Breech plug wrench (cheap & easy)

[holzwurm]

We all have our own ideas how to handle breech plugs but I came across this one at Friendship recently.

My friend Dick Miller [of Bowling Green MI] & I share space behind the Gunmakers Hall at Friendship for the June & Sept. shoots.  I've been pleasantly surprised how often we exchange building tips/ideas such as magic markers, buring wedge slots through stocks, thick & thin super glue and that activator for small cracks and chips, and so forth. This trip he showed me a breech plug wrench he made from a 19th century adjustable wrench. These things are cheap and easy to find (I found a pile of them in the flea market for $4 each).

Silver solder soft brass liners on the jaws



Dressed off, the wrench jaws are loose enough to grip a breech plug nicly

[Darrin McDonal]

Now thats slick!!! Best part,-its adjustable which is the draw back to someother common methods. I would pesonally bevel the brass shims to be close to the angle of the BP. Thanks. I love these tidbits
Darrin

[T*O*F]

I believe that a monkey wrench with no teeth is called a stilson wrench.  They have smooth jaws.  I've used one for years to remove breechplugs.  I never bothered soldering brass into the jaws.  I just insert pieces of brass to take up the slack.  A 12" crescent wrench works just as well.

[Elnathan]

That is actually about what the folkd at Rice Barrel Co. use, save that it is a newer one ground smooth and they don't bother with the brass, if I recall correctly. I have been looking for a large adjustable wrench for just that purpose, but so far the only one I have found was $80, at a fleamarket!

[Dale Halterman]

I have been using a similar wrench - what I grew up calling a monkey wrench - for the last few years. It is heavier than the one pictured and has wooden handles. The jaws are slightly "sprung" from heavy use so they are not parallel and they fit a breechplug almost perfectly. You can pick them up at flea markets and yard sales around here for a few dollars.

I used to pad the jaws with scraps of aluminum flashing, but don't bother anymore.

El, I may have a spare in one of my junk boxes, would you like me to look? BTW, where in North Carolina are you? The company I work for does consulting specializing in casinos, and I flew into Asheville and drove to Harrah's Cherokee a few weeks ago. Beautiful country, reminds me of the eastern panhandle of West Virginia where my father grew up.

Dale H

[don getz]

For many years all we ever used in the shop was a large open end adjustable wrench.  We had pieces of brass bent into a "U" shape that we slipped over the bolster of the plug...worked fine..........Don

[Elnathan]

I have been using a similar wrench - what I grew up calling a monkey wrench - for the last few years. It is heavier than the one pictured and has wooden handles. The jaws are slightly "sprung" from heavy use so they are not parallel and they fit a breechplug almost perfectly. You can pick them up at flea markets and yard sales around here for a few dollars.

I used to pad the jaws with scraps of aluminum flashing, but don't bother anymore.

El, I may have a spare in one of my junk boxes, would you like me to look? BTW, where in North Carolina are you? The company I work for does consulting specializing in casinos, and I flew into Asheville and drove to Harrah's Cherokee a few weeks ago. Beautiful country, reminds me of the eastern panhandle of West Virginia where my father grew up.

Dale H

Sorry to reply so late, Sure, I would be interested if you have one over 12". I am in Fairview, a few miles south of Asheville - a couple miles from Rice Barrels. Thanks.

[ole one shot]

 12'' crescent for install and a 14''stilson for breaking the old ones with a little help of kroil has never failed in 40 years.

[Hungry Horse]

 Since the picture seems to have been deleted, I can only guess at what the wrench you describe actually looks like. I have a couple of adjustable wrenches, with smooth jaws, that I use to put the twists in my blacksmithed goods. They are called a Ford wrench, out here on the west coast, and sun of a gun, if one of mine doesn't have Ford embossed on it. The other has Sears Roebuck embossed on it. I was told the Ford marked one came with a new model T back in the day.

                  Hungry Horse

[Virginiarifleman]

The Ford water meter company also makes such a wrench for use on brass fittings.

[omark]

I'm pretty certain the original ford wrench came in a tool set for the cars.       Mark

[WadePatton]

After mudging up tang/lug of my first one with parallel jaws, i ground the jaws of an adjustable wrench (Crescent) to fit the tapers of the breech plug lug.  Might not match all plugs, but can be modified again if necessary.

[jamesthomas]

12'' crescent for install and a 14''stilson for breaking the old ones with a little help of kroil has never failed in 40 years.

 Man Oneshot you sure went back in time for this one!, though it is a good Topic 

[John A. Stein]

 T*O*F   You got it backwards. A Stilson wrench,(AKA Pipe wrench) has teeth and the bottom jaw is swiveled so those teeth will bite. If you live in an old house take a look at the plumbing. The monkey wrench has smooth and is designed so the jaws stay parallel. FWIW 

[Robby]

Being left handed, I was lucky to find one as such.
Robby

[jamesthomas]

 Robby, that's a very nice looking monkey wrench you have there "thumbs up". If I'm unable to go shooting tomorrow (80% chance of rain an Thunder storms for down here tomorrow) I'll hit our local big Flea market that operates on Sat.  an Sun. and see if I can find one, Might find some U an V gouges also.