Ramrod Finish

[Jim Cook]

I've seen muzzle loaders (walnut stocks) with ramrods that are in the normal Hickory color (white) and others that have ramrods that have been stained with a walnut color to match the stock.

Which configuration would you go with?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I like to see a hickory ramrod darkened to close to the same colour as the stock wood.   I use alcohol based deep penetrating stains such as Laurel Mountain Forge's and Fiebing's dyes.  I steel wool the rod between coats to remove whiskers, and restain.  When it is dry, I burnish the rod with course canvas, and apply Trewax.  Then when it is dry, I polish the rod, and it is ready for the rifle.  I don't use ramrods to clean my rifles and guns...I use a steel cleaning rod for that work.  The only thing the ramrod is used for is loading the gun.  Over a period of several years, some wear will show up on the rod at the muzzle where the rod comes to a stop. I rewax the rod from time to time, mostly to clean it.

[Jim Cook]

Thank you Taylor for your comments.
Anyone else?

I like to see a hickory ramrod darkened to close to the same colour as the stock wood.   I use alcohol based deep penetrating stains such as Laurel Mountain Forge's and Fiebing's dyes.  I steel wool the rod between coats to remove whiskers, and restain.  When it is dry, I burnish the rod with course canvas, and apply Trewax.  Then when it is dry, I polish the rod, and it is ready for the rifle.  I don't use ramrods to clean my rifles and guns...I use a steel cleaning rod for that work.  The only thing the ramrod is used for is loading the gun.  Over a period of several years, some wear will show up on the rod at the muzzle where the rod comes to a stop. I rewax the rod from time to time, mostly to clean it.

[David Rase]

Most of the time I put on a coat of Fiebings medium brown leather dye, steel wool and then a few coats of Tru-coat.  I have left a few rods "in the white" with a coat or two of oil, but not very often.  I don't highly finish my ramrods since I consider them a disposable accessory to the rifle that will eventually get replaced due to use.
DMR   

[Simon]

I like to see a hickory ramrod darkened to close to the same colour as the stock wood.   I use alcohol based deep penetrating stains such as Laurel Mountain Forge's and Fiebing's dyes.  I steel wool the rod between coats to remove whiskers, and restain.  When it is dry, I burnish the rod with course canvas, and apply Trewax.  Then when it is dry, I polish the rod, and it is ready for the rifle.  I don't use ramrods to clean my rifles and guns...I use a steel cleaning rod for that work.  The only thing the ramrod is used for is loading the gun.  Over a period of several years, some wear will show up on the rod at the muzzle where the rod comes to a stop. I rewax the rod from time to time, mostly to clean it.

What is trewax?

Mel

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Trewax is a good brand of paste wax used for floors and furniture.  I bought a can of it in 1970 at the Co-op Store in Masset, Queen Charlotte Islands  for $2.70 and it's about half gone.  It contains that wonderful scent of carnuba (sp?) wax. 

[Dennis Glazener]

I build mostly mountain rifles so keep that in mind when I tell you what I use most of the time.

I put on several heavy coats of AquaFortis, let dry then using heat gun on the high setting I heat the rr. Actually scorching it  lightly. While still hot I rub it down with beeswax. If the beeswax is not all melted I will go over it again with the heat gun.

RR ends up darker, the beeswax lubricates the rod and provides a finish that can be reapplied when worn off.
Dennis

[ken]

Hi there, Happy Holidays!  I like to make the ram rod  a lighter than the rifle its self The reason for that is after all that work to build  a nice slender gun and make the rod the same color as the gun always defeats the work and makes the project look chunkey andnot slender at all. Better to have contrast..

[bgf]

I agree about the ramrod not matching the stock exactly.  A tone or two lighter, but not bright enough to draw attention to itself.  Actual finish used is probably not that important -- it is just a stick.  I like to leave it in while shooting -- that darkens the tip at the muzzle over time.

[Z. Buck]

on the one for the blunderbus i am building, which has a walnut stock, i used a well steeped tea mixture then aquafortis over that, made a nice red brown which does not draw attention to itself, but doesn't fade into the background of the stock, i also used a heatgun to melt in beeswax, i love beeswax for a finish for things like that

[Roger Fisher]

I agree about the ramrod not matching the stock exactly.  A tone or two lighter, but not bright enough to draw attention to itself.  Actual finish used is probably not that important -- it is just a stick.  I like to leave it in while shooting -- that darkens the tip at the muzzle over time.

Sure more than one rod has been " left in"while shootin.  I can recall at least one on a local w walk.  He ended up with 3 rods altho short ones and a reason to make another rod...

[bgf]

Roger,
You got me.  That's not exactly what I meant, but its not entirely untrue either.  Even more reason not to spend a lot of time fussing with the ramrod finish .