How to wrap up these hair curling paper thingies?

[Maillemaker]

OK I went to the beauty supply shop, which I have never been into one in my life (must be why I'm so ugly), and asked for "hair curling papers". The first lady had no idea what they were and tried to sell me these neck wrap things they wrap around your neck when you are getting a hair cut.

Second girl knew what I wanted and directed me to these things, which seem to be the right stuff:

http://i.imgur.com/oihdCYA.jpg

So my question is, when wrapping them around a dowel to make Sharps cartridges, how many layers of paper do I want? If I roll up one complete sheet you end up with 3-4 layers of paper in the tube. Is that OK? They seem awfully flimsy even at that thick, but I want to make sure they burn up, too.

I assume you use a glue stick to seal up the loose end when rolling.

Thanks,

Steve

[EPPS1919]

Roll them the long way and glue sticks work good


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[bobanderson]

Years ago, Dave France wrote a series of articles on creating paper cartridges for the Sharps. When I joined the N-SSA and bought a Garrett Sharps, a friend gave me the articles, which proved very helpful.

I thought they were available on-line but after a short search couldn't find them.

Does anybody have a link to these?

[Maillemaker]

Roll them the long way and glue sticks work good

I'm using glue sticks. But roll them the long way? Even the short way about 1/3 of the tube sticks out of the chamber using the 530 grain Pedersoli bullet.

I was hoping to make these "flat bottom" so that there is no shearing action going on during loading. But the tubes are so fragile I'm having a hard time inserting a dowel with a little "end cap" to glue into the end of the tube.

I even rolled 2 papers together to get a little stiffness to work with.

Part of the problem is I'm trying to make due with my Enfield dowels. I need to go to the hardware store this morning and get some more 1/2" dowel to make proper tools.

Steve

[Maillemaker]

I found a couple of very good videos on making combustible, flat-end Sharps cartridges here:'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e8-ii9slBU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8lAKJAxC4

I was hoping to avoid nitrating paper, but making the body of the tube out of hair curler paper results in a very fragile cartridge.

I think I am going to give this technique a go. It appears that a mere 10 sheets of paper result in over 400 cartridges so it should not be difficult to crank out thousands in no time.

Steve

[Maillemaker]

Here is my first Sharps Cartridge:

http://i.imgur.com/A9H99iZ.jpg

Steve

[Maillemaker]

OK, I've made up a series of load workup cartridges tonight. Went from 40 grains to 60 in 5-grain increments.

I made up my potassium nitrate solution tonight, but there would not be enough time to soak and dry the paper, so I will be doing load work-ups with non-nitrated paper. Since it will be slow bench shooting I should be able to spot any glowing residue.

Man. Some of the posts I've read people were getting 80, even 100 grains of powder behind their bullet. I don't know how they did it. Now it is true these are massive bullets - like 535 grains. But my flat-end cartridge tube can only be 1.4" long and not stick out the breech. So that gives me 60 grains 3F max. Should be enough. I don't know what the service loads were for these things.

Tomorrow I will lube them before I hit the range.

http://i.imgur.com/txr6XZj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dGZGIji.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/txr6XZj.jpg

Steve

[jonk]

When i roll my own, I make a wrap and 1/3 of onion skin nitrated paper, and just use the hair curler papers to make the end cap.

Were I to use the hair curler paper for the whole thing, I'd do a double or triple wrap or whatever, using the entire paper, trimmed to length as needed, as they are so fragile.

[Maillemaker]

I went with computer paper for the cartridge body, and used the hair curler paper for the end cap. It's too fragile to make the cartridge bodies from.

Steve

[Maillemaker]

I would like to try one, but I checked out their web site and they are a bit pricey at $.65/$.85 a piece for the short/long. You're looking at $65-$85 in tubes. But, it may be worth it to not hassle with the cartridge.

But, I'm kinda liking making the cartridges - for now. It's kinda cathartic. I made up a bunch of tubes and capped them off tonight using nitrated paper.

I've decided to send my Sharps to Larry Flees and let him do this breech block magic so that I can get more than 20 rounds off before the block seizes up. I'm going to send it as soon as I get a box. So there is no rush on the tubes. PM me your address and I'll send ya $10.

Steve

[Michael Bodner]

Larry is a good man and does great work. You'll not regret your decision...

-Mike

[EPPS1919]

Here is how I make up Charlies tubes. I dip the tubes in Elmer's glue and put them on the hair paper and once their dry I turn them over and light the paper on fire and almost all of the paper on the out side of the tubes burns off and leaves the paper in the tubes ok. Works good

[EPPS1919]

burning off the paper. I had 6 burn in the tubes. Not bad for 195 tubes

[Maillemaker]

Clever!

Steve

[Charlie Hahn]

Burn them while the glue is wet and the yield will be better

Charlie

[iron brigade]

Epps 1919
Thanks so much for sharing this. I tried it and it works! What a time saver. 12@ a time.