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i have been making custom ramrods for 30 years. when i make a wood one its been tempered . I read about this in a dixie catalog 20 some odd years it was a paragraph buried on a page it basically said to take your wood rod and put it in a pvc pipe and soak it in kerosene for up to a year you would be surprised at how much you can flex it without breaking it
Use automatic transmission fluid if you really want penetration and flex! Unlike kerosene, it won't evaporate away.
 
Even a hickory dowel rod should be tested like this. Been doing this test on them for years. Hold the dowel on each end , bend it like a bow , and spin it between thumb , and fingers. If it doesn't splinter , ya probably have a good cantidate to make a rammin rod. Note , look at the grain in each r/r cantidate carefully , before you do the bend test , a poor choice will cost ya. Also , use an appropriate size dowel for the caliber gun you have. For instance....A 3/8 " rod for a .50 , .54. A 1/2 " will handle the bigger cal.'s.
 
Years ago I ordered a dozen hickory ramrods with the threaded jag attached. I had them in both sizes for .36 and down and .40 & up. They were very long, unfinished but I took it from there. I cut them to length and tapered them. A friend did the kerosene soak for a couple of weeks - I'm not entirely convinced it makes a difference. I tried staining them with little success so brushed a bit of color here and there on them. I think one of them did get broken but still have all the rest. In the basement are two nice ss range rods and along with 2 or 3 of the fiberglass ones and an aluminum one. The steel and wood ones are almost the only ones I use exclusively.
 
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