anyone use a plain dowel as a ramrod?

[coloradoclyde]

Dowels you get at the hardware store are Ramin,

That may have been true 30 years ago, but today many are poplar or some other dunnage lumber.

The best thing one can do is.....know what you need and what it looks like........

The longer and smaller the rod is, the better it needs to be.....and the bigger the bore and projectile .....the stronger it needs to be....

It's so simple if you think about it.....it's simply a matter of applied force......and technique...

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Boy. Talk about thread drift killing a question. I was just wondering if anyone has ever omitted the brass tips and almost everyone thinks they need to preach about grain runnout.

I know about grain runout and poking my hand. I wasn't asking about grain runout.

 

[Gene L]

The answer is yes.

 

[Lonegun1894]

Boy. Talk about thread drift killing a question. I was just wondering if anyone has ever omitted the brass tips and almost everyone thinks they need to preach about grain runnout.

I know about grain runout and poking my hand. I wasn't asking about grain runout.

My apologies. Go ahead.

The reason we "preach" is because it hurts you less if you decide to learn from the mistakes we have made or we have witnessed. Just trying to help you avoid a little pain, but some times we all have to do things the hard way.

 

[pondoro]

Boy. Talk about thread drift killing a question. I was just wondering if anyone has ever omitted the brass tips and almost everyone thinks they need to preach about grain runnout.

I know about grain runout and poking my hand. I wasn't asking about grain runout.

"Plain dowels" sort of implies nonchalance about grain runout. Thus the warnings.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

I've purchased a couple of 48" Hickory "straight-grain" ramrod blanks over the internet from Log Cabin. You can get them as just plain hickory blanks for $2.50 each or finished on one end with a brass brass base pinned and glued and tapped for 10/32 threaded accessories for $12.50. They are about 2/3 the way down the page from the link below:
https://www.logcabinshop.com/catalog.php?route=product/category&path=184_160_7

I replaced a broken ramrod (luckily cracked but not broken entirely off entirely) for my Traditions PA longrifle and used the other as my cleaning rod to use in camp at reenactments for my Early Lancaster rifle. They are straight grain hickory and have worked well over the last 10 years or so.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[rushlake1]

BJ
Hope you have good health insurance.....

 

[Elkeater]

The first time shooting my new 50" barreled rifle I broke the ram rod. Since 48" is the longest whipping stick I can find, I'm gonna put a brass tip and and 2 brass thread adaptors on an end. Keeping the brass end at the breach. The wooden end looks old time cool.

Sorry, no help from here since I don't have it together yet.

 

[coloradoclyde]

There are a lot of factors that come into play when using a wooden ramrod....The quality of the rod is only one...If you use your ramrod like a lumberjack swinging his axe you will definitely end up with kindling...Like many things in life, technique plays an important role...

Obviously the smaller the diameter the rod, the lower the strength it will have...

If your patch and ball combo is so tight that you have to beat it all the way down the barrel you might be better off with a metal rod.

I broke a Factory wooden ramrod once with classic runout...it broke clean...so I epoxied it back together and pinned it.....it lasted 15 more years...

IMO, wooden ramrods offer more advantages than other options....even considering that they are easy to break comparatively..

 

[Gene L]

I've wondered if you could reinforce a wooden rod with reinforcing wraps, like on a bamboo fly rod. A short wrap every ten inches or so, maybe 1/8" wide. Silk, then varnish the wraps to protect them.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:hmm: .....It would increase the diameter.....making stowing in thimbles a real pain....Rifling might cut them...

Have you heard of this? http://www.periodramrod.com/

 

[Vaino]

I broke one RR in 1977 and it did pierce my hand and it didn't want to get pulled out. This painful experience "stuck" in my mind and thinking things over, decided that it was my fault. I held the hickory RR too high and wanted to push the PRB in one big swipe. The RR wasn't up to it.

Since then my builds include a RR that hopefully won't injure the customer...these RRs are bought from Steve Bailey. His RRs are made from "pulled apart" hickory blanks and then turned and the finished RRs have a minimum of grain runout......Fred

 

[Gene L]

:hmm: .....It would increase the diameter.....making stowing in thimbles a real pain....Rifling might cut them...

It would increase the diameter,but very slightly. Pearsall's Gossamer Silk is very thin, and some fly tying thread is even smaller and stronger. The lacquer to protect the wraps would probably take up more room.

Having broken a ramrod and jammed it in my right hand, I'm willing to try anything. Yes, it was my fault.

I may wrap a RR just to see. It would (I think) make the rod much stronger.

 

[Black Hand]

Buy or make a good hickory rod with proper grain. Wrapping will likely make little difference to a rod with violated grain...

 

[bubba.50]

haven't used one myself but, I've seen numerous old originals with plain wooden rods slung under the barrel. can't recall ever readin' anywhere that all the old-timers went around with jagged wooden splinters stickin' up though their hands.

 

[Gene L]

The Golden Age FL I posted some time ago had a swelled-butt RR. I didn't look at the other end to see if it had a fitting on it.

The purpose of wrapping as I mentioned above would keep a splinter from raising. I don't know if it's practical, it's just a thought.

 

[azmntman]

Buy or make a good hickory rod with proper grain. Wrapping will likely make little difference to a rod with violated grain...

whats that ol saying bout making ice cream outta hog poop? :rotf:

 

[Black Hand]

GIGO
Garbage In, Garbage Out

Can't see wasting time improvising when the actual article is easily available/made...

 

[coloradoclyde]

Rod ends aren't necessary for cleaning or loading.....just more convenient.....

If you are worried about impaling your hand or getting a sliver, Why not wear a glove?

 

[Gene L]

Wear a glove? And take it off to shoot?