Ramrod wood question

[Clark Badgett]

Since Hickory is native to North America and 3 varieties in Asia.
Does anyone have any idea just what kind of wood Europeans would have used for rammers?
It seems to me that since trade guns from Europe primarily used European stock woods then the rammer wood would have been of some variety other than American hickory. Maybe I'm off my rocker though.

[James Rogers]

Ash, purpleheart, greenheart, ebony,  baleen........ BUT Virginia hickory splits from the James River were shipped to England by the caskfulls to be used as gunrods

[wormey]

Early Brown Bess rods were made from Ash per De Witt Bailey in "Small Arms of the British Forces in America 1664-1815".  I`m sure others were as well.  Wormey

[rich pierce]

Agree, ash on Euro guns. Our ash has mighty rugged pores.

[Clark Badgett]

I was thinking that ash could have been a possibility, wasn’t  sure though. I got plenty for hickory, now to find a nice ash plank to spit up for rammers.

[steven baker]

I cant believe its true but once I was talking to a well seasoned BP shooter from the UK who told me that a spring steel lined oak dowel was used !.Maybe on a British punt gun , still hard to believe, Steven.

[alacran]

All my ramrods are steel lined. Regardless of what type of wood I use.

[Craig Wilcox]

Which of course raises the question:  How does one "steel line" a ramrod?

[alacran]

Which of course raises the question:  How does one "steel line" a ramrod?

It is late and can't sleep. Tomorrow I will take a ramrod I have started. It will be easier to explain the process with visual aids.
 I suppose it is more accurate to say that the steel is sheathed in wood.

[Jeff Durnell]

Hmmm, now I'm scratchin my head too.

[WadePatton]

Which of course raises the question:  How does one "steel line" a ramrod?

It is late and can't sleep. Tomorrow I will take a ramrod I have started. It will be easier to explain the process with visual aids.
 I suppose it is more accurate to say that the steel is sheathed in wood.

I'm guessing two grooves are routed, and the steel is glued up between the halves.

[Craig Wilcox]

Thanks, Alacran.  I will be a patient guy and wait for your demo.

I can see a routed channel in both halves of a ramrod, assuming you can either split the wood or saw it with a thin kerf saw.

Hmmmm.  I wonder if we could get a 48" long 1/8" drill bit?  Be about as easy as training a termite.

[Clark Badgett]

Thanks, Alacran.  I will be a patient guy and wait for your demo.

I can see a routed channel in both halves of a ramrod, assuming you can either split the wood or saw it with a thin kerf saw.

Hmmmm.  I wonder if we could get a 48" long 1/8" drill bit?  Be about as easy as training a termite.

Oh Lord a drill like that would be a nightmare.

[longcruise]

Simple way to do it is to start with an oversized wood blank, rout the half channel into each half, glue in the metal rod and follow with shaping the diameter of the rod.  Still remaining is the question, "why"?

[Daryl]

Osage makes a beautifully strong ramrod if you are not entirely PC.

[Notchy Bob]

I remember reading... somewhere... Maybe in Hanson's Northwest Gun… That lancewood was used for ramrods in some trade guns.  Bear in mind, more than one tree is called "lancewood."  I am sure the writer was referring to Oxandra lanceolota, from the Caribbean and Central and South America, and not the ornamental "Lancewood" from New Zealand.  This should not be a surprise, as European and British manufacturers were getting all sorts of wood from South America (brazilwood, logwood, cocobolo) as well as ivory and ebony from Africa.  In any event, the Central American lancewood is particularly well suited for making long, skinny wooden things like fishing rods and pool cues.  It would probably work great for a ramrod.

Here is a little more about it in the Wood Database.

Notchy Bob

[alacran]

Thanks, Alacran.  I will be a patient guy and wait for your demo.

I can see a routed channel in both halves of a ramrod, assuming you can either split the wood or saw it with a thin kerf saw.

Hmmmm.  I wonder if we could get a 48" long 1/8" drill bit?  Be about as easy as training a termite.

Sorry about taking so long to do post this. I will explain how I do it. I take a hickory board with the straightest grain I can find. of course it has to be long enough for the length ramrod I need. Anything over two inches wide will work. I joint the face of the board  and get it perfectly straight. Then I joint both edges. I do this on Jointer. I suppose it can be done with hand planes if that is all you have.
Next step is to cut a groove on the center of both edges. I do this on the table saw. I have done it with a router. I like the table saw better. The groove needs to be about 5 thousands deeper than half the diameter of the rod. I like to use 5/32 diameter piano wire for rods 36 inches or shorter. For longer rods I use 1/8 stainless. If you use piano wire you need to heat the ends cherry red for about three inches or you will never be able to drill it for a cross pin.
Also the groove needs to be about 5 thousands wider than than the metal rod.
I then cut one of the grooved edges about 5/16 thick. I then degrease the metal rod and rough it up with a file or sangpaper. After that I clean it to get the metal dust off of it.
Before I glue it up I make sure there aren't any high spots on either groove. You can make a scraper from a short piece of the size metal rod you are using. I make sure it will work dry before I mix up any epoxy.
I have used Acraglass gel, I even did one with gorilla glue. Now I use a slow cure epoxy I get from K&G Knife Supplies.
 I glue it all up and clamp it about 2 inches on center.
The epoxy I use was developed to attach golf club heads on shafts and has a 24 hour cure.
After it is cured I cut the lamination off on the table saw to a 1/2 to 7/16 overall depending on how thick the ramrod is going to be.
The picture is of a blank ready to be rounded.
If you look close you can see the seam. This one is 5/32 piano wire.
I will be prepping another one in the next few days and will take some more pictures.
As to why. I have rods that are 20 years old. I never worry about breaking them. I never have to take a range rod with me on a trail walk. I saw a guy at  my first rendesvous with half a hickory rod stuck through his hand.



dnd roll

[longcruise]

Thanks for the tutorial. 

Why?  Well after reading through your post I can see the rationale for it.  I'm not convinced that it is necessary but I might make one up and try it.

What is your method for rounding it?

[msellers]

Not to hijack this thread, but need some help along these lines. I am building a heavy barrel 30 caliber half stock, and don't want to put a heavy brass ramrod under the barrel. What would you all suggest for a durable ramrod here?
Mike

[Tim Crosby]

Not to hijack this thread, but need some help along these lines. I am building a heavy barrel 30 caliber half stock, and don't want to put a heavy brass ramrod under the barrel. What would you all suggest for a durable ramrod here?
Mike

  Hickory.

   Tim

[Clark Badgett]

I just found Holm oak referenced for M1754 French muskets as rammers

[Marcruger]

The ramrod with the steel up the center is fascinating.  That is going the extra mile for sure.  God Bless,   Marc

[alacran]

Here are some pictures that help explain the process. There are many ways to skin this cat, and I have tried many. Like I said before I find the table saw the easiest for me. If I were to do this in a production basis, which I don't intend to do. There would be better ways. That would take more capital investment.
One photo shows the Epoxy I use.   Then there is one showing the grooved board. 
There are other ways to round the bottom of the groove, but a short piece of rod made into a scraper works well, as shown in the photo. The last photo shows the boards clamped up and all excess epoxy removed from one side of the board.
When I get around to make these round, Ill post some photos and explain.



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It is best not to make to tight a fit between the groove and the rod you are using. you do not want to starve the lamination from epoxy.
When I first started making these I used 1/4 inch stainless rod. Mostly I was making 7/16 ramrods.
No need to use anything bigger than 3/16 rod . I find 5/32 and 1/8 rod to be more than adequate.