hickory ramrode

[navaho]

Anyone got any good ideas on staining Hickory Ramrods. They just don;t seem to asbsorb the stain like I think they should. Always turns out a little light. Using minwax stain.

 

[PALongbow]

I stain wood arrows and the Minwax gel stain seems to darken up the wood better than the liquid stain. I would try several coats of the gel stain.

Ron

 

[Kuckus]

Fieblings leather dye works well also.

 

:winking: I never stain a ramrod. The natural color plus johnsons wax to keep it from swelling then the black stuff from your hands and from cleaning will darken it nicely. also roofing tar rubbed in and then wiped down with solvent will darken wood nicely and bring out highlites, try it on a bit of tiger.

 

[RiverRat]

I soak my blanks in transmission fluid mixed with minwax stain. I capped the ends of a piece of plastic conduit, fill with trans fluid about 4" from the top, then add the stain. Soak the rod for a week or two. I think it makes the rods more flexible. You can candy stripe the rod with a torch before soaking, it makes a nice reddish brown finish.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Laurel Mt Forge Cherry works very well. I scorch the rod slightly with a propane torch to give it a little grain definition and character. After the stain dries I wipe it several days running with tung oil and use 000 steel wool between coats.

 

[Swampman]

I like them lighter. Old time gunsmiths didn't stain them to match the gun.

 

[djnye]

aqua fortis works very well.

take care, daniel