Cannon swabs

[GAWI]

anyone sell these for 2 1/4 barrels, or have how to make these? already have worm. this is all i will need right? thanks.

[dominick]

GAWI,  Swabs are very easy to make.  For 2- 1/4" bore, I use a 1- 1/4"  diameter dowel rod at least a foot longer than the bore, cut a 2-1/2" wide strip of terry cloth towel  and wood screw it to the end of the dowel like a flag.  Leave about a 1/2" protruding past the end of the dowel.  Then wrap it around the dowel until it has a loose slide fit in the bore and cut it to length and tie it to the dowel with two wrap around strings.  Cover this with a doubled over white sock and tie off the base of the sock for a snug fit.  That's it.  There are several other methods posted on the forum.  This is the method I use. If you are interested in purchasing one, I can sell you one for 25 dollars.  dwc414@hotmail.com  Dom

[Rickk]

These a 1 1/4 inch dowels with synthetic sheepskin glued to them. The sheepskin is folded over on the nose, glued as best as possible,  and a single copper nail is driven into the end.

"Barge Cement" is used to do the gluing. This set has seen heavy use for an entire year and the glue has shown no signs of coming loose.

[Rickk]

As a side note, today I set out to make some swabs for 1" bore. The synthetic sheepskin that I use in my leather shop is a bit too "hairy" for a 1 " bore, so I wandered down to the hardware store to see what I could find. In the automotive isle, they had this glove thing for putting on your hand and washing your car. It was made of a lighter synthetic wool... worked perfectly. Cost about 5 bucks, and there is  enough material to make maybe a dozen swabs. A 3/4 inch dowel works nicely. I am still gluing it with Barge Cement, and gluing and nailing the end down with a copper nail (I'm not talking a roofing nail... a smaller cut nail like would be used in furniture repair)

Also, while swabs seemed to generally be pictured in pairs, I like to use 3 of them... One to wash, one to gather up as much of the water as possible, and the third one to actually dry the bore. Additionallly, the synthetic wool does not retain water like cotton, so they air dry quickly.

[GAWI]

Thanks for the info. Seems easier than i thought. Looking forward to fireing for the first time. Gary

[missouricannonworks]

If you have a Lowe's or Home Depot near you the  closet poles work great they are 1.25 in diameter and come in leanths of 8, 10 and 12'  I think!? Rickk is right if you spin the swab (with synthetic lambs wool) the centrifugal force will nearly throw all the water out we also put an old white sock over the swab it helps keep the swab a little cleaner and can be changed out when too dirty.

[CrufflerSteve]

I have a 2 1/4" Mountain Rifle and one of the Hern Coehorn mortars. The fellow who sold me the Mountain Rifle said that sheepskin sponges had rapidly been shredded by the rifling. I was contemplating a carpet sponge when I noticed a paint roller. With the end sealed it went in and out of my barrel with a satisfying 'Thunk'. For the Hern, a thicker roller works fine. A 1 1/2" dowel rod fits inside the roller quite well. It looked too heavy to use as an implement so I cut some to just fit the roller and drilled it out so I could mount it all on a 1/14" dowel rod. I sealed one end of the roller with a thin piece of 1 1/2" rod inside and some thick carpet over the end and all this held together with gorilla glue. I then screw it onto the wood with brass screws recessed so they won't touch anything. I like the idea of replaceable sponges I can buy at my local Home Despot.

Steve