Got a New .40 Cal Ramrod

[Cattywompuss]

So I have never liked the skinny little .36 or smaller ramrod that came with my .40 cal Schimmelish-poorboy-Pennsylvania. I reckon it was good enough for the original owner(s), and possibly for the builder. But it rattles around in the pipes and feels very flimsy.

So I ordered(and received after three weeks) a new 3/8 rod from Track and was wondering who knows the quickest way, with basic tools, to skinny down a ramrod just enough to fit the pipes. I can obviously use low-grit sandpaper, and will do so if that is the quickest way. Just wondering if anyone knew any tricks. Seems a bit too long to card-scrape and Im betting hickory wouldn't be candidate for scraping anyway, and I'm not willing to trust my hand to whittle that finely. So... just sandpaper?

Also, recommendations for ramrod finish? I abhor boiled linseed oil, so may go with tung oil sanded back. I like the wrinkly finish raw tung oil leaves.

 

[deermanok]

I think sandpaper is your best bet.
Safest for sure, even if more labor intensive.

 

[EC121]

I use a half-circle scraper clamped in a vise to taper the rod. As I work I try it in the thimbles. If you rotate it as you go, it stays round. There are tools to do it, but I don't see the need for occasional work. Woodcraft sells the scraper set. You could make one by drilling a hole in thin piece of metal and cutting it in half to make two of them. What diameter are the pipes? Sandpaper should work for 3/8 rod to 3/8 pipes.

 

[2 shots]

sand it. it goes quick and much less chance of over doing or damage. just did 2 myself that way . think i used 180 grit than finer toward the end.

 

[sportster73hp]

IF you are careful with power tools you can chuck it up in an electric drill and stroke sandpaper the length of the rod that needs reduced. Did this on my 40 cal Kibler for the end that goes into the stock

 

[Cattywompuss]

Great answers folks. @EC121 the pipes are a shade under 3/8 without being 1/4. The minimal sanding with 100 grit I've done so far actually gets it into the first pipe fine, but catches a couple inches in. I'll just carry on with the sandpaper for now and if it gets tiresome probably try the drill idea as I am very good with my drill trigger finger and a three speed drill.

 

[oldwood]

Have made well over 150 r/r's using coarse sand paper , then finer grit to finish. leave the r/r blank a little longer than the actual length , so the drill chuck marks can be cut off. One caution , don't put the r/r tip on , and use that end for the drill chuck end. The chuck will rip the r/r tip loose. Been there done that , even though the tip was epoxied and pinned. .............olswood

 

[EC121]

Mostly to take up the room, I epoxy all my ramrod tips, but epoxy really doesn't stick to metal very well. I wouldn't use one to pull a well-stuck ball.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

This trick works very well. I clamp a pair of metal shears in a vise. Draw the ramrod and shave it down. Use calipers and a ramrod thimble to guage it.

 

[Notchy Bob]

For tapering a rod blank, I use a low-angle block plane. However, just for taking a little off to fit your ramrod pipes, I've folded a piece of medium-grit sandpaper loosely around the rod, then clamped the free ends of the sandpaper in a vise. Chuck the rod in a hand-held variable-speed electric drill, and run it at low RPM while moving the rod forward and back through the sandpaper. Go slowly and check your progress frequently. The trick is to leave it big enough to not rattle in the ramrod pipes, but not so tight that it will swell up and get stuck in them in wet or humid weather. A slight bow in the rod is a good thing, as the springiness will help keep it in the pipes if you tip your muzzle down.

Good luck with it!

Notchy Bob

 

[DuncNZ]

It is a skinny wee thing so don't forget to soak it in kerosene or turpentine for a few weeks to keep it flexible . I use artists grade natural turpentine and artists grade boiled linseed oil , they are way more expensive than the store brought stuff and way more effective .
Any one have a rod flex recipe ?

 

[French Colonial]

I use a scraper until its close and then sandpaper....

I slather some Ballistol on it several times a day for a few days after finishing as I think it makes it more flexible but have never broken a hickory ramrod so I do not know if its really needed.

 

[sdilts]

Sandpaper like EC121. Doesn't take long at all.

 

[Cattywompuss]

Alright there gents. Ramrod is done. Put the tip in a drill and used 60 grit starting at the butt end and worked it down. Testing as I went, it took about an hour and a half. Worked it down about 6 inches at a time based on the marks I made. I tested every ten minutes of sanding an penciled a mark where it stuck in the first thimble. I finished with tung oil unstained. Yes, that left the wood very white, but I love the contrast between the very deep red stain of the maple stock. Thanks for all the advice! All of it was sound and on topic!

 

[Cattywompuss]

It is a skinny wee thing so don't forget to soak it in kerosene or turpentine for a few weeks to keep it flexible . I use artists grade natural turpentine and artists grade boiled linseed oil , they are way more expensive than the store brought stuff and way more effective .
Any one have a rod flex recipe ?

Well I could put it on my homemade bow tiller I guess, but I'm not particularly worried about flexibility. I ram from no more than six inches above the bore and am not worried about it snapping. I've never snapped a ramrod in 30 years. Of course the pride comes before the fall, so we'll see!

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I guess I would be nervous about using sandpaper on a ramrod for fear of grit getting into the wood and one day damaging my muzzle crown. The BEST way, in my opinion would be to order the correct size ramrod and not have to fit it. I would use aluminum. You can order aluminum rounds in almost any diameter and you don't have to worry about fitting ramrod ends.... just drill and tap.

I have seen a tool used to round a square ebony ramrod. It looked like a giant pencil sharpener. By twisting and pushing the blank into the device, it rounded the wood very nicely. They finished it with black shoe polish.

 

[hanshi]

It was pretty easy for me just to scrape them with a knife freehand and finish it up with sandpaper.