Split the staves green. They will split along growth rings,lines, and not run out. Cut them in the Fall, or early winter, after the sap begins to run down. If you were to cut the hickory trees now or in the spring, the sap would make it hard to dry the wood, and probably weaken the wood.
Depending on the size of the tree cut, checks will show up fairly early in the end grain at the cut. Start a wedge there, to split out the rod stock. Split the log in half, then quarters, then eights, etc, until you get a piece of split wood that is small enough in size so that you can spend less time shaving the rod round in shape. You will need a draw knife and spokeshave(s). Or, use a tool plate, made of steel, in which you drill a hole, and then chamfer one side. The Stave is trimmed down at one end small enough to get it started in the hole in the plate. Then the stave is pounded through the hole to remove the wood needed to make a rod the diameter of the hole.
I also had a friend who used a steel plate in which he drilled a series of holes within an inch or so of the edge of the plate, at differing locations for various sized ramrods. He then cut a " V " shaped groove from the side of the plate to each hole, and then relieved the back side of the plate. To use the grooves to form a round ramrod, he put the stick down into the groove and pulled it towards him, shaving off wood on two side. He rotated the stick until the rod was in the round hole at the bottom , and he could shave wood off around 2/3 of the stick at a time. He always had a bag of kindling for his fire starting in camp, as a result of this kind of work. The V-shape of the notch and round hole centered the stick in the hole, preventing run out. This works for Hickory, but might not work with other woods. Its the peculiar( unique?) molecular structure of the Hickory wood grain that allows it to be split along the grain.
The rods you see that do have run out have been made using powered tools, that don't follow the grain.
The resulting rod may not be perfectly straight, but it will not have run out of the grain. Straighten the rod by heating the "bends" over a stove, or open fire. As a general rule, its smart to make a rod a 1/4 longer than what you actually need.
The "waste" end you cut off can be used to make a short starter, for instance. Or, you can save a section of it to help you sand the groove for the ramrod in the rifle's stock. Wrap sandpaper around the stock, using the ramrod piece to brace the paper, and keep the sanding straight.
I hope this helps. Obviously, I played around with this idea years ago- enough to satisfy me that buying ramrods from reputable dealers, like Pecatonica River, Tip Curtiss, and TOTW, among others is down right CHEAP, compared to the work involved in making my own ramrods. :shocked2: :idunno: :hmm: :surrender: :hatsoff:
But, I don't regret learning how to do it, nor all the ways it could be done. Frankly, I would rather Not use a draw knife or spokeshave on anything as small as a ramrod. Rake, axe, and other tool handles are one thing; ramrods are another. My friend's Notched "draw plate" was the most fun, and the easiest to use. The drilled holes in plates were more commonly used with shorter pieces of wood, to make wood pegs for building barns and houses.
