Help!

[dannybb55]

I have a 3 foot, 50 cal oct bbl that has an oiled bore and a breech plug that is almost tightened home but will not loosen or tighten up. I have already finished the flats to 600 grit so I would hate to scratch her. Any advice on turning off the plug?

[Hank*in*WV]

Use a large cresent wrench on the tang and clamp the barrel in the vise between wood blocks or leather. Don't clamp the barrel directly over the threads in the breech. You're going to have a heck of a time rusting that barrel at 600 grit.

[Ephraim]

I would use a sheet of lead to hold the barrel and stay off the threads like
Hank in WV. said
Ephraim

[alyce-james]

I use a 15 inch (fifteen) crescent wrench. I used in my construction days (1960's), a Sears post-leg vice with special red oak barrel blocks to hold barrels in a safe place on the barrel. (Not over the thread area). Blocks are cut to be used on different size barrels. Jim

[rich pierce]

I use a monkey wrench.  They usually have a taper to the jaws that works well for breechplugs.  If you hit it with a dead weight hammer (one of those with lead shot inside) it will usually budge first try.

[coutios]

 For the stubborn ones like Jim I use a 15" CWrench.. I position the barrel in the vise (off the threads) so I am pulling at an upward angle. I find that I get a quick snap with more power that way. Plus the weight of the work bench holding things still comes into play...  Works for me..

Good Luck
Dave

[T*O*F]

I use a monkey wrench.

And do not confuse a monkey wrench with a pipe wrench.
A monkey wrench has smooth jaws, not teeth.
Monkey wrenches have largely been replaced by crescent wrenches.

[Robby]

This one is left handed.

Robby

[dannybb55]

Sorry guys, all I had was a Stilson wrench, Monkeys are a non-native species around here. I bent some 16 ga lead sheet 10 inches up the barrel, put her in the vice, put a piece of old bellows leather on the tang and off she came with a push of the wrench. I helps to weigh 230 when you need to hang some weight on something. Turns out there was some anti seize grease on the threads that I had forgotten about so I wiped off the threads and on she went to the mark. Thanks for the advice.

[dannybb55]

This one is left handed.

Robby

Robby,Take a wide angle shot of your bench please!

[Robby]

Such as it is, I made it from hard maple about forty years ado, where has the time gone. The mass of debris ebbs and flows like flotsam and jetsam in the tide, but not as predictable.

Robby

[omark]

thanks for posting the left hand monkey wrench, as i havs seen many right handed, but this is a first for me. extremely rare item as left handers werent accepted as they are nowadays.       mark

[Leatherbelly]

 Monkey wrench, haven't heard of them in awhile. What's a "Spud" wrench? Same thing? Robby,I like the ebb and flo method. Betcha know where everything is!

[dannybb55]

I am going to have to zoom in and take notes. A nice joiners bench.

[smallpatch]

leatherbelly,

A spud wrench is a crescent wrench, or one of a specific size that has a long pointed end on the handle to align bolt holes.  At least in the industry I'm in.

[westerner]

Monkey wrench, haven't heard of them in awhile. What's a "Spud" wrench? Same thing? Robby,I like the ebb and flo method. Betcha know where everything is!

A "spud wrench" is what an Ironworker throws at an operator when he falls asleep or wont take signals.

This method is always done when the Ironworker is high in the air over the operator. It's a lot harder to throw a "spud wrench", up, than down.


               Joe. 

[Rasch Chronicles]

Spud Wrenchs

Two types:

Old School:


Newfangled:


Best regards,
Albert “El Matamoro” Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
Fighting Cyber Bullies
ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!

[Leatherbelly]

 Dane,Al, gotcha! thanks. Structural Iron workers tool.Thanks.

[alyce-james]

The "old" spud wrench style . I had the pleasure to use for 6 (six) years building steel electric transmission,cross country, lines. Standard line towers were assembled in three sections. Thank, Jim