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Gourd powder funnels

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Ajgall

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There was a post several months ago about using dried gourds for powder storage. This got me thinking about other possible uses for gourds. My wife recently got some small dried spinner gourds, and after playing with a few they make a fine small funnel for powder or possibly shot on a smooth bore. Just cut the top off, run a drill bit down the stem, clean it out, and you’re all set. Pictures below of cut and uncut gourd.
 

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Man, I love 'em!

Great idea! You can just about bet people on the frontier had the same idea, but the survival rate of simple, everyday objects like this was probably not favorable. I had never seen or heard of a gourd funnel, but gourds were used for so many things, and it is such a logical thing to do, that it must have been done before.

Notchy Bob
 
Man, I love 'em!

Great idea! You can just about bet people on the frontier had the same idea, but the survival rate of simple, everyday objects like this was probably not favorable. I had never seen or heard of a gourd funnel, but gourds were used for so many things, and it is such a logical thing to do, that it must have been done before.

Notchy Bob

Yeah I can’t prove they were HC/PC but with necessity being the mother of invention I can easily imagine it may have been done.
 
There was a post several months ago about using dried gourds for powder storage. This got me thinking about other possible uses for gourds. My wife recently got some small dried spinner gourds, and after playing with a few they make a fine small funnel for powder or possibly shot on a smooth bore. Just cut the top off, run a drill bit down the stem, clean it out, and you’re all set. Pictures below of cut and uncut gourd.
what kind of saw do you use to cut them, a carpenters, saw or a hack saw?
 
Great idea, but I've never had any experience with gourds. And what does one do with the insides, is it good for anything? I hear they are on the bitter side.
 
Depends on the variety of gourd once they’re dried we usually just scrap the insides out and discard them except for maybe keeping some seeds to replant with.
 
Depends on the variety of gourd once they’re dried we usually just scrap the insides out and discard them except for maybe keeping some seeds to replant with.
I tried planting about 40 seeds this year, right now have only 3 gourds of any size, the blooms open at night, if something doesn't pollinate the female flower, you have to do it by hand, take a male bloom and fine brush and transfer the pollen to the female before it closes and dies! I can tell you it's not easy to tell the males from the females, in blooms, there isn't something hanging down to make it easy! I know you guys are laughing, you need to see a 78 year old man stumbling around at twilight moving these little flowers around hanging from a trellis, note to myself, next year no trellis! One of the 3 will make a good funnel!
 
My wife usually thinks I am out of my gourd when I make things for the rendezvous trade blanket. Two years ago I grew some gourds to make gourd bowls. I made a dozen and still have about thirty gourds hanging in the shop. So I am not out of my gourd! I tried the "square gourd" thing but it was only a partial success.
 
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