Osage Orange for ramrods?

[waksupi]

Please tell us how you know that.

Nights are long in Michigan....

 

[Brokennock]

The reason osage would make a bad ram rod is because its very flexible. It would be like stuffing a soft cooked noodle up a wildcat's butt.

And yet those flexible delrin rods work wonderfully for loading or cleaning,,,, if used properly.

 

[Robin101]

I've never noticed it to be abrasive. When making bows, I have always easily taken it to a polished surface.

Yes, it has a very high mineral content and when finished it can be brought to a very high sheen, even using a buffing wheel on it I normally reserve for metals.. I have made dozens of bows, countless arrows, a couple range rods, and a few tool handles from it, Do what you will.
Robin

 

[Dale Lilly]

I broke one rod; when I shot it out and it hit a non-flexible rock.

 

[Sylvester Pattie]

Alternative woods that work very well for ramrods are

White Oak, Black Locust, Elm, Yew and Ash.

The French used something called Holly Oak which is very similar to white oak.

What makes a wooden rammer strong is less taper, this consequently requires a bigger stock.

You can always make a fake wooden rod, that is by boring out sections of dowel rod in lengths of 10” and lining the center with a stainless steel threaded rod (epoxy adhere’s between the threads). It’s a lot of work for just a ramrod, but I’ve done it. You then taper the rod and stain the rod to cover up the seams. It’s overkill for sure, but people want to know their rammers are going to survive the next apocolypse.

Have a hatchet head hung on an osage shoot. Literally growing the head into the handle.

Do you have a photo? Sounds like a very interesting idea!

 

[rp77469]

I broke one rod; when I shot it out and it hit a non-flexible rock.

Ha! That would do it!

 

[Sagebrush]

Osage has great flex, but sucks at compression.

I have no knowledge of that, but I sure like the scrimshaw in your horn!

 

[Dismount]

Osage has great flex, but sucks at compression. If you are in the habit of tamping hard, they can split along the grain.

if you make it from a split instead of sawn... then it is almost bullet proof... thats the key, split piece only as a ramrod. personal experiences

 

[waksupi]

if you make it from a split instead of sawn... then it is almost bullet proof... thats the key, split piece only as a ramrod. personal experiences

I was under that impression, too. However, I made a tomahawk handle from split osage. First strike on the top of the handle split it end to end.