, rendered pork fat, would be another option. Deer tallow is very stiff and waxy, making it a poor choice for lube (but would make great candles). In the early days, sheep were uncommon and beef was for the wealthy, while pigs were more common. My inclination would be lard or rendered fat from some other insulated game (bear, goose, raccoon, beaver, porcupine, other).Gene L said:
Daniel Trabue was hunting bears, got caught in the rain, took shelter in a rockhouse and started a fire. He used the lock of his gun to catch a spark... "stoped the tuch hole of my gun with tallow and then did ketch fire....".
I figure that tallow was his patch lube, why else would he have it on a bear hunt?
A later reference describing a rifle mentions a "brass tallow box in the side of the stock".
Spence
I figure that tallow was his patch lube, why else would he have it on a bear hunt?
A later reference describing a rifle mentions a "brass tallow box in the side of the stock".
Spence
Audubon's oft-quoted description of loading a rifle describes using the patchbox as essentially a covered grease-hole:
He introduces the powder into the tube; springs the box of his gun, greases the "patch"over with some melted tallow, or damps it; then places it on the honey-combed muzzle of his piece. The bullet is placed on the patch over the bore, and pressed with the handle of the knife, which now trims the edge of the linen.
The classic hinged metal patchbox with a kicker spring and a push-butten or thumb-spring latch is apparently purposefully designed to solve all the problems of storing grease and greased patches - it keeps them clean, isolated from other stuff, and (unlike a tin stored in the pouch) can be operated with one hand while the other retains control of the rifle.
"Use the patchbox, Luke, use the patchbox. It is an elegant solution evolved by those who used their rifles under the most demanding conditions imaginable. That is what it is there for."
He introduces the powder into the tube; springs the box of his gun, greases the "patch"over with some melted tallow, or damps it; then places it on the honey-combed muzzle of his piece. The bullet is placed on the patch over the bore, and pressed with the handle of the knife, which now trims the edge of the linen.
The classic hinged metal patchbox with a kicker spring and a push-butten or thumb-spring latch is apparently purposefully designed to solve all the problems of storing grease and greased patches - it keeps them clean, isolated from other stuff, and (unlike a tin stored in the pouch) can be operated with one hand while the other retains control of the rifle.
"Use the patchbox, Luke, use the patchbox. It is an elegant solution evolved by those who used their rifles under the most demanding conditions imaginable. That is what it is there for."
