Ramrod Finish

[Toneloc]

Finishing up my Kibler SMR build and looking for opinions on ram rod finishes.

I played around with the torch on cut off piece I had from trimming to length and then topped that with some Danish oil. Found it hard to get a consistent look without making it pretty dark. If I didn't go real dark kind of came out molted looking, which wasn't too bad looking itself....undecided though on what I want to do.

Just curious what others have found to work well.

Thanks ahead,

Tony

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Actually, I generally use Johnson's Paste Wax on ramrods. They don't get stuck that way. I've heard of people who use black shoe polish on ebony ramrods. Don't really see the logic in staining black wood black, but whatever floats the boat.

 

[rich pierce]

I use ferric nitrate to stain. I seal it with the usual finishes, same as the stock. Otherwise it will stain from fouling if you clean with it.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Aqufortis has a nice look on hickory. I put some finish over the blushed stain.

 

[Toneloc]

Cool, wasn't sure what the AF would do on hickory, I'll have to try some on another scrap piece and see if that gets the color I'm after.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Variety of answers means 'do yer own thang'. I usually just rub them with a lemon oil and time and dirty hands do the rest. Of course, I do nothing to my Delrin, stainless steel or brass rods.

 

[tenngun]

I like gunstock oil like tracks original oil, or Lindspeed or tru oil, all work well. I like the rod lighter in color then the stock

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Made one yesterday: brown liquid shoe polish, wiped when dry and oiled with gun oil. Looks good, will be wiped clean and oiled after each use. Wooden rods last a long time for me.

 

[Flintlock]

Leather dye or stain then soaked in a tube of kerosine to be rotated. Johnson paste wax on occasion,

 

[Fly Navy]

I use the darkest walnut stain I have on hand, and then a couple coats of Tried & True oil.

 

[Freedom]

Iron nitrate / AF works nicely...Blush, then i melt in as much beeswax as possible.

 

[SamTex1949]

Actually, I generally use Johnson's Paste Wax on ramrods. They don't get stuck that way. I've heard of people who use black shoe polish on ebony ramrods. Don't really see the logic in staining black wood black, but whatever floats the boat.

I also use Johnsons Paste wax, my can of it (from early 70s finally was used up . I take the ramrod and rub it slow barehanded with the wax in hand till the wood gets really warm t feel, then I switch to the old wool rag ive been using since 70s and continue to rub to I can feel warmth in it. seems to work great !

 

[ohio ramrod]

I give them an initial coat of BLO then a heavy paste wax final coat.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I like to darken the grain with flame and then rub in 12-15 coats of Watco Danish oil. Every time I clean that gun, Ill rub in another coat.

 

[Togo]

Leather dye.

 

[user 48702]

Plus one on leather dye. After striping with a torch, I used Fiebings yellow, followed by a light coat of Fiebings mahogany, rubbed down with steel wool and applied a coat of TruOil. Be sure to wipe off immediately when applying dye or it could turn out too dark.

 

[Eric Krewson]

This one has AQ first followed by mahogany leather dye to match the ramrod to the stock color better, I finished it with Tru-oil.