Carbon fiber cleaning rod

[Tozguy]

My Tipton one piece cleaning rod looks like it is made of a carbon fiber composite.
I am starting to suspect that cleaning solvents may be acting on the rod itself. The rod gets wiped after each pass through the bore and the cloth ALWAYS shows grey stains, sometimes even darker than the patch is. It would be interesting to hear from anyone else who has used a carbon fiber rod whether they have made similar observations.

 

[k80skeet]

I use Tipton carbon fiber rods. I don't believe that the rod leaves any deposits in barres. The outside of the rod will become dull in appearance due to use but I have not detected any color changes to patches on a clean barrel.

 

[Tozguy]

Just curious as to the solvent you are using and whether you wipe the rod after each pass. I'm not so sure that the carbon coming from the rod doesn't show up on the patch giving the impression that its carbon coming from the bore. I'll try cleaning a brand new barrel just to see what happens.

 

[acloco]

Personally, I don't like the fiber rods. Either coated aluminum or plain aluminum.

With plain aluminum, polish the entire length with 800 or 1000 grit.

 

[sdneil]

Have one in Graphite,killer good,never noticed any stains or anything.

 

[SS427]

I use Tipton carbon fiber rods as well and never noticed what you describe. Toward the end of cleaning a rifle when the patches start coming out clean, I don't see any black material when I wipe the rod down.

I use mostly Butch's Bore Shine, some Hoppe's #9, and Hoppe's Bench Rest copper solvent.

 

[butchlambert]

The first thing I would do with a carbon fiber rod would be to put it in the trash.
Butch

 

[fayettefatts]

The first thing I would do with a carbon fiber rod would be to put it in the trash.
Butch

Why do so many people dislike the carbon fiber rods?

 

[butchlambert]

They flex and when that happens it rubs the bore. They also shatter.
Butch

 

[SS427]

Before you toss them in the trash, let me know. I will take them off your hands.

Used properly with a good bore guide they won't shatter unless you are trying to stuff something down the barrel that won't fit anyway. Even then it would take a lot of force. Common sense should tell you to stop long before it shatters.

Lateral forces will break them and that is the primary weakness, but I have never broken one myself. You do have to be careful. Carbon fiber composites are fairly soft, so I don't see how they could damage a barrel even if they did flex. And provided the fit isn't too tight, they don't flex any more than metal rods.

 

[butchlambert]

Otter.
You may add that carbon fiber is very abrasive. The ones that I tried were much more flexible than my polished steel rods.
Butch

 

[SS427]

Mine feel smooth as glass. Certainly as smooth as my steel rods. Not to say they are not abrasive; I'm not that familiar with the properties of carbon fiber. However I would counter that carbon fiber is no where near the hardness of stainless or cromoly steel. I'm pretty sure the barrel will shoot out before the the incidental touching of the carbon fiber rod wears out any part of the barrel enough to effect accuracy. Time will tell.

 

[saskatoon]

They flex and when that happens it rubs the bore. They also shatter.
Butch

Sorry to diagree with you ol' buddy!

Been using carbon Tipton's on .223 service and match rifles as well on my .308 Palma rifles and everything in between. Never had a problem, split, crack, breakdown over 10,000 rounds and hundreds of cleanings using Butch's, and other solvents.

As to metal coated rods: acceptable, but leave plastic shavings once in a while where they are not supposed to be.

Metal rods, aluminum or steel: Now these you can trash... reasons are obvious to any who have used them and who think that microscopic metal shavings are " a good thing."

Regards to all,

Saskatoon

 

[butchlambert]

Saskatoon,
I believe you are trying to justify what you are using and that's ok. Why don't you call a few barrel makers and ask them.
Butch

 

[rider_hunter]

I have brass,aluminum,spring steel,and carbon cleaning rods my carbon rods are borestix they seem to flex less than the tipton rods I have used and they make a .195 rod for 20 cal barrels that doesn't flex like the 17 cal rods personally I like the carbon rods I have never had any shattering, breaking,or epoxy being broken down most af the rods that break break at the handle from being used wrong all people have there own thoughts mine is that good carbon rods are great

 

[LHSmith]

I have seen what happens when a rod breaks......that person is still waiting for his tendons to recover.
Carbonfiber CAN break ...I will continue to use a coated steel rod or a polished steel rod.

 

[butchlambert]

Guys,
I can tell that a lot of you have not worked in the machine shop or spent any time machining carbon fiber. It eats up cutting tools. It is very abrasive! The barrels that you are cleaning are not mine and it doesn't matter to me, but some new guys here need straight info.
Butch

 

[SS427]

I'm still not convinced Butch. Cutting across the grain of carbon fiber is one thing, but the polished surface of carbon fiber in the direction of the grain is smooth as glass. I couldn't even get my carbon fiber rod to abraid a piece of styrofoam by sawing back and forth on it.

I checked multiple barrel makers websites and none of them said anything about not using carbon fiber rods. Most said to simply use a quality rod and bore guide.

Perhaps you could direct us to other information that confirms your opinion? Or maybe some pictures to show the abrasion you talk about? The bore of a rifle ruined by a carbon fiber rod would certainly convince me. I would be the first one to toss them out if I had more than just your opinion to go on.

 

[LHSmith]

Carbon fiber composites embed fine threads of carbon in epoxy. The epoxy layer on the outside is very thin. The carbon thread is extremely hard. Just ask BR stock makers.
All it takes is a nick to compromise it's rigidity..and expose any thread.
Ask any bow hunter who uses carbon shafts what can happen if they do not thoroughly inspect the shaft for cuts, creases, or other damage.

 

[rider_hunter]

a carbon arrow has to have more than just a nick out of it to be compramised unless it is a cheap carbon cheap carbon arrows are not built right and they are were carbons get there bad name quality carbon arrows have fibers going multiple directions I have had 3 arrows break ever none of them shattered they just snapped in half but I have seen cheap carbons explode on impact there grains run only linearly and what causes them to shatter 9 out of 10 times is a loose insert that holds the point on smacking the front of the shaft

and butch yes the fiber in carbon fiber is very abrasive to cut but have you ever taken a thread and rubbed it back and forth in a sawing action across a piece of aluminum you will notice it will not cut into it after many many stroked it will start to polish it