Soaking a ramrod
- Thread starter IronHand
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Old-timers would tell you it "slicked up" the wood fibers and allowed the rod to bend. I tried it a few times and didn't notice any difference in flexibility.
I know some folks who used old motor oil/diesel/kerosene (in fact any petroleum product you can dump in a 50 gallon barrel) to help preserve fence posts. Worked pretty well although the EPA would have a hissy-fit nowadays...
I know some folks who used old motor oil/diesel/kerosene (in fact any petroleum product you can dump in a 50 gallon barrel) to help preserve fence posts. Worked pretty well although the EPA would have a hissy-fit nowadays...
... complete waste of time and good kerosene, LOL!
Learn to use the ramrod correctly and forget the gimmicks.
It’s that simple.
It’s that simple.
This thread was just run into the ground,you missed it?
Brokennock
Cannon
Yet another BP old wife's tale/myth/legend...
Enter now all the anecdotal tales of evidence how this made great-great-great-grandpappie's ramrod so limber yet strong he was able to speed reload pushing tight rifle loads down with one push while taking on half a tribe of natives and then using it as a springpole to polevault over the creek and up a ledge to escape.
Enter now all the anecdotal tales of evidence how this made great-great-great-grandpappie's ramrod so limber yet strong he was able to speed reload pushing tight rifle loads down with one push while taking on half a tribe of natives and then using it as a springpole to polevault over the creek and up a ledge to escape.
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Here's a true story an old frontiersman named Bartlet did this with his ram rod. It did make it so flexible and unbreakable. One day while tilling up his garden a group of Indians rode up on him. He shot the first one, quickly reloaded and forgot to pull the ramrod from the gun. He shot the next one, but the ramrod went flying out, instead of breaking it flexed like a boomerang. Bartlet seen it do this and quickly started reloading process, by the time he had powder patch and ball seated the ramrod returned to him. He grabbed it midflight rammed the ball home and shot the next one. The remaining Indians seen this and thought he was some sort of medicine man and had special powers and quickly left. So, there is some truth to it. Or maybe not I just made that up to fit the narrative. But it's a great story if nothing else.Yet another BP old wife's tale/myth/legend...
Enter now all the anecdotal tales of evidence how this made great-great-great-grandpappie's ramrod so limber yet strong he was able to speed reload pushing tight rifle loads down with one push while taking on half a tribe of natives and then using it as a springpole to polevault over the creek and up a ledge to escape.
I've always thought the idea of soaking is to prevent drying and splintering as well as keep out moisture that would make a ramrod swell. I keep my ramrods waxed like the stock. Whatever the other project, probably best to treat the wood as normal for the task/function.
IMHO the most significant aspect affecting ramrod durability is grain runout and the method of manufacture. In the old days ramrods were made by splitting a blank from a stave and then shaving it down to the required dimension. This method, much like making an arrow, follows the grain along the length of the shaft without cutting through growth rings. Nowadays, commercial ramrods are essentially dowels, cut round by machine and without regard to grain direction. If a rod breaks chances are the point where the split initiates will be where a growth ring feathers out.
I remember the days before Dan Putz died, his ramrod blanks were cut with straight grain from stem to stern. If I ordered 6 blanks from him 5 would be completely without run-out and one may have a few inches on one end with run-out, on a 48" blank I never used the whole blank anyway and could cut off any run-out.
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I wonder how well no odor mineral spirits would work on a wood ramrod ??
Ohio Rusty ><>
Ohio Rusty ><>
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You guys have way too much time on your hands. Soaking a ramrod is a complete fantasy. Makes no difference what so ever.
I’ve never soaked, waxed, or treated a ramrod in any way. Have some that are 30 years old, use the under barrel rod to load, and have never broken one.
There is just nothing to worry about.
Use them, and forget them.
I’ve never soaked, waxed, or treated a ramrod in any way. Have some that are 30 years old, use the under barrel rod to load, and have never broken one.
There is just nothing to worry about.
Use them, and forget them.
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50/50 linseed oil & turpentine-soak for a good while then burnish with a spoon.
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Again, you guys have too much time on your hands.
kansas_volunteer
45 Cal.
Jet fuel might do the job.
You will have a sticky ramrod that physically smells like kerosene.
Thinking about, a horse may also provide a good fluid to soak your ramrod in, and in all likely hood give similar results, though possibly at a lower cost.
I basically agree with @Flintandsteel. Ramrods are an expendable item but with reasonable care can last a fairly long time. Avoid using extremely tight patch and ball loads. Use short increments of the rod when loading. Use a working rod for cleaning and target loads using a tight ball and patch.
I bought into the Dixie Gun Works instructions on soaking ramrods. I have soaked ramrods in various solutions including kerosene and Thompson's Water Seal. I see no difference really when compared to untreated ramrods. I think I may have a few ramrods on a tube that have been soaking for a decade or so.
I bought into the Dixie Gun Works instructions on soaking ramrods. I have soaked ramrods in various solutions including kerosene and Thompson's Water Seal. I see no difference really when compared to untreated ramrods. I think I may have a few ramrods on a tube that have been soaking for a decade or so.
I have never broken a ramrod in over 50 years of shooting sidelock rifles, I do use a range rod at the bench.
I have bought several TCs with the original rods under them that had so much grain runout that I was afraid to use them. A friend tried to run 48" hickory ramrods on his arrow shaft machine but couldn't make one without runout because his blanks were sawmill cut with wonky grain. He gave me 45 ramrod seconds that he couldn't use, I dispersed most of these to my B/P friends and kept about a dozen. About half were trash and only good for dowels but the other half always had at least 28" of clear straight grain wood to make TC ramrods out of.
All of my TCs got new ramrods to replace the awful factory ones that came with these rifles.
I have bought several TCs with the original rods under them that had so much grain runout that I was afraid to use them. A friend tried to run 48" hickory ramrods on his arrow shaft machine but couldn't make one without runout because his blanks were sawmill cut with wonky grain. He gave me 45 ramrod seconds that he couldn't use, I dispersed most of these to my B/P friends and kept about a dozen. About half were trash and only good for dowels but the other half always had at least 28" of clear straight grain wood to make TC ramrods out of.
All of my TCs got new ramrods to replace the awful factory ones that came with these rifles.
Tried soaking 30+ years ago used #1 kero 6 month soak and I could snap the rods between my finger all it did was weaken them. Never had a rod snap when I choked up on it insteady of the old 1 time steady push but solved worry by using a SS loading rod at the range with a muzzle protector.
