Author Topic: Finishing ramrods  (Read 7104 times)

Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #25 on: March 22, 2018, 12:50:23 AM »
I just finish mine the way I finish the rest of the rifle; usually AF and an oil finish.  Right now,  I am using Tried and True over AF.   However, like one of the other posters said, nothing holds up all that well.    I may make my ramrods a little different that most; I scrape them into at taper from about 7/16" down to 5/16".   The scraping process leaves them a good bit more crooked than they started.   If they are a little rough,  I hit them with some 100 grit sand paper.   It is about the only place on a gun that I use sand paper. 

Offline Marcruger

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #26 on: March 22, 2018, 02:51:40 PM »
I have only finished one that Dave Crisalli sent me. I used AF, and indeed it takes lighter on hickory than maple. I then hit it with walnut stain and then low gloss tung oil. Matched the rifle finish very closely. Best wishes and God bless, Marc

Offline Daryl

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #27 on: March 22, 2018, 08:02:22 PM »
Year ago, my 14 bore's ram rod was very dark, almost black - I used an oil-based walnut stain from Minwax (yellow can) stains sold in the local hardware store.
Now, 30 years later, "the green's all wore off".
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Tim Crosby

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #28 on: March 23, 2018, 01:17:03 AM »
A friend soaked several of my ramrods in Kerosene for a few weeks.  After several days in the open air there was no smell whatsoever.  My thought is that kerosene evaporates fairly quickly, certainly within a couple-three weeks.  I don't soak them now since I don't think it helps, either.  A problem with soaking is that it makes hickory even more difficult to stain.

 I think the soaking idea came from a Dixie Gun Works catalog about '59. I thought it was "Gospel" so I did it. Piece of pipe with a chunk of firewood jammed in one end and filled with Kerosene. They came out kind of dark and I thought it worked well. Never tried to bend one in a circle but never had one break either, probably made 20 or 30 that way, ram rods, loading rods cleaning rods. In the early '60 I was shooting an original .36 percussion and parted together .32 flint both with hand split kerosene soaked RR'd. Still put all my to be rods in oil, old habit.

  Tim C.

blackpowder

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #29 on: March 23, 2018, 04:01:30 AM »
I burn mine with the touch and if it is too dark, I fine sand or steel wool it to take some of the dark off then finish with oil the same as the stock.

Offline WadePatton

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #30 on: March 23, 2018, 06:32:04 AM »
I just don't care how long you soak it, they are always going to tend to split and fracture

when fired into the 50-yard backstop, if not closer.

 :o  :-[  ;)
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Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #31 on: March 23, 2018, 06:50:49 AM »
Wade brings up a good point and I have seen it happen more than once. But one of those times was from directly behind it going down range.  :)  :'(

Offline WadePatton

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #32 on: March 23, 2018, 06:56:25 AM »
Wade brings up a good point and I have seen it happen more than once. But one of those times was from directly behind it going down range.  :)  :'(

As was I.    ::)

Now the moral to the story is to go ahead make three and experiment with your finishes to get your best colors and style. And then you'll have a spare, plus one ready-to-sell/barter to the shooters who launch theirs.   8)
« Last Edit: March 23, 2018, 06:58:16 AM by WadePatton »
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Offline Tim Crosby

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #33 on: March 23, 2018, 03:36:09 PM »
I just don't care how long you soak it, they are always going to tend to split and fracture

when fired into the 50-yard backstop, if not closer.

 :o  :-[  ;)

 Try that with a .58 mini and a steel rod, you only do it once. BTDT

   Tim

Offline Pete G.

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #34 on: March 23, 2018, 06:15:15 PM »
Based on what I heard from some old timers about 30 years ago I tried soaking the ramrods in lamp oil for a few weeks.  No strong smell but I didn’t notice any benefit from doing it so I stopped.

Mole Eyes
I tried adding a little bit of an oil based stain to the kerosene and kept it in the mixture for about six weeks. It stained the rod somewhat and seemed to make it a bit more flexible, however that is sort of a subjective opinion. I will say that I have never broken a soaked rod and the only rod I have ever broken was not soaked, for what that is worth. Once the soaked rods dry they have no discernable smell.

Turtle

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #35 on: March 23, 2018, 10:51:38 PM »
 It amazes me that sometimes they make it to the target in one piece. i understand the gun really kicks.---so I'm told

Offline Mauser06

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #36 on: March 24, 2018, 08:17:04 PM »
Definitely a good idea to make a couple.


Knock on wood...haven't shot one yet. Lol.

Offline Waksupi

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #37 on: April 01, 2018, 10:15:13 PM »
If you want to soak a rod, try bear oil, lard, or raccoon oil. Raccoon oil is probably the best. The old timers said if you get one drop of it on a buffalo hide, it will eventually completely soak the hide. All will completely saturate the wood. Just wipe them down with a heavy layer, and leave them in the sun. Repeat until they soak up no more oil. Another good penetrator is automatic transmission fluid. Kerosene evaporates in a short time.
Ric Carter
Somers, Montana

Offline WadePatton

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #38 on: April 02, 2018, 06:24:16 AM »
If you want to soak a rod, try bear oil, lard, or raccoon oil. Raccoon oil is probably the best. The old timers said if you get one drop of it on a buffalo hide, it will eventually completely soak the hide. All will completely saturate the wood. Just wipe them down with a heavy layer, and leave them in the sun. Repeat until they soak up no more oil. Another good penetrator is automatic transmission fluid. Kerosene evaporates in a short time.

If you're going the route of petrol soaks, and like the idea of ATF, but not the red dye, use PSF. The red dye is simply to help sort out leaks in vehicles equipped with more than one hydraulic system.

I think somebuddy did a "study" and found that soaking didn't help with flexibility or breakage. 

Myself is of the theory that FLEX is the last thing you want to encourage in a rod because flex will cause the rod to bear against the lands of your rifling-which could lead to wearing out a bbl and not at the muzzle end.  That being said I believe that there's a lot of flexing going on anyway, and is why I try to keep my packin' stick wiped clean and free of excess grit and funk (to be perfectly untechnical about it).

I like mine scraped and hit with 220 if needed, but to maintain most the "character" of scraping.  I forgot how I finished the last one, probably just finishing oils/varnish and zero stain or petrol. 

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Offline little joe

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #39 on: April 02, 2018, 01:20:46 PM »
I char a lot of them and while hot rub a beeswax block on it. Very water prof and lubbed for entry. Have saw old Tenn. style rifles did this way.

Offline Bill Raby

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #40 on: April 04, 2018, 06:50:24 AM »
I use Tru-oil with no stain. I like to have the ramrod really light color. Give it good contrast with the rifle. If the color matches to closely it makes the forend look thicker. An ebony ramrod looks really nice, but it sure does get expensive.

Offline WadePatton

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Re: Finishing ramrods
« Reply #41 on: April 18, 2018, 07:03:04 AM »
I char a lot of them and while hot rub a beeswax block on it. Very water prof and lubbed for entry. Have saw old Tenn. style rifles did this way.

That's something I might try. thanks.
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