Antler ramrod tips

[hanshi]

Here are some of the antler ramrod tips I've made for all my rifles, except for the .32.  It will be a challenge.  From .62 to .36 and they got progressively more difficult as the bores got smaller.


My EV with rod and tip.

[James Rogers]

What method of attachment did you use?

[smylee grouch]

Hanshi: have you ever had one of those tips crack or break off?   Gary

[hanshi]

James, I drilled the hole for a good slip-on fit and put a drop of Super Glue in it.

Gary, I've had the skirts at the bottom crack and had to cut the end off short in a couple of cases.  That's what makes the smaller bores so challenging.  I had better success rebating the end of the rod allowing a thicker skirt that's still not any (or much) bigger than the rod diameter.  I didn't do this for the .45 and had to shorten it to a "button" when it cracked.  They all turned out pretty good with .45 through .62 the easiest and nicest.  None of the tips have broken after installation as they retain enough bone for great strength.

[T*O*F]

Drill a small hole in both the tip and the rod.  Take a small sheetrock screw and start the threads in both pieces.  Then cut the screw to length.  Coat it and the ends with epoxy and screw them together.

The other way is to undercut the ramrod a bit and saw a small kerf in the end.  Drill a hole all the way thru the antler so that it fits tightly on the undercut.  Then drive a small hardwood wedge into the kerf.  This was the traditional way of attaching tips.

[Kermit]

Many years back a friend had an original rifle--and who knows if the ramrod was original to the gun or an old replacement--that had an interesting horn "tip." Could do the same with antler or bone, I suspect.

It had been bored through and turned round, essentially making a piece of thick-walled horn tube. The end of the rod was turned smaller and the "tube" slipped over it and pinned through with wood or maybe a thorn. I've thought it would be interesting to do the same and groove the tip around a la cleaning jag.

Anyone ever seen anything like this method?

[hanshi]

That should work just fine, Kermit.  I'll be trying something similar before too long.

[RonT]

I've made a few traditional/primitive arrows with Osage and other decorative wood nocks by similar methods.
The difference being that I ground a 3/8" drill bit to mirror the 11* taper that a taper tool cuts: IE male/ female. 
Now, after seeing this thread I have to make a couple tipped ramrods.   I believe that I'll try horn rather than antler though...
R

[hanshi]

If I could get my hands on some horn I'd do the very same thing.

[RonT]

OK....so much for the tapered hole/tapered RR end.  I cut and drilled a small piece of Black horn with my 11* bit, cut down the RR end on my 11* taper tool and Gorilla glued them together.  I used a RR from a rifle that I made a new swelled end rod for.
I get a nice feathered edge at the join but found the end of the rod to be out of round which caused a cosmetic issue.  Still some neat bling for the rifle.
Maybe make another yet this Winter.  
R

 

[Dphariss]

I made a flared horn tip for the 16 bore. Recoil would start the rod out about 1" past   the muzzle and this resulted in a serious amount of erosion of the tip by powder gases.
I made one of brass as a result.
I have since installed a spring to retain the rod.
Dan

[hanshi]

They might not all turn out purdy but they mostly work as intended.