Crook in Ram Rod

[iloco]

I have a crook in one my ramrods that is about 8-10 inches from the end.
 What is a good way to straighten this problem.  The rod looks to be hickory.
I don't have anyway to steam the rod so that is out the question.

[WadePatton]

As far as I know (AFIK) pretty sure that you are SOL without the use of heat and moisture. 

I'll be happy to learn otherwise. 

And then some folks like the way a crooked stick stays in the loops better. 

[Nate McKenzie]

Why not hold it over a steaming tea kettle?  Use a box end wrench to straighten it.

[Tim Crosby]

 First thing I would say is make a new one but it may be that the entry thimble and the RR hole are off set a bit and that is causing your problem, a new one will not help that. Just a thought.

  Tim C.

[jamesthomas]

I have a crook in one my ramrods that is about 8-10 inches from the end.
 What is a good way to straighten this problem.  The rod looks to be hickory.
I don't have anyway to steam the rod so that is out the question.

 I had that problem, sometimes you can get them straight and sometimes you can't. When I've ordered ram (range )Rods I always order 6 of them and get the tips separate. They are much cheaper this way and when one gets that crook in it I just remove the tip and make a new rod, its much easier and less frustrating this way.

[longcruise]

Fill a large boiler with water and immerse the rod tip in boiling water for about an hour, then straighten and hold in position while it dry's.

[WadePatton]

Fill a large boiler with water and immerse the rod tip in boiling water for about an hour, then straighten and hold in position while it dry's.

If he can't make steam how's he going to heat water?  I don't know if he lacks water or heat, but he's clear about not making steam--which does seem odd to me.  Maybe he's in a dormitory with no hotplate?

[iloco]

I have a stove and water but no tea kettle type of pot.   I am going to try Longcruise way of doing it.
  The crook is close enough to the end I may be able to pull it off with sticking in boiling water.  Will let you know what happens.

[Kermit]

You can try dry bending it with just dry heat and no water vapor. It's done to bend musical instrument sides, such as guitars. Never tried it with a ramrod, but it could be worth a try. You'll want to have a way to hold it straight while it cools.

[iloco]

Kermit how would you apply the heat...?

[bob in the woods]

I've straightened a bunch of them. Put on a pot of water, and get it boiling. Drop in in a small rag, and fish it out with a fork or tongs , and wrap it around the rod at the area needing straightening. Leave it a minute or 2, then take it off, and straighten the rod. Wear some gloves 

[davec2]

Find a straight piece of steel, aluminum, or copper tubing with an ID that is close to (but slightly larger than) the ram rod OD.  Heat the part of the rod you want to straighten with a hot air gun, or even over a flame, and then quickly slide the rod into the tube and leave it until it's cold.

(When they make barrels, the oak staves are only heated with direct flame and they easily get flexible enough to bend into a barrel shape....and they are about an inch thick !)

Jerry Huddleston bends stocks by wrapping the area to be bent with a rag and then pouring hot cooking oil onto the rag until the wood is hot enough to bend.

[PPatch]

The ancients straightened their spears, arrow shafts and bent their bows by heating the wood over a low campfire then using the crotch of a tree or the crook of a tree branch to aid in the bending and to hold the shaft straight while it cooled. Keep the shaft moving over the heat so it doesn't build heat and scorch one area.

dave

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

PPatch:  who are you calling an ancient?

I use a hot plate, a rag soaked with water, and a pair of oven mitts to straighten wooden shafts, including natural shoots for arrows, spears, and ramrods.  The wet rag is just a precaution against scorching the dry wood...it's the heat itself that does the limbering up of the wood fibres. 

So heat the rod over the element of your stove until it is too hot to touch, but try not to char it.  then with the oven mitts on your hands, bend the wood in the opposite direction of the warp, just past straight, and hold it there 'til it cools.  when you release it, it will remember that it was bent and end up as close to straight as you want.  It's quite easy.

[iloco]

PPatch:  who are you calling an ancient?

I use a hot plate, a rag soaked with water, and a pair of oven mitts to straighten wooden shafts, including natural shoots for arrows, spears, and ramrods.  The wet rag is just a precaution against scorching the dry wood...it's the heat itself that does the limbering up of the wood fibres.  

So heat the rod over the element of your stove until it is too hot to touch, but try not to char it.  then with the oven mitts on your hands, bend the wood in the opposite direction of the warp, just past straight, and hold it there 'til it cools.  when you release it, it will remember that it was bent and end up as close to straight as you want.  It's quite easy.

This I will do if my heating in boiling water does not work.  I am leaving in a vise till tomorrow to see if the boiling water does the trick.

 UPDATE: The boiling water did not work but holding it over a stove eye and bending when hot did work for me.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Steaming or boiling the wood simply adds heat to the wood.  The water itself does nothing to make the wood bend...it doesn't penetrate to make the wood like cooked speghetti, for example.  I'm happy you were able to straighten your rod.

[bob in the woods]

Exactly !   The rag simply keeps the heat where you want it.

[PPatch]

Calling you ancient, nope Taylor. You're still out there taking Moose and bear with your Arkansas Toothpick. Me, not so much... besides, I'm older than dirt, so you MUST be younger.

iloco: Glad trying the ancient ways solved your RR problem.

dave

[iloco]

Thanks to all of you for the useful information.  Guess one is never to old to learn.

[David R. Pennington]

I like em a little crooked so they don't slide out of the pipes while I'm crawling over the hills. (I used to run over the hills now I crawl).

[tddeangelo]

Very much appreciate this thread. Just straightened two work rods. One had a crook from day one ("S" bend) and the other was my father's. It stood leaned in a corner for a long, long time, getting bowed. Both are usable now. Far from "perfect," but "perfectly usable."

Thanks!

[Mick C]

Sometimes a small crook in a rod might be a good thing as it will hold it in place and not rattle.  Just my 2 cents....Mick C