MY ROD IS SWELLED UP

[flashpoint]

Hmmmmm, not sure. I will check that out as I do have the original that came with the gun. Thanks A

 

[drax05]

We had a good rifle maker and carpenter in our muzzleloading club in 70's, (Tom Stout) and he showed us how to water seal our rods and "cure" them by putting them in a tube (large conduit, and PVC would work) filled with kerosene and capped. Let stand for a year if you have time, invert occasionally, I still have many of mine left over from the early 70's I still use. This will make them a little more flexible which can be a problem in thin rods though, but it works fine.

 

[Winter Hawk]

What Mad Irish Jack said, as well as drax50. I too have a PVC tube, capped at the bottom and with a screw on cap at the top, filled with kerosene and 3/8" dowels. This has been sitting in my garage for several years.... hmmm, must be close to ten years now without needing a new ramrod. I guess it's insurance - if I didn't have it I would be breaking rods left and right!

~WH~

 

[Hanshi]

Years ago I bought a dozen rod (hickory) blanks. A friend put them in a big tube for me and filled it with kerosene. They were in there for around a month. I aired them out and there was no smell left on them. None have broken so far but I do make them into ramrods that I take care of. One thing I noticed is that they now resist absorbing stain unlike the untreated ones.

 

[Paddywonka]

Give all your wood, new or other rods a good soaking with boiled linseed oil and it will never happen again. Have rods well over 50 years old, none have warped, twisted or binded & they have a nice mellow golden hue. It waterproofs, seals, enhances all the wood grain, and keeps them in great condition. Wood treated with linseed oil will last forever if treated, & reapplied during it's life. It was what the US ARMY used since the late 18th centurey and up to the m14 for all it's wood. It works.

 

[flashpoint]

Thanks Paddywonka. Sounds like a perfect fix. I actually have some so I think I will try it.

 

[flashpoint]

Thanks Hanshi.

 

[flashpoint]

Afishhunter, the ramrod from TOTW was close, but not the same diameter as the original that came with the gun. It fit the thimbles but rather snugly. I guess besides the rain, the larger diameter also contributed to it getting stuck. I have just sanded it down (actually quite a bit). It now goes into the thimbles pretty easily with just a bit of snugness towards the barrel end to keep it in place.

 

[toot]

I wish my rod would swell up. it falls out. I may have to go to an iron one.

 

[flashpoint]

Check out Track of the Wolf Toot.

 

[Winter Hawk]

I had the same problem as Toot, fixed it by gluing a small piece of thin leather in the ramrod channel.

~WH~

 

[rp77469]

My experience with kerosene is that it evaporated within a month or two, and what had been a flexible rod became about as stiff as one that had not been soaked. Up until a week ago I had not broken one in 10+ years. I managed to pull the tip off a pistol rod and left the tip and jag in the barrel. I ended up shooting it out. The pin tore up the tip and the wooden rod, so I need to make a replacement rod. This one failed because I was in a hurry and did not epoxy it. I also drilled the pin with the wood grain instead of across the grain and it tore out the endgrain when it pulled free. I will not make these mistakes again.

If you can split out a rod from a straight piece of hickory, you have a rod that is almost impossible to break short of abuse. Use a block plane to make it roughly octagon, point one end in a pencil sharpener and drive it through a few different sizes of holes in a dowel sizing plate until you get the size you want. Bend as necessary using a gentle flame to heat the rod. I won one of these dowel plates in a drawing at our local woodworking club, but you can make one out of 1/4 inch stock that works every bit as good. Standard Dowel Plate

To tighten a ramrod so it doesn't fall out, use heat and apply a small gentle bend to the rod. It will act like a spring and keep it from falling out. Not much bend is needed, say a sixteenth or so, maybe a tad more.

 

[Hanshi]

I had the same problem as Toot, fixed it by gluing a small piece of thin leather in the ramrod channel.
~WH~

I used a piece of leather in one of my rifles to keep the rod from falling out.

 

[user 23626]

Being new to BP, as you all know by now, I took a different spin on this problem. A good friend makes mid 1800s clothing used brain tan elk, deer etc. ships world wide. I prefer my range solid brass rod so he's making me a back quiver for vintage archery or my range rod while still having my under barrel rod. Making it out of a XL buck mink I caught and had tanned. If it's not long enough I have a couple of tanned skunks that better fit my personality. Out

 

[toot]

thanks guys I have glued a thin piece of leather into the rod channel and worked fine, solved problem. again thanks' guys.

 

[White Fox]

I recommends against straightening your ramrod. On several of my rifles the slight curvature of the ramrod is what keeps the rod in place. I do recommend sanding and thorough sealing, then an occasional wipe with floor wax.

 

[muzzlestuffer]

Reminds me of the time, back in 1982, when I discovered I had a stuck ramrod at the start of a hunt with an unloaded rifle. I was out in the middle of nowhere and there wasn't much I could do about it.
While we're on the subject, what kind of "finish" should be applied to prevent this problem?

Boiled linseed oil about 6-8 coats let dry a day or two between coats

 

[Dennis Olson]

I recommends against straightening your ramrod. On several of my rifles the slight curvature of the ramrod is what keeps the rod in place. I do recommend sanding and thorough sealing, then an occasional wipe with floor wax.

New rods are inexpensive get a new one

 

[Smoketown]

Boiled linseed oil about 6-8 coats let dry a day or two between coats

Boiled linseed oil dries a LOT quicker if exposed to sun-shine.