Ramrod staining

[Pete G.]

Been trying with limited sucess to get a dark stain to take on a hickory ramrod. Is there a trick to this that I am missing? I even thought about trying to scorch the surface with a torch but thought that it might damage the rod enough to possibly weaken it. Speaking of which, whatever happened to all of those spiral striped rods from back in the 70's? Were they just a fad and went away with all of the Jerimia Johnsons of the time, or were they really histoically accurate? I like to stripe my range rod, but I don't really care for the look of stripes on a rifle, and by looking around it seems that no one else does either.

[rick landes]

I think hickory is a harder to get a darker color on than regular maple so here is what I do...I am going to assume your using an alcohol based stain. I have had good luck using a blow dryer to dry the stain after an application. (Remember to leave it on and do not wipe off before the blow dryer.) I feel this bit of heat opens the wood pores a bit and helps deepen the stain. If you have any "splotchiness" a few firm ribs with a paper towel seems to work well.  Multiple apps may be needed.

[Ohioan]

I striped my rod.  I haven't seen a convining arguement as to wether or not they are authentic to when the gun was built.  I took a strip of pillow ticking and soaked it with water then wrapped it around the rod.  Then took.a propane torch to the bare wood.  The scorching is very light.  Not deep enough to weaken the rod. 

[T*O*F]

If you want to stain it dark, use chromium trioxide.  Put on 2 coats and then let it work overnite.  Then next morning the wood will be black.  Take a grey or maroon Scotchbrite pad, dip it in vinegar, and polish it back until you get the color you want (go by the color when wet, not dry).  Wipe all the sludge off and let it dry.  Once it's dry, dissolve a little beeswax (about the size of a pea)  with a bottlecap full of kerosine or turpentine.  Put it on a gauze pad or cotton ball and let the rod absorb as much as possible.  Once it's fairly dry, polish it with coarse wool cloth or denim.

If you want a striped rod, do the above but wrap the rod with automotive pinstriping tape first.

[Acer Saccharum]

I have heard of soaking the rod in liquid stain, so the color will go through and through the wood.

Solder a cap on the end of a 1/2 or 3/4 water pipe long enough to accept the rod, and soak away, brother.

I think JerryWH does this to get hickory ebony black, and some folks supply pressurized air to the container, and you can stain right to the heart in very short order. I know I'd have stain all over the shop in no time.

[Acer Saccharum]

I don't know how correct the striping is, but when you drop the rod in the woods, you can find it. When it's not striped, good luck. Snap! oh, there it is.

[George F.]

Stripping a ramrod, how vogue!  I read, I believe in the Greenville book, that he saw a Fedrick Sell rifle with  an original stripped ramrod. They offered some sort of proof, but I don't remember what it was.   ...Geo.

[halfstock]

If I'm understanding you correctly I would use fiebings(sp) leather die in chocalate brown.
Halfstock

[Ohioan]

Acer, that's exactly why I stripe my rods.

[keweenaw]

Swab the rod with a fairly strong solution of tannic acid (or boil about 6 tea bags in about a cup of water)  Swab lots of it on hot and let it dry.  The tea might just color it enough for you, the tannic acid won't much change the color.  Then stain the rod with ferric nitrate (Aqua Fortis).   It will turn almost black but will turn to red when you heat it.  This is also a good trick to remember if you want a maple stock darker than what you can get with standard ferric nitrate staining.

Tom

[Pratt]

Losing ram rods in the woods? A blaze orange CB whip antenna might be just the thing. You know what they say, if they had made brilliantly colored fiberglass rods back in the day, JP Beck would have used them every time

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Ian, I think you were talking "tongue in cheek" as they say.  For those who may not be aware, a fiberglass loading or cleaning rod might as well be a rat tail file.  It will destroy your muzzle in ONE application.  If you doubt this, take the glass rod and a piece of scrap barrel stub.  Rub the rod across the corner of two of the flats about six strokes then admire the concave cut you've just made.  Imagine that on your muzzle.

[keweenaw]

Taylor, you obviously didn't see the Bevel Bros. piece in the last Muzzleblasts. But then I forget how slow the dog sleds are getting to north of the 49th.

Tom

[b bogart]

Maybe so Ian but what kinda reception do you get with that whip once its been exposed to Black Powder residue???
bruce

[Pratt]

  The powder fouling doesn't seem to affect it any, but after it gets embedded with little  particles of steel from your muzzle your radio reception generally improves

  But seriously, I didn't mean to derail Pete's topic. I know that plenty of builders stain ram rods with acid stains, but I have always tended to avoid that, figure if there's even a small chance of introducing acid to the bore why risk it.   I think the leather dyes seem to penetrate a little better than some of the other available stock stains, just keep slopping it on for a while and let it saturate, then allow it to dry for maybe a couple days before you seal or finish it.

  Man Taylor you ruined everything, I was hoping the word would get out and the woods would be alive with orange sticks during our black powder deer season.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Ian - my sincere apologies.  It never occurred to me that your comment was to spread subterfuge amongst the competition.  I have to learn to think before I type.
Fiberglass rod - go for it!  You'll never break it!!

[rich pierce]

Potassium permanganate gives a good dark stain.

[t.caster]

Quit pussy footin around and use Fieberlings BLACK leather die! It will look like ebony if that's what you want. Or mix it with brown to get it as dark as you want.
The warnings about fiberglas rods are right on. I turned my first kit rifle into a smoothbore in one summer of shooting with one! After that, I bought one for all my local competitors for Xmas!

[Benedict]

I normally stripe my rods by using masking tape and burning the rod lightly with a propane torch.  It is a mess to clean off the burnt tape.  After that I finish it with whatever finish I am going use on the gun.  Once done the rod has dark stripes and light brown stripes.  I have tried staining with acid and using masking tape but do not like the hard line between the stripes.  Recently, I stained a shooting rod to be stored in the bore of my Northwest Gun with Aquafortis.  This appears to be a mistake because after keeping the rod in the bore for some time I noticed significant rusting in the bore.  It is not pitted but there is a light browning in there.

I would like to find a more traditional method of striping the rod.  I don't think there was much masking tape around in the early days.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Bruce

[Evil Monkey]

When i used to stripe ram rods, I would put a small propane torch in the vice, flame pointing straight up, and just pass the rod through the flame while turning it (by hand). When i approached the end, i would stop, switch ends and pull it through the last few inches. The stripes where NOT perfectly symetrical but that was OK with me. I now preffer an all black (or at least near so) rod. I used black fiebings leather dye once and the rod turned out purple. Since i don't build for Royalty, I decided that a purple rod was inappropriate. Now, I just burn the whole rod and, while it's still hot, I rub bear grease over it continually until it cools. I'm not convinced that this is the best choice as I believe that charcoal is VERY abrasive. Try cutting fire wood from a firekilled stand and our chain won't last through the first tree. I like the tea/AF idea though.

[Roger Fisher]

Taylor, you obviously didn't see the Bevel Bros. piece in the last Muzzleblasts. But then I forget how slow the dog sleds are getting to north of the 49th.

Tom

That article done blew my mind.

I use a 5/16 super hard smooth stainless loading rod with guide and a nylon short starter w/guide and use a wood rod only when I must!!  And I intend to stay that way!
With 60,000 + thru her and she still shoots well I won't change my act

[Darrin McDonal]

I have to agree with using either Jim Klein's alcohol stains which I use most often or the Fiebings stain /dyes. I have very good success on ramrods with it. I like the idea of the blow dryer to heat and open the pores. Hickory is so tight it doesn't want to let hardly anything soak in, so anything may take multiple coats or longer sit times.

[omark]

i have taken a strip of leather about 3/4 of an inch wide, soaked it in water, wrapped the rod with it and used a propane torch. worked pretty good.

[t.caster]

-I've seen some of the guys in the Guild use a magic marker or large sharpie, and run it down the rod while slowly turning it with a variable speed drill.  Makes a neat spiral.
-I've applied AF similarly with a cue tip, and then heated it.
-I've cut a long strip of aluminum flashing, wrapped it around the stick in a spiral and applied the torch flame. not as messy as masking tape or wet cloth, and reuseable.
-I've tried it all....
Whatever works for you!

[Pete G.]

OK. If I follow this thread correctly I need a blaze orange fiberglass antenna with a black spiral pinstipe tape, soak the whole thing in acid, burn it with my torch and wipe some leather dye on it.  but seriously, thanks for the ideas, guys. I had not even thought of leather dye, although it may be too late for this rod because I have already done the tempering with kerosene thing. Perhaps it is time to build a spare rod.