info on building material

[jerrywh]

I am working on a small French pistol and need something that looks like a bone or ivory material to make a ram rod out of. It must be about 1/4" thick or more.  HELP.
 Cost is not much of a concern.

[flinchrocket]

White micarta is available from knife supply retailers.

[Hungry Horse]

 If you are going to put a metal tip on it you might be able to use a long bone hair pipe.

  Hungry Horse

[rick/pa]

How long does it have to be?   I save the wife's soup bones for inlay material. If this will work you can have it.

[jerrywh]

needs t obe about 9" long.

[Dennis Glazener]

needs t obe about 9" long.

Jerry,
There is a new resin fake ivory that is almost impossible to tell from real ivory. Here is a link to it:
https://guitarpartsandmore.com/mainCategory.php?Resin-Ivory-trade-Cue-Slabs-and-Points-79

I own some and also some legal Elephant ivory and it is GOOD stuff.
Dennis

[Ron Scott]

I got a piece of the faux Ivory to experiment with. My observation is there is no true grain structure. Not sure that is would have integrity as an actual ramrod.

[SBachner]

Maybe holly?

[Machinist John]

Elk foreleg bones.  I have some ratholed in the barn.

[davec2]

Jerry,

I have good luck with these guys.....lots of bones.....here is a link to a giraffe leg bone !

https://www.atlanticcoralenterprise.com/ProductCart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=697

All the best.

Dave C

[Dennis Glazener]

I got a piece of the faux Ivory to experiment with. My observation is there is no true grain structure. Not sure that is would have integrity as an actual ramrod.

Ron,
Did you try the S grade?
 

We have Resin-Ivory™ in sheet grade, R Grade (Regular grade) and S Grade (With Shreger Lines). The sheet grade is the least expensive. It has a very attractive ivory grain that looks very much like the lace grain pattern seen in West African ivory. The R grade has grain that has a wavy ivory grain pattern. The end grain on Resin-Ivory™ R grade shows a swirl pattern whereas the S grade shows the end grain feature of real ivory with the Shreger lines - hence the "+S" designation. The Shreger lines form a herringbone or diamond patterning in real ivory and our Resin-Ivory+S™ has this same grain feature. The +S grade also has more of a quarter-sawn ivory grain showing on the face of each slab.

[Acer Saccharum]

Interesting material, Dennis.

[Ron Scott]

Dennis, I got the S grade. It made up nice strap buttons for a powder horn, but I would be cautious about making  a working ramrod from it.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I am working on a small French pistol and need something that looks like a bone or ivory material to make a ram rod out of. It must be about 1/4" thick or more.  HELP.
 Cost is not much of a concern.

Years ago (1974 ?) I purchased a block of Ivory Macarta 1" X 12" X 12" for knife handles. It is paper based resin impregnated and used mostly for knife handles.  It does get the look of real ivory as it ages - a cream color then it gets a slight tinge of darker cream color. I don't think in the diameter you are looking for that it would be strong enough for a ram rod. You might drill out the center and bond in a steel liner but that is some special machining work for sure. Good luck on your quest.