Roll crimping Federal paper

[Hammer Fan]

Re-waxed a bunch of my Federal paper hulls last night, and the curling iron technique worked perfectly. I found it easiest to hold the handle of the curling iron in my work bench vise that way I had two hands free to handle the hulls and wax. I pushed the hull onto the curling iron with my right hand and slowly rotated it while holding the edge of the wax block against it with my left hand. The "Gulf Wax" blocks are about a 1/2" wide and are the perfect width to treat the area of the hull affected by the previous fold crimp.

After a few seconds of rotating the hull with the wax held against it, the wax would melt into the paper. After doing a few hulls you quickly learn just how much wax to melt onto the hull, it actually goes fairly quickly. I let a few cool and tried them in my bench turnover tool. It produced beautiful roll crimps! Now onto loading them up with black powder.

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

Before you get the hulls reloaded, try them in your gun to assure that they are going in easily. Too much wax on the hull and they get sticky in the chamber. That is the reason for oven warming them mouth down to allow any excess wax to flow off them and be absorbed by the paper towel they are standing on.

Wait a minute, I forgot to mention the paper towel in my previous diatribes on rewaxing. OOPS!

[Hammer Fan]

Will do John. Thanks for posting the technique on how to re-wax these hulls, it works like a charm.

[Steve Havener]

Originally Posted by Forrest Grilley

Re-waxed a bunch of my Federal paper hulls last night, and the curling iron technique worked perfectly.

Forest the curling iron works great to "re-condition" plastic hulls too.

It works especially good to open up the mouths or Remington 16 gauge game loads which uses a cheaper grade of plastic than the Express, Gun Club and other premium Remington hulls.

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

OK - this is positively my last comment on roll crimping. After this, everything I have worked out in my 80 years has been published, and hopefully, the world is a better place.

When you start roll crimping the plastic hulls, it pays to have the roll crimper in your hand drill or the old fashioned clamp-on style a little warm. I keep a propane torch handy, flaming of course, and I apply a little flame to warm up the crimping tool. When you hit the plastic hull it warms quickly and will fold over more better.

'nuff said. JF