How do you waterproof a wooden ramrod

[bptactical]

Soak in a 50/50 mix of Turpentine and boiled linseed oil.

 

[AlanG]

It's not the lack of finish so much as you should raise the grain multiple times when making a ramrod- same as when making a stock.

Won't be a problem after that

 

[Snake Pleskin]

Laurel Mountain Permaseal works well. I also use it in the barrel channel, butt stock end, lock mortise and ram rod channel. Any place there is exposed wood gets a coat. It works well.

 

[Reno]

I have heard that years ago ramrods were soaked in coal oil, (kerosine) I did try it and it seems to work. I had a long tube plugged at one end then put the ramrod in and fill with kerosine. What I had heard was it helped prevent them from breaking. After i took it out from soaking for several days I wiped it down and then began to bone it for several days. It helped seal it well and I never experienced any swelling from it at all and it became my best ramrod. It was hickory and very straight grained.

 

[holzwurm]

I have a 4 foot 2" diameter section of PVC capped on one end w/a screw on lid full of BLO. I soak the rods in it for a week then let dry. Finish w/ some medium grit paper to smooth the grain.

 

[Brokennock]

Hickory although is a very tight grained wood that doesn’t absorb water very much

Anyone who builds a lot of whitewood American flatbows, hickory Native American style bows, or hickory/whitewood primitive European style (Sudbury) bows, will probably disagree with you strongly on that. Hickory is very hydroscopic regardless of finish used, some finishes slow the process better than others, but none seem to stop the absorption of moisture, even from high ambient humidity.

 

[waksupi]

Thanks everyone for your answers, I wanted to hear what you all were doing before I did something stupid. Fortunately for me I have some bees wax, tung oil, carnuba wax, Ballistol, True Oil (unless it has dried out), boiled linseed oil, paste wax (maybe not Johnsons), kerosene, and raccoon oil (I’m too chicken to touch the wife’s lard) on hand (the joys of being an old fart with wide interests). I’ll pull the barrel before I start resizing the ramrod channel partly because it has a poured nose cap (it’s a Tingle build) and partly because I have tapered the ramrod with sandpaper and steel wool and it is fitting ok. Thanks to your input I am going to try a three step process: 1 raccoon oil, 2 after it is dry a coat of boiled linseed oil, and 3 after that is dry a beeswax rubbing. If this turns into a sticky mess I’ll let you know.

Since you have the **** oil, just stick with it. Keep putting it on over several days. I'm sure it will completely penetrate a wood ramrod, as bear oil will. Turns wood into a noodle.

 

[senseisugarbear]

I agree with waksupi, I personally have not used your 3 step process.But it seems to me that mixing 3 chemical compositions, MAY negate the positive properties of all of them. I use tru-oil 6 coats , dried for a day,then slickened down with 4/0 steel wool, in between coats. When you have a rod slick enough to Give a Mosquito an Enema w/o him knowing it. You're done...hope it helps....BE SAFE.....Wally

 

[hanshi]

A friend gathered my hickory rods and soaked them for two weeks in kerosene then let them dry outside a few days. I don't know if or how much it helped but none has broken since. Two rods did break over the years but they were the rods that came with the rifle. No smell left in them either. I always work down and taper hickory rods to fit individual rifles.
After sizing I waxed them and buffed them with Type F tranny fluid. Every cleaning session I wipe them down down with a cloth that's barely damp with Type F. They never took on water even in the hot, soaking weather of Georgia. They've also been in downpours with no swelling.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I just give a coat or two with Tru-Oil and never have a issue with breaking or getting wet. I use them to clean with as well.

 

[Dale Lilly]

I see a lot of 'kerosine" being used. I hate the smell. I lived for eighteen months on a sailboat using only brass lamps for light. Kerosine will drive you out of your home. Lamp Oil will accomplish the same thing and has little odor. Buy it at Hobby Lobby and many other places. It will make the ramrod more flexible and break 'resistant'. Polecat [My 1 1/2 cents worth]

 

[Notchy Bob]

The original question was how to waterproof a wooden ramrod. For that, you need a durable waterproof finish. In my own experience with woodworking, be it tool handles, canoe paddles, ramrods, or what have you, oils are not really waterproof, and waxes wear off pretty quickly. I have used Permalyn Gun Stock Finish with good results. The manufacturer states, "It is impervious to water, alcohol, detergents, bore cleaner and most other chemicals and solvents," which sounds like just what you want for a ramrod that may double as a cleaning rod. Permalyn has worked well for me.

As an aside, I have recently seen some posts about difficulties staining hickory. I was ignorant of that problem and stained several hickory rods with Laurel Mountain Wood Stains with what I thought were satisfactory results. The Permalyn made a fine finish on them, and it is chemically formulated to be compatible with the Laurel Mountain Stains.

With all of that said, I have also made wooden rods and just finished them with Danish Oil. It's easy. I don't think it's waterproof, but that hasn't been a problem for these particular rods. I expect a lot of ramrods back in the day were left unfinished, or maybe just wiped down with whatever grease was used on the gun. In The Muzzle-Loading Cap Lock Rifle, Ned Roberts indicated wooden rods were "...sandpapered smooth and oiled," or "...smoothed with fine sandpaper and well oiled with raw linseed oil." I don't think he addressed the need for waterproofing, though.

I expect a traditional tung-based spar varnish would make a good waterproof finish for ramrods, although I don't think I've tried it yet. That's what I like best for canoe paddles, which are subjected to repeated working stresses, wetting, and abrasion, like wooden cleaning rods. Traditional tung oil based spar varnish appears to penetrate the wood well, and remain somewhat flexible. It would seem these features would be desirable for a waterproof ramrod finish, also.

However, there are obviously plenty of ways to skin this particular cat. There have been a lot of suggestions to consider.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[concho7]

I made a 1'' sch40 48 '' long caped one end filled with boiled linseed put rod in for a week, hard as steel water drips off it , but I do not swim with the rod in hand either !

 

[Rifleman1776]

I used to soak mine in kerosene but found after it dries out the rod can break just as easily as a non-soaked one. Then I started soaking them in lemon oil for a week or so. I could fool myself into thinking it made a difference, but, really, it didn't. My sermon long has been, use synthetic or stainless steel or brass at the range; synthetic in the field and wood for a 'pc' appearance at ronny. Wood rods can be very dangerous.

 

[French Colonial]

Wood rods can be very dangerous.

Started doing this in the 70's and have never broken a hickory ramrod nor have any of my friends, they are only dangerous if they are misused.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Started doing this in the 70's and have never broken a hickory ramrod nor have any of my friends, they are only dangerous if they are misused.

True. The same comment can be made about anything. (guns, knives, cars, etc.) Ramrods are often misused, mostly by grabbing high to seat a ball. Watch the shooters at a range, most grab high. Some, who are usually careful can be forgetful occasionally. Believe it or not, I have even grabbed high a few times.

 

[waksupi]

Started doing this in the 70's and have never broken a hickory ramrod nor have any of my friends, they are only dangerous if they are misused.

After some outlawed speed shoots, this went away as a problem. I do recall two instances of broken rods going through shooters hands in stake shoots.

 

[SDSmlf]

Had a hickory ramrod split many moons ago that caught my thumb and opened it up so I could see all the neat stuff under the skin. That thumb still lets me know when the weather is changing.

 

[Mark Herman]

With all due respect, two full pages related to waterproofing a wooden ramrod? I think it's time to move on.

 

[Archer 756]

Broken rods that have been soaked in kerosene make perfect fire starter wood