Paper Patch Setting Tool

[semtav]

So simple !!! Haha. Never thought of it.

[semtav]

So simple !!! Haha. Never thought of it.

[Barry Miller]

Hi Ian, what I do after molding up a pot, and before weighing, I cannelure a light line around the bullet and then cover up the cannelure with the paper patch. You can adjust the height needed on the bullet by and washers. That way the patch is consist on every bullet. Buffalo arms sells them. Been using this tool for 4 years.

[ian45662]

My patches are consistent on the bullet but sometimes there is a little more at the base. The paper going up to the ogive is the same but sometimes there will be a little more fold over on one then another

[beltfed]

In my more recent mold designs, I have been specifying a "step" of
0.002-0.003" from the body diameter to the beginning of the Ogive
Thereby giving a precise location to place the edge of the patch just
above that "step" towards the ogive.
Another advantage to this practice is that there is 0.002-0.003 clearance
from the lands, so even less likely to have leading off the base of the ogive.
Patch cutting:
I mark stapled together 3-4 sheets of paper
for the exact width ogive to base foldover to be cut into strips.
Then staple both ends of each marked off strip. Then on the markoffs, i cut into strips on the paper cutter
Then on the stapled together (3-4 layer) strips, I mark off the exact "length" on each 3-4 layer strips to go
around the two layers on the bullet.
I have a 30/60/90 triangle duct taped on to my paper cutter,
I can then cut up the strips at 30 degrees
to each mark, against the edge of the triangle to produce the finished parallelogram patches.

beltfed/arnie

[whoop-up country]

That is a very well made seating tool, and you must be an engineer or tool maker to have designed it and made the diagrams.
My way is a little more of the "Stone Axe" variety. I measure my bullets diameter near the ogive with my dial caliper till I find where the taper starts, about .010" past that I make a mark with a fine tip marker. Then I measure from the base to the mark, and record the distance. I set my dial caliper to that distance and using the same fine marker mark a horizontal line using the bottom edge of the top caliper jaw, roughly 1/4" long on the bullet. In 20 minutes, I can mark 100+ bullets, and you can dry wrap or wet wrap with the top edge of the patch right on the mark. It works great for me everytime. With the KAL TGBS bullet it is 0.880" from the base.
That seating tool still looks fantastic, just way past my skill in ever making one.

Bob.

[patchbox]

Hi Bob,

Your method sounds pretty good! And you didn’t have spend 2 days machining the parts and heat treating. I like you method because you don’t have to physically mark the mold with a witness line or dimple.

Best,

Eric

[opencountry]

Hi Bob,

Your method sounds pretty good! And you didn’t have spend 2 days machining the parts and heat treating. I like you method because you don’t have to physically mark the mold with a witness line or dimple.

Best,

Eric

I like it too, Bob. Thank you. For those who have a metal lathe at home I can understand making the tool discussed, but I haven't, so...

Robert

[martinibelgian]

The tool is pretty nifty, however - I'm not so good at cutting perfect patches, so patch width can vary a little bit. And I prefer consistent paper positioning at the top to a consistent overlap at the base. A bit of variation there won't really hurt IMO, whereas variable positioning close to the ogive might be more important.
Just my opinion, of course...
Gert

[opencountry]

I’ve read somewhere, maybe here on this form, the Christian Sharps Co. had a paper-patch rolling machine.
Repeatability.
No matter the method of getting there, ‘the name of the game...is the same.’

Robert

[SSShooter]

Will the tool work as well if it isn't case hardened? Will using it 'in the white' or simply blued be good enough? The devil's in the details.

Seriously, is a nice tool, even if not for everyone.

[patchbox]

Hi SSShooter,

Tool would work fine without case hardening, either in the white or blued - only reason I color cased it is I like the look of color casing and harden the surface a bit in case of butterfinger syndrome and dropping it on the hard tile floor. I’m quite sure it would last more than a lifetime without case hardening.

Best,

Eric

[dougf]

I've never posted here before, but I thought I would jump in. I have addressed the problem a little differently. Using my 3D printer I built a jig (see pictures.), based on a design I viewed on youtube (sorry, but I can't find the link anymore.) The lip on the edge keeps the paper aligned the same every time and the bolt can be adjusted for any size bullet. (You can't see it in the pic, but the nut is tightened up against another nut inset into the jig, allowing the bolt to be locked in place. It seems to work pretty well, but still not the perfect solution. It seems to work fine for wet patching. I created versions for both right and left hand placement of the bolt. Right placement seems to work best for me.

If anyone else is 3D printing I'd be happy to share the design .STL file. I have a version for both right and left hand placement of the the bolt.

[dougf]

You can see that the alignment on the ogive is fairly consistent on my latest batch.

[BFD]

Nice work Doug. I built and used jigs in a sort of similar way, but I've gotten away from them. Just need a flat, smoother surface elevated above the table slightly.