Wondering about ramrods
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Old Hawkeye
50 Cal.
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The frequency of having to whittle a ramrod would be in direct proportion to the frequency with which they are broken.
Mmmm, obviously I need to reword my thought.
I’m curious about how often someone has seen or read about muzzleloaders with a wooden ramrod a person (frontiersman or such) whittled from a tree branch or other piece of wood due to a broken ramrod. No brass ends, basically just a stick.
Does anyone on this forum use wood with no ends and have other rods for cleaning, range work etc…
I’m curious about how often someone has seen or read about muzzleloaders with a wooden ramrod a person (frontiersman or such) whittled from a tree branch or other piece of wood due to a broken ramrod. No brass ends, basically just a stick.
Does anyone on this forum use wood with no ends and have other rods for cleaning, range work etc…
There probably are. The ram rods you refer to were often called 'wiping sticks' and where whittled. In museums I have seen wiping sticks with what we call a jag whittled into the end. I did it once just for yuks. It works. But, caution, if you try do be sure to use a stick that is strong and flexy you do not want a break to penetrate yer hand.
Pete G
76 Cal.
Well, yeah…
I do
In over 30 years of muzzleloading I have broken only one ramrod. And, that was just plain stupid on my part. I was on a deer hunt in northern Michigan. I had laid the ramrod on the ground as I finished cleaning my rifle beside the campfire. Then I got up and promptly stepped on the ramrod.
I was in deer camp for another week, so I whittled down a sapling to make a temporary ramrod. It worked just fine. When I got home, I made a new ramrod with the brass end.
I was in deer camp for another week, so I whittled down a sapling to make a temporary ramrod. It worked just fine. When I got home, I made a new ramrod with the brass end.
Brokennock
Cannon
Yes
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Somewhere in my pile of early American books , I read about a younger Indian warrior , that broke his wood Ramrod , and his fellow Indian brothers were making fun of him , and going to show him how to make a replacment.
ronaldrothb49
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I have made ones with out the brass ends for a couple of early style rifles. It is really simple to do
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Yep, have one without brass ends on my Jaeger, one end has a horn tip with a slight depression so it centers on the ball while pushing it down.
Came that way from the guy who built it about 40 years ago, never been broken.
Came that way from the guy who built it about 40 years ago, never been broken.
Some of my old picket rifles have just plain rods with no ends. Perty sure they're there just so it looks like nothings missing. Buddy of mine has been making all sorts of ramrods for years on his lap with a hand plane. They are beautiful.
This is significant. Handmade ramrods like arrows are not whittled, they are shaved. In order to minimize the risk of breakage it is important to avoid grain run-out. Rods are first split from a stave, then planed or shaved to size. Commercially available rod blanks are made by a doweling machine these days and often have run-out. When replacing a rod I usually purchase three blanks and pick the one having the least.
longcruise
70 Cal.
This is true
. However, I have a dowelling set up that is used to make arrow shafts and ramrods. The run out issue can be dealt with by careful selection of the material. I buy 1 X 2 hickory stock at the big orange box store. You have to spend some time looking but don't settle for anything unless it has straight grain (growth lines) on all four sides. A few run-outs ar acceptable if the lines are close together. Some wood, not usually hickory, may have only three growth lines in a 3/8" blank. If that bla k has any run-outs it's no good. If it has five or more it's less critical. That's how I do it and mine hold up fine.
Not worth the investment to buy a doweler for a couple ramrods but hand planing is just as effective and not difficult.
Run out? If you're talking about a bend in a rod, I don't mind that in a hunting rifle. Keeps the rod from falling out.
I been making Ebony rods on my lathe the last few weeks. This rod
is perfectly round and extremely straight. The finish is linseed oil and rubbing with a cotton tack rag. I tried the plane method on my lap. You gotta love your work to do it that way.
I been making Ebony rods on my lathe the last few weeks. This rod
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Congrats.
Ye did it the old way. That is wat we are all about here.
Grain runout on a round shaft looks like this.
Each of those feathered ends represents a growth ring/layer and a potential break point. Ideally, a perfect shaft would have one single exposed growth layer for its entire length.
We read about wiping sticks carried as extras. A famous painting from late eighteenth century shows an Indian with his trad gun and extra stick.
The military replaced wooden rods with iron in mid eighteenth century. They must have done it because of some loss of wooden.
It only makes sense that frontiesmen and more civilized folk replaced rods.
For some reason I have a lot more rods then guns
The military replaced wooden rods with iron in mid eighteenth century. They must have done it because of some loss of wooden.
It only makes sense that frontiesmen and more civilized folk replaced rods.
For some reason I have a lot more rods then guns
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I'm too impatient to make a wood ramrod the correct way. I pick a straight one , well mostly straight , put one end in a drill motor chuck , grab some 40 to 60 grit sand paper . Hold the sand paper loosley wrapped around the rod , in one hand , and run the drill motor with the other. Keep trying the new rod in the rifle's thimbles , and stop when the rod fits. Cut the excess rod off from the drill chuck end , instll the metal end , epoxie , and a 1/16" diameter pin . Polish with OOOO steel wool , Apply finish , wax , and done.
