Hickory source

[CWC]

I would like to make a few hickory ramrods. Is there anywhere that I can buy hickory suitable for splitting to make ramrods?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Contact hardwood sawmills. You may have to use the internet search features to find them near you, but if you talk to lumberyard owners, around you, they generally know where the closest mills are located, and can give you some good contacts to call.

We have lots of hickory growing around this part of Illinois and Indiana, in the Wabash river valley. Ramrods require long straight grained trees, and you find them growing up out of the bottom of steep ravines, in deep forest, where the tree grows very tall to reach sunlight with its leaves, and the land and forestsprotects the tree from being rotated, or "twisted" by prevailing winds.

Cut these in the winter when the sap has run down out of the branches, and all the leaves have fallen off, so that the grain is tight, and strong. Wood cut in the winter makes the best tool handles, and the best ramrods. Always ask mill operators when the hickory stave( split) they are trying to sell you was cut. I first heard about this on the Woodwright shop TV show, on PBS, then confirmed it talking to some loggers I had as clients, then talked to some forestry majors, and finally talked to some expert axe handle makers.

Then I happened to meet Dick Greensides from Pecatonica River at his booth at Friendship when I was looking for a couple of rods for club members who could not make the trip over. Dick mentioned the same thing when I was looking at the grain and cast of his wooden ramrod blanks.

 

[CWC]

I live in Colorado, so I doubt the saw mills around here will have any hickory. I was hoping that there would be a source where I could order a hickory ramrod blank that would be suitable for splitting, but so far all I've found is turned hickory dowels. Oh well...guess I might have to just go with a dowel....

 

[tallbear]

I've gotten it here; Link from Freddie.Make sure to tell him it's for ramrods he will pic a piece that has straight grain.

Mitch

 

[Black Hand]

Find your local speciality lumber store. Make sure you pick a board with little run-out or diagonal grain.

 

[CWC]

I'm going to resurrect my old post to ask a favor. I tried contacting the posted link, but had no luck there. My local wood working stores thought I was crazy for wanting hickory. So, I had given up on it for a while. Well...I just got an email saying that my custom barrel is finally ready...so now I'm trying to pull together the rest of the parts of I need. I decided to search ebay for "hickory lumber", and found several promising boards. I have never split a board to make ramrods, so I was hoping that someone more experienced would take a look at the ebay page and tell me if this board will work. The posting has several pictures, including the end-grain.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hickory-Lumber...ber_Molding&hash=item35af674919#ht_1781wt_907

Thanks!

 

[1950DAVE]

Are you an experienced hand-woodworker? Do you have axe, wedges, sledge hammer, froe, plane, spokeshave, etc.? Just curious, as these are the tools I would start with to fashion a ramrod. Ain't done it yet but it ain't out ot the question. All that said should you be interested I might be able to find a good hickory as my Mom had some timber cut a few months ago, and I am sure some of the smaller trees were damaged. I will need to know dimensions desired then we can figure out something on shipping.

 

[CWC]

First, I'm not sure how the link I posted got messed up, but here's the correct link. http://cgi.ebay.com/Hickory-Lumber...ber_Molding&hash=item35af674919#ht_1781wt_907

As for experience, I've built a Chambers kit rifle, but that's about as far as my building experience goes. I didn't think splitting a piece of hickory and thinning it down to a ramrod is too difficult for me. As for tools, I have all that stuff except the froe, which I don't think I'll need. My plan is to split with a small ax, maybe helping the split along with a couple small wood wedges. Once I've got a decent split piece I'll reduce it with a drawknife and spokeshave, and finish with a scraper.

Billdave, thanks for the offer. I'll send you a private message so we can discuss it.

 

[talkingamoeba]

I haven't finished my first rifle build, but I have done a lot of handle making from tree to finish. For a ramrod it would best to take the seasoned wood split to a square just larger than the desired ram-rod size, then pull it through a steel plate that has a hole drilled the size you want the rod to be, then drilled a couple sizes bigger on the back side of the plate. You whittle the end of the rod blank so it will start in the plate hole that was drilled to the right ram-rod size, and pull it through the plate. Drilling the backside of the hole bigger lessens the friction and make the pulling easier. Lie Nielson makes one but it is pricey, you can see it here (if this works) http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/search.aspx?find=434293 Roy Underhill also explains making one in one of his books. Hope this helps.

 

[Birddog6]

I would call Steve Bailey & ask him if you can buy some blanks unturned. This will give you GOOD wood & save you allot of looking, bad wood & useless junk. Steve has a ad in the back of Muzzleblasts. Great guy to deal with & absolutely the BEST hickory ramrods avail in the USA today..... IMHO

Keith Lisle

 

[CWC]

Any chance you have Steve Bailey's number handy? I checked the on-line Muzzleblasts classifieds and didn't see him listed.

 

[mazo kid]

Any chance you have Steve Bailey's number handy? I checked the on-line Muzzleblasts classifieds and didn't see him listed.

Here it is:
Steve Bailey
83 Clear Creek Lane
Perryville, Mo. 63775
573-547-4540
Also another good rod builder is [email protected]
I'm sure between the 2 of them you will be able to come up with good rods.