Ramrods from logs

[Larry Luck]

I lost a hickory in a Noreaster a few weeks ago.  It was at the edge of the lot and took a section of fence, but no real damage.  I plan to have it cut and removed, but thought to have a log about 4 1/2 foot long left to use for ramrods.

I've never made ramrods, but thought a 24-inch diameter log might make a few.  I'd appreciate suggestions about how best to go about it.

Larry Luck

[Dphariss]

Paint the ends with latex paint and let it dry.
Then split it as for bow staves.
Dan

[Dphariss]

Thinking about it it might be ok to split it green with the ends painted?
This is somewhat outside my field of expertise.
Dan

[Buzzard]

I suspect if you split it in 8ths, as for a bow stave, you'll probably be ok but certainly no more than that. If the staves dry to fast, they'll check-crack for sure. It'll need to season, i would think, about 6 months, slowly, to prevent the checking. If you need help spliting hickory with wedges, don't call me!

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

You better go rent a hydraulic splitter.... I have my Hickory Splitter T-Shirt!! 

[The other DWS]

the traditional archery sites have info on making arrow shafts from tree-to-shaft.  I think Primitive Archery magazine might have a site.    I know that starting from a plank will work for arrows.  you might look into having it quarter-sawed into planks, dip the ends in wax (several times) to seal them good and then sticker and stack them for drying and seasoning.  If I was going to do it I'd try doing it that way

[louieparker]

 Years ago I made some ramrods from the log . Cut in four foot  length, split green to about 3/4 or smaller square ,drove a tack in the end and hung from the ceiling to dry . Then  worked round with a draw knife and small plane to a rough  round then scraped to size . Pick a clear piece  of hickory(without knots) . According to old time ax handle makers, the hanging from the ceiling helps prevent warpage .                   ....Louie

[amohkali]

Peel the bark now, it's a lot harder once the wood is dry, and it'll dry faster without it.  Split if you can, but painting the ends (with either paint or even elmer's glue) is pretty much a "gotta" or it will check and you'll lose a significant part of the wood.

Wish you were in easy driving distance - I'd come get a 6 or 7' section of it from you to make bows with :-)  I don't wanna cut any of the hickories in my yard, I like the nuts and shade too much.

[brobb]

Dan Nye demonstrated this at Frendship last September.  Split the log while it is green - much easier to work.  Start with wedges then a froe.  If you have no froe use an axe head driven with a maul.  When you get to smaller sizes control the run of the split by bending the thick from the thin.  When you have split them about as close as you can - about 3/4 inch then even and square them up.  This is easiest with a shaving horse and drawknife, but you can use a crook knife or any knife.  When you have them about 5/8 square tie them into a bundle and let them dry out - two or three months then work them to final size.  This will make you a ramrod that is better than any you can buy because the grain is parallel with the surface.   These ramrods are very difficult to break.  I think it is best to taper the portion that fits in the lower forarm and increase the diameter above the first ramrod pipe.  This is not any extra work when you are making the ramrod by hand.

[Acer Saccharum]

Larry, you are gonna lose some serious weight. 

I'd say split it green, down as small as you dare. Save some pieces for axe handles and such.

Tom

[Ben I. Voss]

I saw the demonstration at Friendship last September too, and the tip that sticks in my mind is that only the sapwood should be used for ramrods. I guess it's tougher and more flexible.  So while a large diameter tree works ok, 4 to 8 inches diameter is more easily utilized.

[rich pierce]

In my experience wood split thin green is less likely to check than wood split thick green because there isn't as much differential drying (surface drying faster than interior).  I skin the bark off and not only coat the ends but also the outside with glue after quartering logs for bows.

It's going to be easier to split them to near ramrod size now rather than waiting till after the staves are seasoned.

[Dave B]

I was able to bring the guys at the CWF tool making shop some Yew wood from OR and John Laubock gave me a 48" section of Hickory to split out ramrods. He told me that you always split it in halves never try to split off one quarter of a section take each section in half each time till you get close to where you want to be. I split the section down the middle and the one half l took down to make six ramrods from. The wood has a tendency to tear getting toward the thin end.  I cheated on a couple using the band saw to make sure the wood stayed in usable chunk at the thin end. I don't recall how old that hickory section was but just this last year I split out some additional rod blanks and John gave me that piece in 1998 or there abouts.

[Seven]

I like to use wedges in the sides to split hickory for staves.  In my experience it is a whole bunch easier then using a splitting wedge from the top.  I usually place a wedge in the top where I want the stave to split (judging for twist and bend etc) and then pound it in a bit.  Then, instead of just pounding the wedge through the entire length of the log, I place a wedge on the side of the log at the very end of the split I just created from the top.  Once that wedge is in a bit I place another wedge further down the side in the crack that has now been elongated.  Usually by the time the second side wedge is in the first wedge has fallen out from the split expanding and I can use it to leap frog all the way down the length.  I usually at least quarter my logs for staves to let them dry.  My experience mimics Rich's on drying, the thinner stuff dries with less cracks and checks if cared for correctly.  Paint the ends (I use wood glue), and then don't expose to too much heat or sun. 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Gadzooks!

I'm trying to imagine Dan'l Boone or some mountain man stuck far from home with a broken ramrod.

Six months to season a ramrod is a long time to wait.

[Jerry V Lape]

I am only part way through this process on a piece of hickory.  I have a stave about 1/2" diameter.  It is not straight - has a about a 2 inch bow over it's length.  What are the techniques, if any, to straighten such a piece? 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I just got finished making four ramrods for rifles, starting with 7/16" dowel blanks.  They were all seriously warped, in many directions.  I used my heat gun, starting at one end, and heated up a foot at a time.  When the wood was too hot to touch, I slipped it into my six inch bench vise which i had opened just enough to receive the rod, and bent it straight + a little more.  I held it there for about thirty seconds, and then heated up the next 12", and repeated until the rod was perfectly straight, or next best to it.

I tapered them to 3/8" - actually .385" so I have some to sand, using Tom Curran's amazing ramrod tapering plate.  As you know with rod blanks turned into dowels, there is always some grain run-out, but the Tom's scraper doesn't care which direction the grain runs, within reason.  When I'm close, I sand the rod between two ten inch boards with a V groove cut, and covered with 80 grit abrasive cloth.  When the rod fits the pipes, I trim to length, and use the lathe to put on the rod tip on the small end.

[rich pierce]

Gadzooks!

I'm trying to imagine Dan'l Boone or some mountain man stuck far from home with a broken ramrod.

Six months to season a ramrod is a long time to wait.

I'm pretty sure I'd be using a dogwood shoot for a ramrod if i got stuck with a broken rod while out for more than a couple days.

[T.C.Albert]

Heat will straighten rod or arrow shafts...and dont forget that you can also  make nice traditional "tapered" rods while you are at it  ...also, they used to say to soak rods in keroscene as long as you can to make them flex better and break less... I had some tapered osage rods made up this way...worked very well...even on a long .32 cal....
TCA

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I cut Hickory saplings 6-8 feet tall and about 1/2" near the base. Cut to length and scrape them and let them dry. I tried using one green and it worked, but not for long....... They's lots of them in the woods.... straightening does help!!

[Larry Luck]

Thanks, guys.  I'll save some for ramrods.

What length should I cut for the bow staves.  My Scouts start their final year as Cubs next month, and building an authentic bow would be a great project.

Because I am without a chainsaw, I am hiring someone to remove the tree (and he'll sell it for firewood).  But I'll keep some for projects.

Larry Luck

[amohkali]

Thanks, guys.  I'll save some for ramrods.

What length should I cut for the bow staves.  My Scouts start their final year as Cubs next month, and building an authentic bow would be a great project.

Because I am without a chainsaw, I am hiring someone to remove the tree (and he'll sell it for firewood).  But I'll keep some for projects.

Larry Luck

It depends on the length you want to end up with and the style of bow.  For kids with a ~20-30 pound draw using a pretty standard flatbow style, 5' to start is fine.  For bigger kids who might want to hunt with it, cut them a little over 6'.  That gives you plenty of room to work around knots or small end checks.