Shiloh Rifle Forums

I just plain like to do somethings where I find others a drudgery like popping bubble wrap and carding rust blue. I particularly like to cut wads from veggie gasket material and cast good bullets.
This post will focus on the former as I was getting low on .45 cal wads after a 45-70 reload session last night. I think I could go on for an hour or two providing I had enough head gasket material.

I just buy the wads from Walter's wads and reload. If you don't mind, please tell me where you get that material and how do you make the wads?

I buy the gasket material from Alaska Rubber in .062 thickness a square yard at a time. The wad punches I make are a copy from Fred Leiths invention, of tool steel. I think you can still buy the wad cutters from Leith or perhaps Buffalo Arms. They screw into the top of your loading press and you can take a pie tin like seen in the pictures , cut a hole in the top and the die will keep it in place and catch your wads as they drop out the top.

I like to cut wads from pasteboard or LDPE using a cutter spun at low speed in a drill press. I use a lot of diameters, and can easily make cutters for whatever size is needed.

CHRIS

I like to cut wads from pasteboard or LDPE using a cutter spun at low speed in a drill press. I use a lot of diameters, and can easily make cutters for whatever size is needed.

CHRIS

I like to cut wads from pasteboard or LDPE using a cutter spun at low speed in a drill press. I use a lot of diameters, and can easily make cutters for whatever size is needed.

CHRIS

You can't get one from Fred Leeth. He has passed away.

I think I have one made by Gussy in 50 cal. bobw

Fred made a dandy and they work very well. I think he heat treated his but I never have of the three I've made of O-1 tool steel. The top of the punch works more efficiently if it is shaped an irregular concave so it can progressively shear the wads. They work as effectively with plastic as with veggie gasket.

If you look close in the picture showing the top of the punch you can see the irregular convex shape. If the top of the punch is even convex than the shear has to happen all at once and takes more pressure to accomplish.