Author Topic: Cleaning question (Read 860 times)

Soot Sucker · « **on:** October 15, 2004, 05:30:19 PM »

What do you "guys" use to clean your cannons and mortars?

On my smaller mortars I run them under very hot water using some dish detergent. I then wipe them down inside and out using Ballistol. Works for me. What say you?

Also, what do you use to swab out your bore between shots? I just use an 1" piece of copper pipe (sweat) with an old cotton rag. Any other ideas on a better way or implement?

Regards to all,
Dave

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** October 16, 2004, 01:58:45 AM »

Your cleaning method sounds good.

Often deglected is cleaning the vent.

I got tired of cleaning and scrubbing, so I had my 4.5" industrial chrome plated. Couldn't afford to do it again since they hadn't done one before they gave me a GOOD price on it.

I've seen a lot of pictures of sponges used for swabbing after firing and read of wet then dry swabbing. We used a 12 x 12 x 8" sponge on a 1-1/2" aluminum pole for swabbing the chamber of 155mm howitzers.

Double D · « **Reply #2 on:** October 16, 2004, 09:23:06 AM »

I stick the garden hose down the muzzle and let it run for a while. I then run a sponge down the bore a few times and rinse with some more with the garden hose. I dry the bore and vent then oil the bore.

Fred · « **Reply #3 on:** October 18, 2004, 05:40:23 PM »

For cleaning my Mt. Howitzer in the field, I wet sponge with clean water some, then I wet sponge with windshield washer fluid(reenacting folklore has it, that the chemical makeup of the washer fluid dissolves black powder and dries faster and better than water) until it shoots out of the vent hole clean. I then put the "piece" in a Queen-Ann's salute until dry.

For longer storage I reclean the tube and if pressed for time I dry by wrapping some rags around the worm and worm the tube dry. I then wrap some more clean dry rags around the worm and apply a liberal amount of whatever quart of oil I have open at the time, and swab the tube, I don't think it matters what the oil weigh is or if its detergent or not. Oh yea, I also shoot a spray or two WD-40 or whatever down the vent hole.

FRED...............................

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2004, 12:29:34 AM »

Good technique -

Winshield washer solution has some detergent in it - good for putting into suspension the crud from firing black powder. Aslo it has a bit of alcohol (to keep it from freezing) which does dry faster than water.

Oil is good. WD-40 ? The WD stands for water displacement - excellent to get rid of the water, but needs the oil to protect after that.

Calamity Jane · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2004, 09:31:52 AM »

I made me wet and dry mops by gluing some pillow form (urethane) to dowel with contact cement. Then I cut up an old terry cloth towel and sewed strips into a tube. I cut off pieces of the tube, sew one end closed, turn them inside out, and slip them over the foam, tying them at the shaft with some carpet cord.

During shooting, I swab with water. After shooting, I swab with a sopping-wet mop (which shoots water up the vent) with hot water and dish soap. I dry mop to pick up the excess water. I should probably oil the bore but I have not seen any sign of rust.

When the mops get dirty, I cut the string and replace the "sock". One towel gave me enough material for DOZENS of socks!

akbigbore · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2004, 01:40:36 PM »

I'm another "garden hose and thirty-weight" guy. A drop of 30 weight down the vent doesn't hurt a thing either. Wash her out real good, sponge her a few times, dry it with bar towels on the worm, then dry bar towels on the worm with thirty weight motor oil. It seems to work well enough.

I get terry cloth bar towels cheap at wally-world, so keep a bunch of them around.

Swanny