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Osage orange ram rods?
- Thread starter Hardcase
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Don't know of any source for ready-made ramrods.....but Osage Orange (known here as the Bois d' Arc, or Bodark) trees are fairly common in East Texas. The wood is very tough, but flexable, and should make an excellent ramrod.
I've never used it for that purpose, but have built bows from the Bois d' Arc which require the same tough, but flexable, quality. In fact, Bois d' Arc translates from French as "bow wood".
I've never used it for that purpose, but have built bows from the Bois d' Arc which require the same tough, but flexable, quality. In fact, Bois d' Arc translates from French as "bow wood".
Charles D. Prokopp
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Try some of the bowyery or primitive archery websites, there are a few purveyors of osage orange staves out there. Woodcraft and Woodworkers Outlet may have some, if there's one of them in your vicinity. The stuff's brutal to work, but it should make a wonderful ramrod.
I know where you can get bow blanks but that's an expensive way to make a few rammer splits.
www.threeriversarchery.com
http://www.3riversarchery.com/product.asp?i=4428
www.threeriversarchery.com
http://www.3riversarchery.com/product.asp?i=4428
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Check out Jim Easters website. I think he offers some 24 inch blanks.
wwwosageorange.com
wwwosageorange.com
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paulvallandigham
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Osage is difficult enough to make into a bow. I can't imagine why anyone would want to take the time to split out a stave to then turn into a ramrod. Hickory is much straighter grain, and easier to work. Hickory is widely available, and far more commonly used.
You don't say how long a ramrod you need, but that is going to make a difference. If you have ever hunted windbreaks, ( windrows in some places) put in during the Great Depression, these trees are almost always Osage Orange. The trees twist in the wind and the grain follows the twisting shown on the bark. I don't think I have seen an osage orange tree with bark that was straighter than about 30 inche, and that was probably on an inclined turn. Vertical bark is almost never found.
These are very hard woods on any kind of saw, and they get used as fire wood, more than anything else, when they are cut down. If you find a copy of BowHunter magazine, there is a many here in Central Illinois- Mystic Archers-- I believe, that sells Osage staves and teaches classes on bow making. He may not have anything you can use right now, but I am sure he would be willing to keep an eye out for you, to find you the length you will need for your Ramrod.
Most of the Osage trees I have seen all my life are in these wind breaks. Hickory grows everywhere, but seems to do particularly well growing up from the bottom of steep ravines. It is the ravine that protect these trees from the wind, so that you get a couple of dozen feet of straight grain and a ramrod straight trunk, very skinny, that support a few branches at the top that have leaves. I have seen 40 foot tall hickories that are barely 6 inches in diameter at head high. That and larger diameter hickory trees are where you want to be getting wood for ramrods.
If you live, or have any contacts in the midwest states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, or Indiana, look for Sawmills. Then contact them to find out if they have any osage orange wood stacked in their yards. You sometimes see it being sold in 8 foot lengths for fench posts. It will be cheaper for you to buy a whole log and split it out yourself, rather than buying a split that someone else has to do for you. With even the best split, however, you may have to plan on doing your own straightening of the rod.
You don't say how long a ramrod you need, but that is going to make a difference. If you have ever hunted windbreaks, ( windrows in some places) put in during the Great Depression, these trees are almost always Osage Orange. The trees twist in the wind and the grain follows the twisting shown on the bark. I don't think I have seen an osage orange tree with bark that was straighter than about 30 inche, and that was probably on an inclined turn. Vertical bark is almost never found.
These are very hard woods on any kind of saw, and they get used as fire wood, more than anything else, when they are cut down. If you find a copy of BowHunter magazine, there is a many here in Central Illinois- Mystic Archers-- I believe, that sells Osage staves and teaches classes on bow making. He may not have anything you can use right now, but I am sure he would be willing to keep an eye out for you, to find you the length you will need for your Ramrod.
Most of the Osage trees I have seen all my life are in these wind breaks. Hickory grows everywhere, but seems to do particularly well growing up from the bottom of steep ravines. It is the ravine that protect these trees from the wind, so that you get a couple of dozen feet of straight grain and a ramrod straight trunk, very skinny, that support a few branches at the top that have leaves. I have seen 40 foot tall hickories that are barely 6 inches in diameter at head high. That and larger diameter hickory trees are where you want to be getting wood for ramrods.
If you live, or have any contacts in the midwest states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, or Indiana, look for Sawmills. Then contact them to find out if they have any osage orange wood stacked in their yards. You sometimes see it being sold in 8 foot lengths for fench posts. It will be cheaper for you to buy a whole log and split it out yourself, rather than buying a split that someone else has to do for you. With even the best split, however, you may have to plan on doing your own straightening of the rod.
paulvallandigham
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Of course you are right. This is America. He is free to want whatever he likes. We all have our quirks, some more than others. I was simply thinking about all the osage orange trees I have views as I was hunting pheasants, squirrels, rabbits, coyote, and deer over the years. Not one tree had straight grain growing vertical. And I have done all the sawing of OO wood that I want to, thank you very much. Even using a powered chain saw, its tough work.
I still think his best best it to contact lumber mills- there may be some in western Kentucky, but I am not personally familiar with that part of Kentucky-- and ask about fence post lumber. Some of those fence posts sunk into damp ground have sprouted roots, and leaves, and been the beginning of new OSage Orange trees. Talk about monster movies! Its almost " The Tree That Wouldn't Die!" :shocked2: :blah: :thumbsup:
I still think his best best it to contact lumber mills- there may be some in western Kentucky, but I am not personally familiar with that part of Kentucky-- and ask about fence post lumber. Some of those fence posts sunk into damp ground have sprouted roots, and leaves, and been the beginning of new OSage Orange trees. Talk about monster movies! Its almost " The Tree That Wouldn't Die!" :shocked2: :blah: :thumbsup:
Look for and osage orange tree that has grown down in a bottom somewhere.The birds and squirrels have planted these trees all over and they grow into some huge trees.Because they reach for the sunlight its not uncommon to see straight limbs that are ten to fifteen feet in lenght.Harvest the limbs that you need and have it sawn up while still green.Hang your sawn up boards and let them air dry until seasoned.When seasoned you will find this wood is very difficult to work.You might also be able to find a good straight post from some hedge post vendor.Be careful if you try burning any waste material that you have left.Hedge burn very hot and spits sparks out as it burns.It gets hot enought that it will melt cast iron.
Hardcase,
I live in Eastern Kansas where there is a LOT of osage orange hedgerows. I personally have never tried to make a ramrod out of osage...but it sounds intriguing. On U.S. 75 highway between Burlington KS, and Yates Center, KS there is a guy who cuts wooden fence posts- his entire stock is osage orange. From small 1" pickets to the big 12' corner posts for corrals. In fact he used to have osage boards that were rough cut. I'll see if I can find the business name. A friend of mine has bought a lot of the boards for his gardening projects.
smokeydays
I live in Eastern Kansas where there is a LOT of osage orange hedgerows. I personally have never tried to make a ramrod out of osage...but it sounds intriguing. On U.S. 75 highway between Burlington KS, and Yates Center, KS there is a guy who cuts wooden fence posts- his entire stock is osage orange. From small 1" pickets to the big 12' corner posts for corrals. In fact he used to have osage boards that were rough cut. I'll see if I can find the business name. A friend of mine has bought a lot of the boards for his gardening projects.
smokeydays
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New Mexico Woodworkers Supply might have some dowel rods. I don't know if they are still in business, but they used to have all kinds of exotic woods.
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nw_hunter said:
jim easter is way too expensive. try pinehollowlongbows - great guy, and very reasonable. if you get a too kinky piece, just heat it at the kink and bend it where you want. osage is one tough wood!
:v
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Osage orange is a great bow wood,but I would stay away from it using it as a ramrod wood. The structure of the wood is not homogenous. The early spring grow part of the wood is very brittle,the late grow wood is very good. That is why you follow a late wood ring to make a selfbow out of it in the brittle early wood layer. I tried to use Osage as 4-wing arrow footing and the early grow brittle layer made them real prone to breaking. If you can find a thick enough late grow ring thick enough to match your ramrod diameter and it would be straight enough over the length,then why not. But osage does not tend to be straight and good quality is expensive and more suitable for bows.European robenia(latin name: Robinia pseudoaccacia ) or black locust is probably a much better choice.
I don't know what blackjack is, but osage orange is what is known as hedge around this part of the country.If your blackjack grows large softball size green fruit with a bumpy looking skin and a course bark that covers a orange looking wood its probably a form of hedge.Hedge trees also have alot of stickers on their limbs.They were planted in rows to make living fences, and made a fence that was very difficult for anything to get through.The fence rows made and excellent cover for wildlife and always had a covey of quail close by.Most of the land hungry farmers have removed their hedge rows but there are several trees that are growing in wooded areas that the animals have planted.Hedge burns extremely hot and shoots sparks like the forth of July when burning good, and its the only type of untreated wood that I know of that will melt cast iron.The hedge post would last a lifetime and there are many in the ground around here that far surpass my sixty seven years and are still doing the job.Years ago I had a large furnace in the basment that was stoker fed.I had been burning wood on top of the firepot to reduce my coal consumption and I made the mistake of using some hedge.I had sparks coming out of every crack and I could see a red glow through the sheet metal jacket.
