Ramrod?

I was wandering if any of you could tell me how to go about making a ramrod. I want to make a tulip tip rod the ones with the flared ends at the top and the threaded piece go's down into the gun. I had someone offer to build me one but for $22 and I would rather try to make my on. Any help would be appreciated such as material, constrution ect.
One more thing I have no access to a lathe of any kind.

Are you talking about a metal Brown Bess type rod, or are you looking for a wooden rod with a trumpet end?

A wooden one with trumpet end.

If you have an electric drill motor you can chuck it up in there,I do this with all my rods I make,Don't use dowel bought at the lumber yard,Find a gundealer that offers hickory split blanks...Mark

If a guy will make you one for $22,..... let him. Unless you just have time to kill.

To properly scrape-taper a ramrod takes a lot of time.

Start with one oversize to the "tulip" you want on the end, and taper it to fit in your rod pipes. Fit the appropriate sized end, stain and finish.

Good luck. (spend the $22)

i'll be honest- i broke mine off in the barrel, so i went to wally world and got a dowel. i think it was ramin wood 5/16. I sanded quickly and spray finished it with sealer. then i just sanded down the ends to fit the .36 cal ends on. They will thread the wood themsleves it you go carefully with screw on ends. Once it's on, back it all the way off, and put fletch tite in the threads, and screw back on. It will hold indefintely, cause i have really romped on mine and there it stays. If you ever want to take it off, heat with lighter and unscrew. It's great stuff. Plus it takes impact well, i put arrow points on my cedars with it when i run out of hotmelt. best part is, buy a couple they are cheap, finish them all an sand them, instant backus you can leave in your truck. much better o have to walk back to the truck then drive home :thumbsup: ruin your day in a heart beat

maybe a little more detail about chucking it in a drill motor. how to keep it from whipping around - sandpaper, file ect to turn it down . I've just sanded by hand but this sounds interesting !! wild Eagle

The only way I know to do this is to start with a hickory road the thickness of the thick end and then plane it down. I use a spokeshave to square it up to the smaller diameter desired for in the hole and in the pipes. After squaring, knock off the corners to make it octagon, then 16-sided, then rasp it round with longways strokes in between round and round strokes. It takes an hour and you have to throw the first one away.

Most jobs are easy using the right tools.... Here's what I use to taper arrow shafts. After I went to Multifloral Rose and River Cane haven't used them except to make a couple ramrods from Hickory splits. The piece of barn siding is my arrow jig.
R

$22 is a steal if there is no grain run-out.

One more thing to try, and I read about this a long time ago in Muzzleblasts, is to get a steel drill gauge, the kind with various size holes cut it in to see what size drill you have. Bevel the holes on one side to make a sharp edge. Then you force the rod through the various holes in kind of a rotating, scraping motion. You would do the whole rod to the OD of the Trumpet end. Next go through, you would use the next smaller hole and stop before you get to the trumpet, and so forth until by the time you get to the smaller end of the rod, you have cut in a series of "steps". Then, it is a simple matter to blend in the steps with sandpaper. This can be done, as mentioned, by chucking one end in a drill at medium speed. Between the hand holding the sandpaper and the free hand, you will have plenty of support and the rod won't whip around.

I do not remember where I read this, but one way to taper a ramrod is to use a piece of steel with a long vee cut in it. The vee has to be wider at the open end than the wide end of the ramrod, and the sides are sharpened. You then scrape the vee along the length of the ramrod, working deeper in the vee as you get to the smaller end of the ramrod.

Bob

I've tried this - works well though many passes thru smaller and smaller holes. Alot like compressed arrow shafts ,I wonder what this might do to a ramrod , make it stronger , less flexable ??? wild eagle

Do this after you get your drill set up: Clamp a piece of small diameter pipe, 1/2" or so, in line with the drill. Let the loose end of the ramrod blank ride in this. It will keep it from whipping around as well as support it while sanding.

Whereabouts in SE PA are you? My wife's family is from Chambersburg.

Sorry! I meant to say South Central PA. And my in-laws still live there.

I use this simple set-up to taper arrow shafts, it would work well on ramrods.
[url] http://www.tradgang.com/taper[/url]/

About 1\2 way between Carlisle and Gettysburg , not far from Chambersburg

This set up looks sweet - should make some mighty fine ramrods

Ok guys, here's a real easy way to taper a ramrod. Clamp a pair of scissors in the benchvice and start drawing the hickory towards yourself. You can vary the size needed for your piece of wood by opening or closing the scissors. This has worked great for me. Guys, please don't tell my Missus that I use her good cloth shears for this.

I'm familiar with the area. My in-laws live between C'burg and Fayetteville. I've shot BP at Ft. Loudoun before but would like to find some other ML clubs to visit when we come up in the Summer. If you know of any in the area, send me a PM. I also shoot clays and at the rifle range at the Chambersburg Rod & Gun Club when I can. Sorry to get off topic.

And Trapper, take it from me. Gently put your wife's shears back where you got them and quietly walk away and never look back. It'll be cheaper in several ways for you to buy your own. And we don't want to lose you. :nono: