Wooden powder flask build and question about stopper.

[flintlocker]

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?

 

[BrownBear]

I'm betting best by far would be a tight O-ring if you're not too bound by tradition.

 

[flintlocker]

I'm betting best by far would be a tight O-ring if you're not too bound by tradition.

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.

 

[Crewdawg445]

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.

Not a hassle at all, go to an auto parts store or farm equipment store... O-rings are easy to come by and come in hundreds of sizes. Try to find one made from Viton ( It will say it). Viton will last much longer than a typical rubber or plastic o-ring. While I personally wouldn't carry a wood flask, looks good.

 

[BrownBear]

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.

Most of the Ace or True Value stores I've been in have a huge selection of O-rings to choose from. They're over on the aisles with all the little bins selling individual screws, bolts, etc. Take your stopper in and I'll be deeply surprised if you don't find happiness for under 25 cents.

As for cutting the groove without a lathe, scribe a line around the peg and go to work with a round needle file. Bet it doesn't take you more than 2 minutes to get perfect results.

I figured with your tool array and skills, you'd already know that stuff.

 

[brayhaven]

I’ve used rosewood guitar tuning pegs for stoppers. They’re tapered and work great. Look good too.

 

[Thunder14]

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.

Well being a wood worker myself in a bind you can secure your wood blank in a DRILL and use that as a makeshift lathe.Have done it when my lathe was held up with a project works fine for small pieces.And a drill press at high speed worked even better.

 

[flintlocker]

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

 

[jackley]

How about a clothespin type of stopper?

 

[flintlocker]

How about a clothespin type of stopper?

Hmm I am not quite getting the picture. Do you mean a spring loaded trapdoor-like stopper?

 

[jackley]

I was hoping you would know what I was talking about. I really don't know how to explain it. I'll run out to the shop and get a pic of one.

Jerry

 

[jackley]

Turn B atleast .020" bigger then your spout it may take more being a slippery brass spout, then taper to A .003" larger then the diameter of your spout then cut a u shaped slot in the end as pictured. Leave enough for a handle of your design. Use hardwood. Hope this helps!
Jerry

 

[flintlocker]

Turn B atleast .020" bigger then your spout it may take more being a slippery brass spout, then taper to A .003" larger then the diameter of your spout then cut a u shaped slot in the end as pictured. Leave enough for a handle of your design. Use hardwood. Hope this helps!
Jerry View attachment 2232

Oh wow thanks for the clear demonstration. I never seen this type of stopper before, very cool! learn something new every day haha.

 

[necchi]

Anyone how they did it on powder horns historically?

The hole in the horn was tapered, then the peg to match,, they didn't use a straight tube.
By the time brass tubing was used it was threaded for caps and attachments.
Perhaps some of these fittings will work better for what you have in mind;
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/81/2

 

[Rifleman1776]

The way I would do it, not telling ye what to do would be to forget the brass tube and just whittle a wood stopper. Wood to wood will grip OK.
BTW, neat idea.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I made a wooden flask about thirty years ago. I cut it from a walnut branch/ slab, that I made a pistol stock from. I wanted the wood ro match both pistol and flask. I turned a brass spout and made a spring loaded plunger gate/ stopper that fit at the base of the spout. It is similar to the plungers you see on new tubular flasks.

At the stage your project is in, I think the clothespin or peg stoppers are excellent choices.

 

[Huntschool]

Go with the clothes pin type.....

 

[jrdavis]

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.

go to harbor you can get a whole selection for under $10 bucks in either inch or metric should last a lifetime

 

[Popz67]

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?

View attachment 2216 View attachment 2217 View attachment 2218 View attachment 2219 View attachment 2220 View attachment 2221

If you have a Hobby Lobby or Joann fabrics near you the sell corks in in all different sizes.

 

[flintlocker]

Happy new year to you all!

I made a hairpin style plug out of walnut and it works pretty well. I will probably post a picture with everything else after it's finished.

I finished gluing the powder flask but made a blunder when I was sanding it. I thought it would be a good idea a have a pair of recess near the neck of the flask for good grasp, but I got carried away on the spindle sander, I sanded way too far and went through into the flask cavity. I don't see any easy fix here, so I plan to will cut off the messed up part of the flask and leave the body here with a flat opening, and then get a bigger piece of wood for the new spout and glue onto it. Another thing I realized is that I made the flask a little too thick, so it is somewhat awkward to hold, not a huge deal but I will make my next one slightly thinner. One thing that I am really happy with is how rugged this wooden flask turned out to be, I can stomp on it with all my strength without crushing it. I'm sure it will even survive a car driven over it, or a hard smash into the ground, although I don't really want to do that because it will certainly mar the surface.