Straightening Hickory?

[Zonie]

When I went to the Western Nationals among the things I was looking for was some good ramrod blanks.

I didn't feel like paying $10 for a pre made one but I could only find hickory blanks that looked like recurve bows.

As I already have some hickory blanks that looks like that I was wondering; Is there a way to straighten out a badly warped hickory ramrod blank?

 

[TwoShadows]

Hey Zonie.....Steam and an arrow straightner will work to a decent degree. I like to go ahead and finish the rammer and slip it into a rifle. The channel and thimbles help to keep them straight. I also try to buy blank ones in threes or more. I bundle them together with several rubber bands all along the length of them to let them help keep each other straight. I assume you also soak them in kerosene to make them strong and flexible.
Shadows

 

[djnye]

zonie,

first let me mention that i really appreciate all you do for this forum.

yes, you can affect the straightness of hickory--some. hickory remains quite plastic and will never be totally compliant a far as straightness goes. luckily, straight is not really very important when compared with straight-grain, which is crucial. once a ramrod is shaped and stored in the thimbles it will usually take that set. it can be encouraged toward straightness much like straightening wooden arrows. if one looks down the shaft and finds where it is curving off, one can bend in the reverse direction and rub back and forth on the inside of the curve against something firm like a sick held in a vise. like i said , you probably will not get it really straight, but you will be able to tame it some.

good luck and take care, daniel

 

[Deadeye]

You can straighten wood arrows or ramrods by heating them over an open flame( such as a campfire) bending them while hot and keeping them straight until cool.

 

[musketman]

You can straighten wood arrows or ramrods by heating them over an open flame( such as a campfire) bending them while hot and keeping them straight until cool.

A variation of this method is to heat a large stone in a fire and (once removed from the heat) work the ramrod over the hot stone until straight...

The stone will retain the heat without setting the hickory on fire by accident...