Ramrod sources

[Jim Kibler]

Perl drums mentioned hand straightening ram rods. how is that done? I am working on a woods runner and the ram has quite a bow to it. Thanks for any advice.

The same way you can straighten any natural arrow material. I use no heat on any of them. You spy down the rod while slowly spinning it. Find the bend and place it in the heel of your hand. Flex it the opposite direction with your other hand. You have to over bend a fair amount. If it breaks its because it was destined to and not because you did something wrong. It's hard to explain. I'm sure youtube has a video or two out there if you search hand straightening wooden arrow shafts.

Yes!  I agree with everything you've said.

[reddogge]

An old cedar arrow shaft straightening tip was to roll the shaft on the kitchen table to find the high spot. Would work on a ramrod too.

[Pukka Bundook]

I don't mind ramrods a little crooked as they stay in the thimbles better!

For ramrods I go to wood shop and buy doweling.  I check them for full length grain then soak them in coal oil so they are supple. They are planed to a taper and rounded nice with sandpaper.
Daft as it sounds, I have never broken a ramrod in using them since the very early '70's.

[Eric Krewson]

Another straightening method is to roll a shaft/ramrod on a table top until the apex of the bend is at 12 o'clock, burnish the top of the bend with a round screwdriver shaft using moderate pressure. This method has a learning curve as to how much pressure to use but shafts burnished this way tend to stay straight over time.

They sell a roller for this process that works really well but costs about $35, I have one because I used to straighten a lot of arrow shafts.

[reddogge]

Eric, I've used a round screwdriver as a burnishing tool also.