Ram rod straightening

[Gobbletn]

Hello, I am close to completing my build of my cabin creek kit gun. My ram rod had a slight bow in it making hard for finishing fit. Prior to any die or stain applied I ran hot tap water over the center 3 feet of the rod for about 3 mins. It was very flexible at that time. I flexed it so it was close to straight then placed it on a glass table with the bow upward and placed items on it pushing the flex down against the flat glass table top over night and the rod is now STRAIGHT! Finish sanding and whiskering and it is great. Any other techniques or comments? Thanks...

 

[Zonie]

Don't be too surprised if your ramrod becomes bent again over a period of time.
It was happy that way and now it finds itself somewhat stressed.

This isn't a bad thing though.

A slight bend will help to keep the ramrod from jumping forward when the gun fires.

OH! I don't recommend applying a lot of coatings of stock finishing oils.
These will build up in thickness and after the ramrod has sit in the gun for a while the ramrod thimbles can slowly sink into the finish making it very difficult to remove the ramrod.

Although some don't like it, I've found that after staining, a few light coats of boiled linseed oil will sink into the wood to give it (and the stain) some protection but it won't build up into thick layers that can get stuck.

If you do use boiled linseed, you do have to give it a day or so to dry and then apply several coats of a good paste wax over it.

The wax will help protect the ramrod from water and it will act as a lubricant to make getting the ramrod out easy.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Wise Zonie.

A crooked rod stays put. And the boiled linseed oil with wax top finish is easliy touched up and very servicable.

 

[Spikebuck]

Never thought of leaving a rod crooked so pressure inside the rod channel is naturally created to hold it in place. Probably because all the production guns I have utilize a little spring steel "retainer" inside the channel.

That said, if a person did want to straighten a wooden ramrod and have it stay straight, one could do the same technique those of us who build wooden arrows use.

Get a small metal hook of some kind. Lightly rub that hook over the high spot of the bend to break down the fibres on that side that are stressed. Don't put so much pressure as to deform the wood materially (though it may flatten that spot just a bit). The bend will come out and it WILL stay straight. Only method I've ever used on wood arrows that kept them straight.
http://www.stickbow.com/FEATURES/ARROWMAKING/straightening.cfm

See method two (hooking) at the above site.

 

[necchi]

I'm with Zonie and Stump,
matter of fact I just got done useing the same kinda technique you describe to "bend" one!

Gun will be for a Gal and the barrel pinned, the barrel won't come out alot, but I want her taking the lock out for cleaning, so I can't use the "retainer" that Spikebuck mentions.

A bend in it with the end shaped semi-point/rounded so it'll enter the pipes and final easily will help with use and keep it in place.
I'm going to give her a range rod also and advise not useing the wood rod alot,,
ie; woods walks an such only as needed

 

[Rifleman1776]

Mostly wat Zonie said. Except, I don't believe in putting finish on a rod. Finishes gather and hold dirt, grit, grime, etc. that is not good for the bore. Sometimes, not often, I'll just put a light stain on the rod but leave it alone after that. Don't sweat the bend, literally or figuratively.

 

[rafterob]

I have come to embrace the bent ramrod theory. I removed those spring retainers from my rifles and rely on the bend now.

 

[Bill Hall]

I've straightened out a few using heat. Works really well with hickory. I heat up the crooked area with a porpane torch, but not to the point of scorching. Then put it over my knee and overbend and hold it unitl it cools. Takes a few attempts to get it just right. But like others have said, I don't try to get it perfectly straight, I try it in the gun when I think I'm close to see how it stays put. I don't think I'm good enough at straightening them out to ever have one become loose in the gun. A little bend acts like a spring to help hold it in place. Bill

 

[hoochiepapa]

On my ramrods, I scorch a spiral in it, and then coat it with Feibings dark stain. It's not an oil stain, so it looks good as time goes on.

 

[Macon Due]

I have straightened hickory golf club shafts with heat.I clamped a piece of wood with a V cut in it in a vice then heated the 'bend' area with canned Sterno then work the bend area back and forth thru the V cut till straight. They stayed straight when cooled.
Macon

 

[MJMarkey]

The term "ramrod straight" is a bold face lie! Most ramrods are a little bent. Unless it's plastic or metal, UGHH. To straighten a little if it's really bad I just bend it in the opposite direction some and hold it for a few seconds, works fine, Kind of like straightening a wire. :thumbsup:

 

[Birddog6]

Yes.... that will work. And ten minutes later, it is bent right back to where it was. :grin:

If I have to take a bend out of one (and rarely do) I wrap a wet towel around it at the place I want to bend it & let it sit for aprox. 30 min, then I turn the bend UP & support the rod on each end. Then hang a weight on a wire at the bend, pulling it down just past where I where I want it. Then I take a heat gun & heat the rod & dry it out & that usually takes the bend I want out of it.

Keith Lisle

 

[ronrryan]

I have not straightened a rod. But in years past I did a fair no. of repairs on wooden boats. For big jobs we would use steam to make wood limber. But for a small job--say, a piece of rubrail, or a coaming--we would lay the piece between a couple of cement blocks, and wrap a towel around the spot to be bent, and then pour boiling water over the towel, with the bent area held down by a weight to take a set. After drying it would want to spring back a little in "memory" but take the curve. Same idea would work to straighten a rod, I think, Good smoke, Ron in FL