Don’t trust them

[Captndan]

Pre shoot cleaning I pulled the end off the ramrod. Right at the pin. I wonder if glue would not have been a better choice. Or maybe fiberglass.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I have had excellent results using a hot melt arrow tip glue called Ferltight. Ramrod tips have been secure for over 20 years.

 

[TreeMan]

I used shoe goo glue and a pin on all mine. Overkill maybe but haven’t had one come off yet.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Pin and epoxy. You need that redundancy to make the tip secure. You also need to have the pin run across the grain.

 

[hanshi]

Me too. I both glue AND pin all my ramrod tips.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I'm with you boys... Pin and glue.

I make the wood a light press fit in the ferrule, then clean the inside of the ferrule with a Q-tip and acetone to remove any traces of oil or grease. Epoxy resin and hardener need to be in proper proportion and thoroughly mixed. However, as Tom A Hawk said, hot-melt ferrule cement, applied correctly, is hard to beat. I agree with Grenadier, too, in that the pin should run across the grain.

Installing one of these tips is not difficult but it really needs to be done right for best results.

Notchy Bob

 

[smo]

I glue mine then pin them!

 

[YJake]

Epoxy resin and a 1/16” mild steel nail. I use my rifle’s hickory rod with a brush and patches or to ram with no issues. If I have a stuck ball I use a range rod to pull it.

-Jake

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Glue & a finishing nail works for me.

 

[megasupermagnum]

I epoxy and pin my wood rods. I like JB weld or Devcon. For a pin, I found some heavy solid copper wire, possibly 8 gauge. I drill through with a bit the size of the wire, lightly chamfer the holes, cut a copper pin maybe 1/8" proud on each side, and lightly peen the ends with a hammer. I finish by filing the ends to look good. I've pulled balls with rods made in this manner. I would not do it as a habit, but they will work when you need them.

 

[Khufu]

I drill and pin after using epoxy mixed with capaseal (glass powder). it is as strong as anything I have used, never has to pull a stuck ball (knock wood), but I clean and load with them and never had one fail.

 

[TFoley]

Peen the end of the pin, too.

 

[Keb]

Use a steel or brass rod for cleaning. Don't use your wood ramrod with water. The water will get under the tip and the tip will eventually come off, as usual, in the breech when cleaning. You may be able to use a ball puller to get it out. If not, you're gonna have to remove the breech plug.

 

[stink koat]

My first rifle, a flintlock, has 2 pins at a 90' angle to each other and is now 45 yrs old & never came off yet!

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I use pin & epoxy. Also, it is really important that the wood bottoms out on the inside of the brass tip. Having epoxy to fill this gap helps. I screw a jag on when I epoxy these so that way the excess epoxy is forced back out towards the wooden rod. You don't want epoxy goobering up the threads.

If the wood end doesn't bottom out inside the brass tip all the force of loading is born by the pin and the little shoulder where the outside of the brass tip meets the wood. Those are not strong enough and the wood will weaken over time.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Epoxy plus pin. Never hurts to have both. Plus the epoxy fills voids from the sanding process

 

[Professor flintlock]

Use a steel or brass rod for cleaning. Don't use your wood ramrod with water. The water will get under the tip and the tip will eventually come off, as usual, in the breech when cleaning. You may be able to use a ball puller to get it out. If not, you're gonna have to remove the breech plug.

Shoot it out 4ffffg either in the touch hole or under the nipple.NEVER in reach the plug unless absolutely necessary. Lots of gremlins under that plug waiting to bite your butt.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use a brass pin and thin superglue. The super glue reinforces the wood .

 

[eggwelder]

make a tapered tip. Cut a slot lengthwise in your rod, and make a wedge that it twice as wide as your slot. Epoxy, glue of your choice in the tip. Insert rod, and tap the cap to seat the wedge in the slot. This will expand the rod inside the cap, you don`t even need glue if done right. You can pin it for insurance. I think that this would be called a bling locking tenon in wood working, i use them all the time.

 

[oldwood]

epoxie , drill and pin , done... Only failures have been from dumb folks not using short starters , but that's usually up the ramrod 6" to a foot from the tip.........oldwood