Author Topic: Just curious - ebony RR (Read 7328 times)

holzwurm · « **on:** May 01, 2011, 11:25:22 PM »

I came across a piece of ebony recently long enough to make a RR for a short barrel rifle. Anyone have an opinion whether it would make a RR or is it too brittle? Just curious

California Kid · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2011, 11:38:35 PM »

A lot of English fowling pieces used ebony rr's.

Dave Waters · « **Reply #2 on:** May 02, 2011, 04:09:03 AM »

Embarrassed to ask but what does RR mean?

Don Getz · « **Reply #3 on:** May 02, 2011, 04:15:25 AM »

Dave........R(am) R(od), I know how you feel, I get those moments too. I have an ebony ramrod in my english sporting
rifle, can't get much better. They are rather common on good english guns..........Don

smart dog · « **Reply #4 on:** May 02, 2011, 04:20:05 AM »

Hi Holzworm,
Eboney or rosewood are my favorite choices for ram rods for finer English guns. Eboney will dull your tools and it chips if your tools are not sharp, but it turns and scrapes well and does not need much finish.

dave

bjmac · « **Reply #5 on:** May 02, 2011, 05:24:08 AM »

The question then becomes: where does one find the blanks?

volatpluvia · « **Reply #6 on:** May 02, 2011, 06:49:09 AM »

bjmac,
I put one on my longrifle back in '93. I ordered it from an ad in Muzzleloader Magazine. I don't know if the company still exists. But you could look.
I seldom used mine, not knowing how it would stand up, but made loading rod for the gonne with a hickory rod. But it looked really good on the gonne.
what shaping I needed to do to get it to fit through the pipes I did with a coarse file. I filed like a dream, did not rip out. It polished until it looked like plastic. I would not accept a finish but did not seem to need one.
volatpluvia

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #7 on:** May 02, 2011, 07:21:08 AM »

I made an ebony rod for Acer's little Jaeger rifle, and it turned out pretty nice. I used his cool scraper tool...had to have one of my own after that. He was good to me when I visited with him and his family in '09...allowed to to make stuff in his shop - showed me how to engrave - got us a glass of very good scotch WAY after closing hours at the local pub - for FREE. He has pull.

JTR · « **Reply #8 on:** May 02, 2011, 05:44:03 PM »

Quote from: D. Taylor Sapergia on May 02, 2011, 07:21:08 AM

- got us a glass of very good scotch WAY after closing hours at the local pub - for FREE. He has pull.

Gotta love those guys with pull!!!

John

holzwurm · « **Reply #9 on:** May 02, 2011, 07:01:49 PM »

Quote from: smart dog on May 02, 2011, 04:20:05 AM

Hi Holzworm,
Eboney or rosewood are my favorite choices for ram rods for finer English guns. Eboney will dull your tools and it chips if your tools are not sharp, but it turns and scrapes well and does not need much finish.

dave

- - - and Rosedwood too! Great. I have a plank of that - been in the rack for years. Thanks All

David Rase · « **Reply #10 on:** May 02, 2011, 09:43:29 PM »

Quote from: D. Taylor Sapergia on May 02, 2011, 07:21:08 AM

got us a glass of very good scotch WAY after closing hours at the local pub - for FREE. He has pull.

I guess being the Mayor has its privileges.
DMR

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #11 on:** May 02, 2011, 10:03:51 PM »

Yes, I got me a Taylor-made ramrod of ebony for my little Jaeger, made by a Canadian in the USA. What great fun that was, Taylor, getting ready for Dixon's, driving down with Jesse and Eric VonAschwege in a truck crammed with junk.

Rosewood is great, as well as pernambuco. But all these woods are getting hard to come by. Baleen has been used, but I'd hate to kill a whale just to get a ramrod.

Tom

Scott Bumpus · « **Reply #12 on:** May 03, 2011, 12:16:30 AM »

FREE GLASS OF SCOTCH!!! I have a whole new respect for acer.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #13 on:** May 03, 2011, 12:22:33 AM »

Scott...I'm sure we were both pretty surprised, but happy for sure. The proprietor/bar tender was lots of fun, and she seemed to be enjoying our company too. It seemed to me there were several glasses involved. I sure enjoyed it.

longcruise · « **Reply #14 on:** May 03, 2011, 12:25:59 AM »

Does one need to split out an ebony blank or will sawn work? I have a piece to work with but don't want to waste wood experimenting!

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #15 on:** May 03, 2011, 12:29:33 AM »

Use a table or band saw to cut your blank and make it cylindrical and tapered from there.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #16 on:** May 03, 2011, 01:09:33 AM »

You can get baleen if you buy it directly from a native Alaskan... but you can never sell it again.....

Where do you suggest as a good source for ebony??

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #17 on:** May 03, 2011, 03:50:41 AM »

Tim, we have a hardwood dealer right here in PG who brings in all kinds of exotic woods. I once won a plank of Macassar rosewood (now endangered and unavailable) from which I made several ramrods. It was blood red when I made them, and now they are almost black. I bought the ebony for the wheellock there, as well as some for the riser of a longbow. We are fortunate to have a far-thinking dealer here in town.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #18 on:** May 03, 2011, 04:16:32 AM »

Don't split it out, unless you have lots to play with. Ebony splits in unexpected ways.

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Author Topic: Just curious - ebony RR (Read 7328 times)

holzwurm

California Kid

Dave Waters

holzwurm