tapering ramrods

[borderdogs]

Hi Guys,
Since there was a topic on ramrod sources I figured I would ask about tapering ramrods. I usually use a drill press and check the rod and use various grits of sand paper to bring the rod down. Recently I tried using a spoke shave but have used a dowel jig plate as well. I find this an odious job. I know that there are other ways to do this job and that this was a recent topic but I would be interested to know what others do.
Thanks,
Rob

[smylee grouch]

I'm lucky in that I have one of Acers ramrod tapering tools (plate). this tool has several cut outs for different size rods and works great and fast.

[Lucky R A]

6"X48" belt sander 80 grit belt, 5 minute job. 

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I use rasps, scrapers and then down to a file.

Cory Joe Stewart

[Fly Navy]

I use a heavy grit sandpaper which I hold in my hand. I wrap it around the ramrod and sand away.

[paulitus]

I prefer a scraper, and don’t bother sanding them. I like the scraped look.

[Scota4570]

40 grit sandpaper folded in a pad. 

[Notchy Bob]

I have a piece of 1x6 tongue-and-groove lumber.  I chamfered the groove slightly to open it up a little, and installed a little stop-block at one end.  I clamp this horizontally in a bench vise, lay the rod in the groove with one end against the stop-block, and get after it with a low angle block plane.  The end result is a nicely tapered rod and about half a bushel of curly shavings which are great for fire starting, but no carcinogenic wood dust floating in the air that requires you to wear a mask and it doesn't require any electricity.

This does take some time, but what's time to a piece of wood?  Seriously, if I made my living doing this sort of thing, I would look for a more efficient way to accomplish it, but I'm just a hobbyist, and I enjoy working with hand tools.

One other thing I do is to use a pencil to mark circumferential lines around the rod at spaced intervals.  At the tapered ends of the rod, the spacings are closer together.  I push the plane and shave off the most distant pencil ring, rotating the rod before each pass.  When I've gone all the way around the rod, I re-mark that ring with the pencil, then shave off the two most distant rings.  I re-mark then, then shave off the three most distant rings, and so on until I've gotten the rod to the dimension and taper I want.  This technique helps achieve uniform stock removal around the rod, and a smooth, even taper.  It is a little complicated to describe, but the process is simple.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I taper all my rods, and I use the system described by Notchy Bob.  But some rods are prone to splitting where there is grain run-out, and a scraper is the only way to get around these areas.  Tom Curran's (Acer Sacc-o-rum) scraper is the ticket for this job.  When I am getting close to size, I use a "bible" to sand the rod to ensure it is cylindrical and even.  It consists of two halves of a length of 2 x 2 luber sawed in half lengthwise, with a "V" groove carved down the length  of both blocks, and a pair of hinges along the back side.  I place a length of 80 grit abrasive cloth inside the "bible", lay the rod into the abrasive, close the device gently and push and pull the rod back and forth slowly at first.  It removes wood quickly and uniformly and goes a long way to evening out the rod.  I frequently start with a 1/2" black to create a 5/16" or 3/8" rod with a bulbous outer end.  The inward end of the rod gets a threaded rod tip, and it is this end that pushes the ball down onto the powder, not the bulbous end.  The large bulbous end is much easier on my hand in the final push to seat the ball, than a 3/8" or 5/16" tiny rod.  Final sanding is done in my hand with folded sandpaper.  Then the rod is burnished with a smooth glass bottle, stained, and finished with floor wax.

[Algae]

Ditto on Acer's tool!

Al Jenkins

[Dave B]

I use Michael Lee's rod tapering tool to rough it out then use my # 49 cabinett rasp to clean up. I made a tool similar to Acers after a picture in the early printing of the Recreating the American long rifle. I taper all my ramrods they look and function better.IMHO

[Notchy Bob]

The inward end of the rod gets a threaded rod tip, and it is this end that pushes the ball down onto the powder, not the bulbous end.  The large bulbous end is much easier on my hand in the final push to seat the ball, than a 3/8" or 5/16" tiny rod. x.

Taylor makes a very good point.  A lot of people now make their ramrods backwards!  The threaded tip is supposed to be on the small end, which is the end used to drive the ball.  This obviates the need to reverse the rod for ramming, and reverse it again to put it back in the pipes.  Don Bruton talked about this a little on his video.  This also explains why so many original rods on sporting/civilian guns were convex on the big end, instead of concaved... easier on your palm in seating the ball.     

Notchy Bob

[flehto]

I don't taper the RRs very much, but use the tool shown below and it also cuts the dia down on overszie, as rec'd RRs, Start w/ 1/8" thick cold rolled plate, drill and ctsk a 3/8 hole and then saw the angled sides and bevel them  on the same side as the ctsk. Saw this in a "how to" book and probably a lot of gunbuilders use something the same or similar. In 45 yrs of gunbuilding, never sharpened it. The hole can be used for tapering also.

[borderdogs]

Thanks for all the replies its very interesting to see what people do.
Rob

[RAT]

I built a wooden ship model once. In the instructions it told you how to taper the masts & spars. This is the method I use to rough-taper ramrods...

Take a wood plane and clamp it upside down in your vise. Hold the rod down on the blade and draw it towards you. Make a pass, rotate the rod, make another pass. So on... so on... After rough tapering, clean up with sandpaper.

Before starting... I make a mark around the rod where the entry pipe would be if the rod was stored in the gun. I make another mark half way between the first mark and the end. Then marks halfway between these. I start rough tapering at (what will be) the smallest end, from the last mark to the end of the rod. After one pass all the way around, I plane from the next mark towards the end... then the next mark... then the next mark. I use a drill bit gauge to monitor my progress at various points along the rod.

Watch for grain direction and runout.

[thecapgunkid]

I've tapered all my rods lately because I am told it was common on all the early guns.  Having plateaued in my skill set some time ago, i realize that I will never have the tool that eases the job nor master one of those metal thingies with the scraping hole.

So I use a scraping knife. a sharpie and a point on my bench where I can park the butt of the rod to keep it straight.  Starting near the butt about three inches up, I circle the rod with the sharpie.  Then I scrape toward the butt until all the sharpie is gone.  Now moving the circle line about three inches up the rod I repeat.  Each time moving about three inches up the rod.  This is the best I can do to keep it in the round.

After inletting the rear thimble, I start seating the rod until it goes all the way in.   On goes the middle thimble. Out comes the drill.   After seating the nose of the rod in the drill,  I work it over with 150 grit American made sand paper, hand held and not too tight.  Working up and down the rod, I again fit it through both thimbles.

Putting the front thimble on, I do the sandpaper thing again until it seats just a little snug.  Then I'll switch to 200 grit and work it until it is just a little easy but not loose.

Then, when finishing the rod, just enough bulk is put back on that I will get a good fit.

I should re-atate, tho, that there's a reason us shoemakers make shoes and you rifle makers make rifles, and at every step of the way I can hear my old master shoemaker saying ..."diss iss lowza peesa krep"...

God rest his soul

[Birddog6]

Takes all of 5 min with a belt sander.  But I will do everything I possibly can to keep from tapering one.

[Dennis Glazener]

I usually taper all of mine from 3/8 to I believe its 11/32 RR tips that I have a good supply of. I use an old 6" jointer blade I have had for years. Doesn't take long at all.
Dennis

[Clark Badgett]

The inward end of the rod gets a threaded rod tip, and it is this end that pushes the ball down onto the powder, not the bulbous end.  The large bulbous end is much easier on my hand in the final push to seat the ball, than a 3/8" or 5/16" tiny rod. x.

Taylor makes a very good point.  A lot of people now make their ramrods backwards!  The threaded tip is supposed to be on the small end, which is the end used to drive the ball.  This obviates the need to reverse the rod for ramming, and reverse it again to put it back in the pipes.  Don Bruton talked about this a little on his video.  This also explains why so many original rods on sporting/civilian guns were convex on the big end, instead of concaved... easier on your palm in seating the ball.     

Notchy Bob

Historically, the big end was for the ramming duties. The narrow end was where you attached cleaning implements, and even at times had the implements permanently mounted. The convexed end of the big end was done for strength, as a concaved end would chip. Granted today we have nice machined metal ends, but their were mostly thin rolled metal. Not what I would want to be pounding on a tight ball.

[mikeyfirelock]

I fold the paper around the rod, then clamp the loose ends in the vise so the rod is fairly tightly held. Then run the rod back and forth gradually lengthening the stroke till the rod is tapered to my satisfaction. Start with coarser grade and progress to finer grades.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I cut a shallow VEE notch in the edge of a 2X4 the length of the ram rod to hold the ram rod in place then I use scrapers, plane, spoke shave, sandpaper whatever it takes to get it to where I want it. Not rocket science  

[flehto]

I don't taper the RRs much.....a 3/8th RR ends up at .365-.370 on the small end so not much wood has to be removed.. a light rasping and sandpapering  is sufficient.....Fred

[sdilts]

I fold the paper around the rod, then clamp the loose ends in the vise so the rod is fairly tightly held. Then run the rod back and forth gradually lengthening the stroke till the rod is tapered to my satisfaction. Start with coarser grade and progress to finer grades.

I do it the same way. Doesn't take long at all.