Metallurgist’s Question Please!

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

cdschoonie

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
1,284
Reaction score
1,087
Location
Kingfisher, OK
I’m making a homemade one-piece cleaning rod from a fiberglass rod. I need to put at female to female round stand off collar on it. I can’t find a round plain ol’ smooth brass one, but I’ve found a few options. I just need help deciding whether to order Aluminum, Nickel-plated Brass, or Nylon. I really don’t want to go the nylon route, since they strip threads easily.

Help a brutha out!
 

swampratt

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
12,823
Reaction score
19,638
Location
yukon ok
I used aluminum when I made my cleaning rod.
I have had brass inserts but I shy away from brass if I can because I use copper fouling remover and if you have brass in the picture you
may think there is copper in the barrel because your patch comes out blue.

Now you may not know this but the regular arrows you buy at the store for bow and arrow have a nice insert in them
that is the same thread as my bore brushes.
My first homemade cleaning rod was a very skinny Beman arrow.

Worked excellent.
I wrapped the shaft with electrical tape. Absolutely no way to scratch the bore.
Not that it would scratch the bore.
 

cdschoonie

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
1,284
Reaction score
1,087
Location
Kingfisher, OK
I used aluminum when I made my cleaning rod.
I have had brass inserts but I shy away from brass if I can because I use copper fouling remover and if you have brass in the picture you
may think there is copper in the barrel because your patch comes out blue.

Now you may not know this but the regular arrows you buy at the store for bow and arrow have a nice insert in them
that is the same thread as my bore brushes.
My first homemade cleaning rod was a very skinny Beman arrow.

Worked excellent.
I wrapped the shaft with electrical tape. Absolutely no way to scratch the bore.
Not that it would scratch the bore.
I came up with a good homemade cleaning rod idea today. So far I have under $17 for 3 rods in it. I just couldn’t see paying $35 and up each, for 1 - one-piece rod. If they work I’m going to post the build.
I used aluminum when I made my cleaning rod.
I have had brass inserts but I shy away from brass if I can because I use copper fouling remover and if you have brass in the picture you
may think there is copper in the barrel because your patch comes out blue.

Now you may not know this but the regular arrows you buy at the store for bow and arrow have a nice insert in them
that is the same thread as my bore brushes.
My first homemade cleaning rod was a very skinny Beman arrow.

Worked excellent.
I wrapped the shaft with electrical tape. Absolutely no way to scratch the bore.
Not that it would scratch the bor
I used aluminum when I made my cleaning rod.
I have had brass inserts but I shy away from brass if I can because I use copper fouling remover and if you have brass in the picture you
may think there is copper in the barrel because your patch comes out blue.

Now you may not know this but the regular arrows you buy at the store for bow and arrow have a nice insert in them
that is the same thread as my bore brushes.
My first homemade cleaning rod was a very skinny Beman arrow.

Worked excellent.
I wrapped the shaft with electrical tape. Absolutely no way to scratch the bore.
Not that it would scratch the bore.
You gave me an idea, I have several rolls of shrink tube, would be perfect to cover these rods
 

cdschoonie

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
1,284
Reaction score
1,087
Location
Kingfisher, OK
Fyi:

Fiberglass has abrasive qualities to it!

It might take a while but each rub of each stroke will be wearing out your barrel!
I can see that, however the highest ratings and reviews come with fiberglass rods, second being brass.
I can see every rod on the market having a preference by every enthusiast in the hobby.
Same goes any and every product in any and every market. I can also see validity in @HiredHand ‘s comment about shrink tubing. Shrink to is tight, but it is rubber. Rubber being soft, it could easily pick up tiny slivers of brass, copper, lead, or any other particles, dirt or powder for instance.
I thought of the shrink tube obviously from @swampratt ’s comment about wrapping with electrical tape, which is also rubber. In my thinking, and experience, electrical tape, more so than any other tape, gets sticky over time, not much time either. This would naturally pick up more particles quicker than shrink tubing.

I have alot of research and such that I’m putting into this. Research is free, the supplies I have and will get for these rods are cheap yet still in line with every cleaning rod I’ve found on the market. To purchase the rods I want, would be 3 - 1 piece rods, one for my 6.5, my 45 cals, and shotguns. Buying these would cost me over $125 shipped. So far, I have $25 in enough supplies for 3, plus a small pistol rod. In these supplies, I also have enough to make seating depth gauges, which was the reason I went to Lowes in the first place, lol. I was looking at ordering a Sinclair depth gauge, but I could see being able to make them, pretty inexpensively too. Actually I guess with those supplies, I’m at $35, I forgot about the stops I bought.

Anyhow, I do appreciate the advice from all, very sound, extremely appreciated. As always, this is what makes this the best site anywhere. I’ll update my findings and progress as this moves along. Thanks again fellas!

 

Latest posts

Top Bottom