candy stripe ramrods

[ltdc]

does anybody sell those candy striped ramrods??
I've tried making a couple from instructions given to me by people here on the forum but I just couldn't get them to come out right. sooooo, can I buy one? or two or three?

 

[Twisted_1in66]

does anybody sell those candy striped ramrods??
I've tried making a couple from instructions given to me by people here on the forum but I just couldn't get them to come out right. sooooo, can I buy one? or two or three?

No idea where you can get one premade. Back in about 1970, I broke the ramrod for my Pedersoli Kentucky Pistol (percussion). I just got a new piece of hickory; turned on a propane torch, and turned and moved the hickory over the flame. Part of the trick was to stagger your grip so the left hand was still twisting while the right hand re-gripped it ad I moved it left to right over the flame. Made a nice candy stripe on it.

Then I put on the brass pieces from the broken one onto the new one and used some oil finish on it. Turned out great and lasted until last year, when I broke it again.

 

[Wart]

I've taken cotton cordage that I've dipped in oil - then wrapped it around my hawk handle (the degree of curl will depend on how tight or loose you wrap it)- then take a propane torch and char it. The oil cotton cordage burns easily.
I've had good results doing this and see no reason why it wouldn't work for your ramrod - :results:

 

[Top Jaw]

As stated you can make your own. I did one with a propane torch that I first wrapped barber pole style with some narrow masking tape. (I first tried to stain one with the tape but got some bleed-through underneath). The propane torch worked well, hovever, the glue in the tape reaches a melting point and takes a little elbow grease, steel wool, and oil to remove. I think the tape gives you a more defined dark line than using the torch itself, but both methods will work.

 

[shmrck1]

Top Jaw,
Just wondering what type wood you used with the
torch method. I've tried the other method and did not get good results. I assume you stain the rod after the torch
has been used? This seems like a nice little 1 day project,
that i mite be able to handle :thanks:
I have about a dozen rods of different Dia. made of hickory. I will definately give the torch method a shot.
snake-eyes

 

[Mad Irish Jack]

I've been doing mine since 1978. I use any "cotton", cord to closeline, size line to make the striping. I also single strand in both one direction or wrapped in both direction causing an intersecting crossing pattern. I'll wet the cord with water, and wrap the rod. Then I use the flaring tip on the propane torch and start scorching the rod just to where it darkens the wood, not burning it. After This is finished, I soak the rods in automotive transmition fluid. Although not PC it adds moisture back in the wood and add to the flexability. Just my method. :m2c:

 

[ltdc]

i tried the masking tape/torch route and just couldn't get it right. I think I'll try that wet cord and torch tip idea
thanks

 

[pepperbelly]

We have a guy here in Fort Worth that makes them and sells them at a local gunstore. It's Elk Castle on I-30 here in Fort Worth.
They are hickory, pinned, soaked on coal(?) oil, look good and are about $8.00.
Let me know if you want their phone number.
Jim

 

[ChickasawHun1er]

The fellow who got me started in muzzle loading was from Ft.Worth. Sadley he's long ago passed on. He started making muzzle loaders in the 40's and I never had sense enough to ask him who taught him. He told me the old timers used to soak their ramrods in coal oil. They believed it "tempered" them and made them less likely to break.The candy stripe was also suppose to temper the rod too. He candy striped every rod he made. He had a torch he would lock up in his vice and over a low flame he would just hand turn the rod over the flame turning it and moving it along. I gave this a try a couple of days ago and it worked pretty well for me. You could experiment on a few cheap dowels to see if you can get the hang of it before you took a chance on a good hickory rod. Oh yeah, he never soaked his rods in coal oil, thought it was BS. Could have made his candy striping by hand a lot more interesting to watch if he had. After he stripped it he'd just rub it down with some steel wool and put some true oil on it. Mine's still going strong and it's over 30 years old now. You don't have to get too anal with the perfect uniform stripe they just have to look good enought to suit you. A fellow told me the other day he used canon fuse and wrapped it around the rod, touched it off and made his candy stripe that way. I haven't tried it and when I need to do it again I'll just do a practice run or two on a couple of dowels and then do it by hand again. :results: CH

 

[davy]

We have a guy here in Fort Worth that makes them and sells them at a local gunstore. It's Elk Castle on I-30 here in Fort Worth.
They are hickory, pinned, soaked on coal(?) oil, look good and are about $8.00.
Let me know if you want their phone number.
Jim

Thats a fact ... made locally in Ft. Worth ... I just bought three of them 2 days ago at Elk Castle ... but they are now $10 for the striped ones plus tax! :curse: 3 diameter sizes, 48 inches in length, option of steel or brass 10/32 ferrule, hickory (I asked) rod. I like em jest fine! :front:

Davy

 

[pepperbelly]

Hey Davy, where do you go shootin?
I belong to the Haltom City Rifle and Pistol Club, but just punching paper gets boring.
Jim

 

[davy]

I agree Jim .. I am in the same boat here, used to go out to a friend's property, and also my cousins place west of Ft. Worth, but she sold the land and the other friend ... well we aint friends no more so ... unless I win the lottery .. I am SOL! Looks like Alpine for me! :curse:
I have never shot at the Haltom Range .. where is it located at? My bro lives in Haltom City!

I undertand there is a new range up north of 820 somewhere I think he said, but I have not been there, and do not know if it caters to Balckpowder or rifles in general ... ::

The last shooting I did was in San Antonio with a friend at a range he is a member of!

Davy

 

[pepperbelly]

The range up north is Quail Creek. It is just north of Alliance airport and is sort of primitive. They charge $10.00 plus tax to shoot.
The Haltom City range is a private club. It is on Minnis just south of 121. We charge a one time $100.00 iniation fee and $75.00 per year. It is a very nice range- covered shooting stations, concrete benches. There are about 20 pistol stations up to 50 yards, about 20 100 yard stations and about 6 200 yard stations. HCRPC has more info and shows match dates. The matches are open to nonmembers. If you want to go sometime when I am going shooting you can come as a guest, or go by there to look it over any time there is a range officer there. The meetings are the first Wed. of each month at the Ryan's steakhouse @ 820 and Rufe Snow.
If you plan on shooting more often than once or twice a year it's worth it to join, and being in town helps a lot.

edited to add: We have a public sight day, actually a weekend, in Oct., for nonmembers to get sighted in for deer season.
Jim

 

[davy]

Sounds like a nice setup Pepper, I may have to check it out sometime! ::

From what you are saying it is in the Trinity River bottoms .. been thru there many ah time .. but have not been thru there in awhile. I simply did not know they had a range there ... makes sense though .. perfect area for one!

BTW I just bought three of those striped ramrods last week! :front:

Davy

 

[pepperbelly]

Davy it is next to the old, closed landfill. I hate to tell you this, but, it's been there since about 1963.
It's easy to see after you pass over the RR tracks, but I guess it's not very visible from the Hwy. I never thought about it. I have always known about it so I guess I never looked for it.
Jim

 

[davy]

Well what can I say? I just did not know it was there? And I grew up in Ft.Worth, used that landfill many times when it was open, even worked at the old Waples Platter company on Handley Ederville Rd and 121/183 back when things were made of wood! :shocking:. Learn something new ever dang day! Because it was not open to the general public is probably why I never knew about it! ::

Davy

 

[pepperbelly]

I shoot a falling plate match that we hold every 3rd Saturday. Come out and I'll show you the facility.
Yeah, it being a private club may have made it less known. We used to have the Ft.Worth rifle and pistol club that was, I think, a public range. Now the only public ranges locally are Alpine and Quail Creek.
You do know that the LBJ National Grasslands are restricted to archery, shotgun, and black powder only? I haven't been there for many years but may try it this year. After it cools down a little. Or a lot! It's just been too hot to do much hiking for hunting locations.
Jim

 

[davy]

Is that what they are calling the Natl Grasslands now up toward Decateur? Man I have not shot up there in a million years, used to varmint hunt up there back in the 70's! Used to camp up there too!

WOW what a blast from the past!

I am gonna send you a PM with my email ...

BTW I am :haha:well pleased with the striped ramrods I got from Elk Castle overall!

Davy

::

 

[pepperbelly]

Yup, just north of Decatur. I spent a lot of time out there back in the '60s and '70s, hunting and fishing. I haven't been back since the late '70s when all the hunters started shooting at each other.
Jim

 

[davy]

Same here for huntin and plinkin ... my bro used to camp out there a bit .. but not in years..! Too many problems with idjits! :curse:

Davy